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Florida, Alabama, Georgia water sharing � Columbus, Georgia may join Georgia, Alabama, Florida water war The City of Columbus may be firing the next salvo in the water wars. In a closed-door, session Tuesday afternoon, Columbus City Councilors discussed whether the city will become a plaintiff in possible litigation against the Army Corps of Engineers, in the ongoing water wars involving the Chattahoochee river. The head of Columbus Water Works says if the city has to maintain the current flow, there is considerable risk of Columbus not having enough water. If Columbus City Council votes to move forward with the lawsuit, it would be joining other cities in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. WRBL_ 6/19/07 Minnesota judge asked to handle tri-state water fight The tri-state water war involving Alabama, Florida and Georgia has bounced around four courts over almost two decades. Now, it could finally be decided in a Florida court - by a judge from Minnesota.� A federal panel of judges decided this week to group four lawsuits filed by the three states and federal hydropower customers into one case. It will be handled by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson, who handled arguments several years ago over access to the Missouri River.� Georgia, Alabama and Florida have been locked in a battle for years over limited water resources. The dispute with Alabama and Florida centers on how to manage the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basin and another river basin that is the main water source for metro Atlanta.� A judge has ordered the states to broker an agreement, but they have three times asked for an extension. The latest deadline set is March 30.� AccesNorthGa.com_3/22/07 Plans keep water safe, plentiful In a tiny African village, elders meet to discuss where their families and livestock might best relocate to live near a source of water. The riverbed that served their community for generations is now parched and cracked, and there is no money for tools to search for well water.� At the same time, here in Atlanta, experts gather at City Hall for a roundtable on the area's pending water crisis. The news that "Florida seeks control over Lake Lanier, Chattahoochee and Flint rivers," isn't putting anyone's mind at ease; and experts are warning that Atlanta will run out of water by 2015 unless drastic conservation methods start right away.� As bad as it seems, the good news is that we have time to turn the tide. We can adopt conservation measures here to keep our taps running. Our counterparts in hundreds of African, Asian and Latin American villages won't be so lucky — many of them don't have a working well or tap within miles. Without a concerted effort from those of us in richer nations, things will only get worse for men, women and children who live in arid nations becoming drier each year due to global warming.� Another bit of good news: Atlanta-based academic institutions, city government, domestic and international nonprofits, and corporations are working together fervently to solve not only Atlanta's water problems but to address issues of access, conservation and water quality faced by people around the world.� Atlanta Journal Constitution_3/22/07 � Georgia House members think they have a solution to a tri-state battle over water including that in Lake Lanier: raising the level of Georgia's reservoirs. The House unanimously agreed Friday to ask Congress and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study raising the water levels in Georgia's lakes. Georgia, Alabama and Florida have been locked in a battle for years over limited water resources. Last month, the states asked a judge for more time to work out a complex water-sharing agreement. The dispute with Alabama and Florida centers on how to manage the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basin and another river basin that is the main water source for metro Atlanta. A judge has ordered the states to broker an agreement, but they have three times asked for an extension. AP/Access North Georgia_ 2/10/07 Georgia, Florida and Alabama ask federal court to extend deadline for water-sharing agreement The states want another two months to talk and requested an extension until March 30. Today was to have been the deadline for reaching an agreement. If granted, it would be the third deadline extension to the talks ordered last year by U.S. District Court Judge Karon Bowdre of the Northern District of Alabama. Representatives from the three states met in Atlanta January 18 to discuss the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river basin. The states said in the request filed last week in Alabama's federal court that they are asking for the extension because they are making progress in the mediation. AP/Access North Georgia_ 1/31/07 December, 2006 Florida, Georgia, Alabama 'water wars' talks deadline extended Confidential talks between Georgia, Alabama and Florida over how to share the water in the Chattahoochee River have been extended through Jan. 31, according to a spokesman for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The deadline for the talks had been set for Wednesday by a federal judge in Alabama. The mediator is a retired judge from California. The original deadline for the current talks was Aug. 31. This is the second extension. Georgia began negotiating with its neighbors over water rights again in April, nearly three years after breaking off Congressionally sanctioned talks. Those tri-state water talks lasted five years before the sides decided they were too far apart to continue. And it all began 16 years ago, when Alabama and Florida first took Georgia to court to stop metro Atlanta from taking too much water. What's at stake was clearly defined this summer, at the start of the current drought. Georgia wants more water out of Lake Lanier to meet the growing demands of metro Atlanta, while homeowners around the lake want enough water to keep their docks afloat. The Chattahoochee, which flows through Lanier, is the main water supply for about 3 million metro Atlantans. Florida wants enough water flowing downstream to protect its multi-million dollar oyster industry in the Apalachicola Bay, and to fill the swamps and wetlands that support alligators, river otter and other wildlife. Alabama also wants a steady supply of water, mostly to meet industrial needs that include a nuclear power plant near Dothan. Usually, there's enough water to satisfy everyone. The problems arise when there's a drought. Atlanta Journal-Constitution_ 12/19/06 The Corps was greatly criticized in June when it accidentally released 22 billion gallons of water from the lake, a major source of drinking water for the fast-growing Atlanta metropolitan area. The first meeting, to be held at the Georgia Mountains Center in Gainesville, will be followed by sessions in Atlanta, LaGrange, Ga., Dothan, Ala., and ending on Dec. 6 in Tallahassee, Fla. — all areas that are greatly impacted by the water release. The Corps is preparing an environmental impact statement on proposed water storage contracts in Lake Lanier. Georgia has said the Corps is sending too much water to Florida. But Florida contends it needs even more water to protect the Gulf sturgeon fish and rare freshwater mussels. Alabama wants a steady supply of water to meet its industrial needs, including a nuclear power plant near Dothan. AP/al.com_ 11/26/06 Alabama, Florida, Georgia water war fought on outdated information A top U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official promised to update 50-year-old manuals used to regulate contested river systems in Georgia, Florida and Alabama, a move that could ease water concerns and might even set the stage for a cease-fire in the protracted tri-state water wars. The commitment came at a field hearing conducted Tuesday by Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, on the effects of the Corps' management of the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa and Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River basins. Critics say the Corps is operating with outdated information and releasing too much water downstream to sustain endangered mussels and sturgeons in Florida's Apalachicola River, at the expense of residents farther north. Brig. Gen. Joseph Schroedel, the new commander of the Corps' South Atlantic Division which stretches from Virginia to Mississippi, said the Corps plans to begin updating its water management manuals in January, but will need some additional funding to complete the job. The old manuals may not accurately reflect the growth along the rivers and the current water needs of towns, industries and recreational lakes. Chambliss and the other lawmakers assured him they'd find the money. AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution_ 10/25/06 Georgia, Alabama governors meet in court-ordered water sharing negotiations The governors from Georgia and Alabama met again Tuesday to negotiate a solution to the ongoing water dispute that involves Lake Lanier. Governor Perdue and Alabama Governor Bob Riley met in Alexander City, Alabama for their court ordered negotiation. Their focus is to reach an agreement to manage the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basin. “Governor Riley and I have now met twice in person, which I believe is indicative of the importance we mutually place on ensuring a sustainable water supply for our citizens,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “Our shared resolve to address our differences over the allocation of the ACT’s water resources is accomplishing a great deal and I am hopeful that our continuing work will result in a resolution." Access North Georgia_ 10/3/06 Alabama, Florida and Georgia have been battling in federal court over water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system since 1990. Alabama and Georgia want water for future growth while Florida wants water for fish and wildlife along the Apalachicola River and the seafood industry at Apalachicola Bay. Florida suggests that the agreement involving Lake Lanier creates an advantage for Georgia and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in court-ordered mediation among the states and federal government. The agrement would allow cities to draw up to 537 million gallons of water each day from Lake Lanier. Florida asked District Judge Karon O. Bowdre of Birmingham, Ala., to hold a hearing on Alabama and Florida's earlier request to throw out the agreement. Meanwhile, a status report filed Monday says representatives of the three states met two weeks ago in Alabama, apparently to lay the groundwork for a meeting of the governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Tallahassee Democrat_ 10/3/06 Twenty-Six Mayors Sign on to Help Fight Alabama's 'Water Wars' "Governor Riley and our Congressional representatives should be commended for standing up for our water rights, but doing so in a way that is constructive and cooperative," said Jerry Sailors, president of the Coosa- Alabama River Improvement Association (CARIA). "Adequate water levels are essential to many long-term issues including economic growth, navigation, hydropower, flood control and recreation.� As the negotiations with Georgia and the U.S. Corps of Engineers go forward, know that you have our full support toward reaching an accord that is reasonable, sensible, and most importantly, fair."�� Press Release_ 9/26/06 Florida says study supports its argument in water wars Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley say they will work on a water agreement on the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basin separately from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river basin that involves Florida. Georgia has been involved since the 1990s in a dispute with neighboring Alabama and Florida over how to manage the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa and the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river basins. The decade-long water sharing dispute in the two river basins has been in mediation since May before a former federal judge. Perdue and Riley say they believe there are only minor differences to be worked out in the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa dispute and are confident the dispute can be resolved. They say they plan to work with Florida on resolving that state's concerns about sharing of water in the Chattahoochee-Flint-Apalachicola river basin. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush didn't attend the meeting because of a scheduling conflict and Perdue said Bush didn't send a representative. AP/AccessNorthGa.com_ 8/14/06 Florida, Georgia, Alabama water sharing: The back story On the eve of talks between Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, here's a recap of the recent history in the 16-year water conflict. The water issue has been divisive at every level, including in Congress. And the 50-year-old water plan for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint basin is caught in the mix. Gainesville Times_ 8/13/06 Governors Perdue, Riley to discuss Ga. Ala. water war Judge rules to keep water in Chattahoochee for Georgia Florida seeks additional water from Chattahoochee system Georgia drops demand on Lake Lanier water Georgia has dropped its request to force the federal agency that operates Lake Lanier to stop releasing so much water for endangered species in Florida. The state — on orders from Gov. Sonny Perdue — filed for a temporary restraining order June 21 in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Georgia against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The same day, Florida countered by filing a similar action in a federal court in Birmingham to force the corps to release more water from Lanier. Through July 24, Florida and Georgia agreed to a compromise: Water will be held back in the lakes for Georgia's water supply, while Florida will get a limited amount of additional water to protect its mussels. In the agreement, Georgia dropped its request for a temporary restraining order, but elected to keep the underlying suit alive. In the suit, the state criticizes the corps for its operation of Lanier and other federal lakes on the Chattahoochee River. Atlanta Journal-Constitution_ 7/12/06 June, 2006 Alabama, Florida, Georgia reach interim agreement on water usage The dispute involves the Chattahoochee River and endangered freshwater mussels downstream in Florida. The deal creates a storage pool Florida officials can use to release water and protect endangered freshwater mussels and other species. The agreement reached Friday expires on July 24. The court will then hold another hearing on the matter, if the states haven't already agreed on a longer-term agreement. It's also a positive sign for resolving larger water-sharing issues involving the states for more than 15 years, said Jeff Emerson, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley's spokesman. AP/Daily Comet_ 6/30/06 Alabama, Florida, Georgia say they are working out details to end 16-year dispute and share water Alabama's chief deputy attorney general said negotiations are progressing in a tri-state water dispute over how to share water from the Chattahoochee River. The comments came as a federal judge ordered the water flow from the river into Florida reduced from 6,750 cubic feet per second to 6,250. The order was issued Tuesday evening after a teleconference with the judge and attorneys. Another teleconference was set for Wednesday afternoon, according to the order by U.S. District Judge Karon Bowdre in the Northern District of Alabama. Alabama, Florida and Georgia have been trying to determine how much water to send down the Chattahoochee River to protect freshwater mussels in a Florida river but leave enough water upstream for Georgia and Alabama. The three states all use water out of the Chattahoochee. They have been fighting over how to divide it since 1990. AP/al.com_ 6/27/06 (logon required) Georgia, Alabama, Florida tell federal judge Chattahoochee River deal in works Georgia, Florida and Alabama officials told a federal judge Monday they are working out details over how much water to send down the Chattahoochee River to protect freshwater mussels in a Florida river but still leave enough water upstream in Georgia's lakes for human consumption, a Georgia official said. After the 5 p.m. conference call with U.S. District Judge Karon Bowdre of the Northern District of Alabama, Georgia Environmental Protection Division Director Carol Couch said the sides are "continuing to work to put together a detailed understanding of the agreement." The three states, which all use water out of the Chattahoochee, have been fighting over how to divide it since 1990. They came slightly closer to a long-term agreement Monday. After the call Monday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates Lake Lanier and three other lakes on the Chattahoochee, began sending roughly 4 percent less water to Florida. The three states are scheduled for another teleconference with Bowdre today at 6 p.m. Atlanta time, Couch said, in which a longer-term water sharing agreement could be reached. Atlanta Journal-Constitution_ 6/27/06 Georgia, Florida and Alabama agreed Friday on a temporary deal that will send Florida's protected mussels the water they need and still leave Georgians enough water for drinking. The new allocation, which took effect Friday night, requires the corps to release 25 percent more water than it has in recent days. It is still more than Georgia wants to give up, but is doable in the short-term, state officials said. The agreement, thrashed out in five hours of federal courtroom negotiation, could be a breakthrough and lead to a long-term settlement of the "water wars" between the three states that have bickered and litigated for 16 years over how to share water in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system. Most of the biggest players involved in the long-running battle for water participated in Friday's hearing, with attorneys on hand from Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Southern Company power utility and the Atlanta Regional Commission. On Monday, the three states will report back to U.S. District Judge Karon Bowdre by 5 p.m. EST, possibly with a longer-term water-sharing agreement. Atlanta Journal-Constitution_ 6/24/06 (logon required) Alabama federal judge orders Georgia water released to Florida A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release more water from Georgia into Florida, citing the federal Endangered Species Act. U.S. District Judge Karon Bowdre ruled Thursday afternooon that 8,000 cubic feet per second be released from the Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam at Georgia's Lake Seminole for 10 days unless future court orders rule otherwise. Bowdre said in court documents the extra water is necessary to save certain protected mussel species in the Apalachicola River in Florida that are in danger of extinction. The Apalachicola is formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee River along the Georgia-Alabama line and the Flint River at Lake Seminole, located along the Florida border. Prior to the order, the corps had been releasing 5,000 cubic feet per second of water from Georgia reservoirs along the Chattahoochee River to protect Florida mussels and Gulf sturgeon. Georgia has already protested that too much water had been taken from reservoirs along the Chattahoochee River system and filed on Wednesday a temporary restraining order to limit the amount of water the Corps could take from its lakes. AP/Ledger-Enquirer_ 6/23/06 Georgia to sue Corps of Engineers over Lake Lanier The state of Georgia said it is taking legal action against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over its management of water releases from lakes Lanier, West Point, Walter F. George and Seminole on the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River system. The state said it is concerned with ongoing dry weather and the potential for dangerously low lake levels. According to the state, Col. Pete Taylor, commander of the Corps' Mobile District, notified the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) on Saturday that the Corps had miscalculated the amount of water stored in Lake Lanier. Taylor said the lake is at 1065.72 feet above sea level, which is actually 1.9 feet lower than the Corps previously reported. The state said this means the Corps mistakenly released approximately 22.5 billion gallons of water from Lanier, as the region approaches what is traditionally the driest time of the year. The state said it will file a motion for a temporary restraining order asking that the Corps be directed to allow only the minimum necessary flow in the Apalachicola River at Chattahoochee, Fla. The legal action is intended to require the Corps to allow the lakes to refill and recover the stored water lost to downstream releases. The Corps has been attempting to manage flow releases to support Gulf sturgeon and endangered mussels in Florida. Atlanta Business Chronicle_ 6/20/06 U.S. Supreme Court ruling for Georgia doesn't end water wars with Alabama and Florida Georgia's water wars victory at the U.S. Supreme Court doesn't mean the 16-year-old legal battle with Alabama and Florida is anywhere close to an end. Other legal disputes over the use of water resources shared by the three states are being fought in different courts in Birmingham and Washington, D.C. On Monday, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Alabama and Florida involving increased water distribution for the Atlanta area. Matt Lembke, a Birmingham attorney who represents Alabama in the water wars, said the decision was no surprise because the Supreme Court reviews few cases. But he said it doesn't mean Atlanta is suddenly going to get more water. At issue is an agreement Georgia reached with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a separate case in 2003. The agreement would allow the Atlanta area to use more water from Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River than permitted under previous formulas. Florida and Alabama argued in court that the agreement violated earlier orders in the water wars involving the three states. U.S. District Judge Karon Bowdre in Birmingham put a freeze on the agreement, but the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that, saying an injunction was the wrong action. Alabama and Florida then took their unsuccessful appeal to the Supreme Court. AP/AccessNorthGeorgia_ 6/14/06 Georgia fears water shortages at reservoirs May, 2006 Atlanta's sprawl may be edging toward Alabama In a single-story brick and glass building in Douglas County, behind a Target and attached to a bank on Chapel Hill Road, Robert Young mulls over the future of 203,000 acres of scattered North Georgia forests. If grouped together, the tracts would make a block of land 17.8 miles long and wide. Forty thousand acres are within a 50-mile radius of Atlanta. Plans are already laid for more than one-quarter of that — 11,810 acres for a single development in Carroll County called Wolf Creek. Its size will change the face of exurban development in Georgia, challenging governments and planning agencies trying to sort out how to divvy up water and sewer capacity, build roads, schools and provide services. When built out in 25 or more years, the estimated 58,000 residents of Wolf Creek — Carroll County's current population is 87,000 — will push exurban Atlanta nearly to Alabama.�Atlanta Journal-Constitution_ 5/24/06 (logon required) Georgia may look for a 'water czar' to lead discussion of state and regional water issues Brad Currey, former CEO of Norcross-based packaging giant Rock-Tenn Co. and an adviser on the new statewide water plan under development, thinks the state should consider a water czar -- a dedicated point person to lead discussion on water issues. He floated the idea May 15 at the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District's annual summit, held at the Georgia Aquarium. The water czar could serve as the top authority on the plan and the tri-state Georgia, Florida, Alabama, water talks currently in mediation. He or she could also act as a liaison between businesses, environmentalists and local governments, and work to strike a balance between metro Atlanta's need for more water and rural Georgia's reluctance to supply it. Georgia has been struggling for years to provide enough water for Atlanta's residential and commercial development without damaging the state's lakes and streams and the boating and fishing to be had there. The area is expected to add 2.5 million new residents by 2030 and is projected to run out of water unless new sources outside the metro and possibly the state are found by then. Atlanta Business Chronicle_ 5/19/06 April, 2006 Florida, Alabama, Georgia ordered back to the table for water sharing talks A federal judge in Alabama has ordered Georgia, Alabama and Florida back to the negotiating table in the 16-year tri-state water war. In an order issued Thursday, U.S. District Judge Karon Bowdre appointed Charles B. Renfrew, a former federal judge from California as mediator. Bowdre set a deadline of Aug. 31 for the parties to reach agreement, and ordered the proceedings be kept confidential. Atlanta Journal-Constitution_ 4/22/06 September, 2005 Alabama will appeal the water ruling Alabama will ask for a full appeals court review of a three-judge panel's decision allowing the Atlanta area to use more water from Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River than allowed under earlier orders, Attorney General Troy King said Tuesday. AP/Ledger-Enquirer_ 9/21/05 Federal appeals court rules in favor of Atlanta's water needs A federal appeals court in Atlanta says it is OK for metro Atlanta to use Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River to meet its water needs for the next ten to 20 years. The ruling by the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court Monday reverses earlier decisions by a federal district court in Alabama. Those decisions blocked metro Atlanta from getting the additional water that state and local officials say is necessary for metro Atlanta to accommodate anticipated growth. Alabama and Florida do not want metro Atlanta to have the additional water. Those states and Georgia -- which share the Chattahoochee River -- have been fighting about the water since 1990. The river supplies metro Atlanta residents with most of their water and is used by Alabama for industry and barges. At the lower end, Florida wants enough water in the river to serve future development and to ensure the health of Apalachicola Bay, a rich estuary and major commercial fishery. The ruling sends the case back to the Alabama court. AP/AccessNorthGa.com_ 9/20/05 Sens. Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., said they were lifting the "hold" that had stalled Woodley's nomination for nearly two weeks after being assured that Georgia will not get favorable treatment in a water dispute involving Alabama, Florida and Georgia. It was unclear when Woodley would get a confirmation vote in the Senate. Woodley sent a letter promising to keep in place decades-old regulations governing water sharing in the three states. Alabama lawmakers were concerned that the Army Corps of Engineers wanted to make an update that would benefit Georgia because of the tremendous growth around Atlanta. At issue is whether Atlanta draws too much water from Lake Lanier, costing Alabama and Florida communities downstream the Chattahoochee River their fair share. AP/North County Times_ 4/27/05 Sens. Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions, both Republicans, said they were concerned Georgia was receiving favorable treatment and put a "hold" on Woodley's nomination as President Bush's choice to be assistant secretary of the Army for civil works. All nine Alabama lawmakers sent a letter to Army Corps of Engineers Commander Carl Strock alleging favoritism toward Georgia in a recent settlement allowing Atlanta to draw more water from Georgia's Lake Lanier. Alabama and Florida communities downstream on the Chattahoochee River allege Atlanta is taking far more than its fair share. AP/San Francisco Chronicle_ 4/15/05 December, 2004 Metro-Atlanta water board OKs
temporary plan for Gwinnett County to pour more wastewater into the Chattahoochee
River November, 2004 Florida says the operations violate the federal Endangered Species Act. The Nov. 5 letter from attorney Donald G. Blankenau represents the latest missile in a legal fight among Alabama, Florida, Georgia and federal agencies over water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system. Alabama and Georgia want water for growth, hydropower and shipping while Florida wants to protect fish and wildlife along the Apalachicola River and the seafood industry in Apalachicola Bay. The Corps of Engineers operates four major dams along the Chattahoochee River between North Georgia and the Florida state line. Reservoir operations threaten Gulf sturgeon, rare mussel species and the vanishing torreya trees, Florida said in the letter. Tallahasse Democrat_ 11/23/04 September, 2004 Alabama, Florida ask federal judge to block new water allotments for Georgia Attorneys for Alabama and Florida asked a federal judge to permanently bar the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from implementing a deal that would let the Atlanta area suck more water from a key reservoir on the Chattahoochee River. The two states, which are downstream from Georgia, want U.S. District Judge Karon O. Bowdre to prevent the federal agency from honoring its January 2003 agreement that would let the fast-growing metro area take as much as 50 percent more water from the corps-operated Lake Lanier, located northeast of Atlanta. The corps and the state of Georgia, meanwhile, asked Bowdre to lift a previous order that temporarily barred the deal from taking effect. Bowdre issued no immediate ruling in the long-running fight over the three states' shared water resources. AP/Herald Tribune_ 9/29/04 August, 2004 Georgia Water Council seek water solution to state's vast cache in the southwest The area may be subject to more negotiation with Florida as the task force works to develop a statewide water plan for Georgia. The council began its work just as the state’s agreement with Alabama over the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basin expired. However, talks that include Florida over the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river basin resumed after stagnating last year. Bainbridge, Georgia Post-Searchlight_ 8/3/04 Alabama governor blames Georgia for water talk impasse The governor said Georgia was unwilling to agree to a minimum level of protection for Alabama's water needs and suggested the dispute now appears headed back to federal court. A major stumbling block is a provision that would allow metro Atlanta to triple its consumption from the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin. AP/NBC13_ 8/2/04 But negotiators missed a weekend deadline. The governor said he was not willing to bend as much as Alabama wanted him to. At issue is water in Lake Lanier and several other Georgia waterways. AccessNorthGeorgia.com_ 8/2/04
Georgia officials, perilously close to losing another opportunity to resolve a water fight with a neighbor, recently have revived talks with Florida over the Chattahoochee River. Georgia, Alabama and Florida have been fighting over their common rivers since the late 1980s, in and out of court. In 1998, congressionally authorized talks began on the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin among all three states, and the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin between Georgia and Alabama. Last year, the ACF compact expired with no agreement. The three states reactivated lawsuits. The deadline for the ACT compact is Saturday. Georgia and Alabama officials are uncertain whether they will reach agreement. Florida says it is preparing its arguments on the ACF basin to go to the U.S. Supreme Court. But all three states say they are still negotiating a resolution. Atlanta Journal-Constitution_ 7/25/04 (logon required)
Secret negotiations with Corps. of Engineers could give Atlanta more water. Alabama and Florida not consulted. Atlanta Journal Constitution Georgia, Florida, Alabama water law suits. �Gwinnett Daily Post What happens now in the Georgia, Florida, Alabama "water war?" The Post-Searchlight �� Georgia governor blames Florida for failed 3-state water talks. Says Georgia and Alabama will go it alone. WABE Florida, Alabama, Georgia water talks broke down over control of the Chattahoochee River. Courts may take years to decide allocations. Atlanta Journal-Constitution Florida to take Alabama and Georgia to court over Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River water. AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution Lake Lanier one issue holding up three-state water agreement. Do Florida and Alabama get a say in Atlanta's water needs? AccessNorthGa.com Issues
still unresolved in Florida, Georgia, Alabama plan to share the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint
River Basin. Deadline is Aug. 29. Ledger-Enquirer |
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