Georgia Farm Bureau's Leadership Alert - October 6, 2010

Page 1

October 6, 2010

www.gfb.org

Vol. 28 No. 40

CHAMBLISS AND ISAKSON SUBMIT BILLS OUTLINING WATER UTILIZATION

Four bills setting guidelines for water usage from reservoirs were introduced by Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson last week in an effort to help Georgia meets its water needs as the state negotiates a long-term agreement with Alabama and Florida over the use of water from Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River. “It’s critical that Georgia, Alabama and Florida come to an agreement on water resources that meets the needs of the three states,” said Chambliss (R-Ga.). “From a federal standpoint, Senator Isakson and I will continue to explore additional avenues to support the negotiations and make sure Georgia has an adequate supply of water.” Three of the bills deal directly with Lake Lanier, a central element in the tri-state water dispute. One bill, S. 3910, authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to document the effects of water supply withdrawals, both current and in the future, in updates of its water control manual for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, into which water from Lake Lanier flows. Under S.12, Lake Lanier would be authorized as a water source for municipal and industrial water supply. In July 2009 U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson ruled that Georgia must stop withdrawing water from Lake Lanier within three years unless it can get permission from Congress to do so. The ruling indicated that Lake Lanier was not authorized as a source for metro Atlanta’s water supply and that the Corps of Engineers was violating the law by allocating water from Lake Lanier to meet metro Atlanta’s water needs. Under S. 3911, water from both Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona would be authorized for use in municipal and industrial water supplies. The other bill, S. 13, would give municipalities credit for treated water they return to federal reservoirs. According to a joint press release from Chambliss and Isakson, local governments do not currently receive credit for water they return to the reservoir. The amount they return would be subtracted from the amount they withdraw. “I will continue to work closely with all stakeholders in Georgia toward a resolution of the longstanding dispute between Alabama, Florida and Georgia over water. It is critical that we reach an agreement that is in the best interest of Georgia while at the same time respecting the interests and concerns of Florida and Alabama,” Isakson said. “However, Senator Chambliss and I believe we should work to abide by Judge Magnuson’s ruling and do everything in our power to ensure Georgia’s water needs will be met.”


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.