Time to take a break from Western water, Las Vegas, et al., and focus on the "Las Vegas of the Southeast", my one-time home of Atlanta, GA.
This is taken from the 17 August 2009 Atlanta Business Chronicle story by Dave Williams. Dorian Roffe-Hammond, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the National Water Policy Event on 28 July 2009, sent it to me.
Here is the original story. Williams reports on a meeting Gov. Sonny Perdue (R-GA) held at the Governor's Mansion.
Betcha Sonny served up some of that fine Georgia BBQ. Seems I remember this little place near Stone Mountain...
“There are some things Congress must address and some things that the state must address,” Perdue told reporters at the Governor’s Mansion after sitting down with both of Georgia’s U.S. senators and eight of the state’s 13 congressmen.
U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson ruled last month that water systems serving about 3.5 million metro Atlantans have been withdrawing from Lake Lanier illegally because water supply was not among the uses Congress authorized for the reservoir when it was built.
The judge gave Georgia, Alabama and Florida – which have been waging a legal battle over Lanier’s water for nearly two decades – three years to reach an agreement, which would be subject to congressional approval.
Failing that, the court would order water withdrawals from Lanier dialed back to levels not seen since the mid-1970s, choking off further growth in the region.
Note: at the National Water Policy Event, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin said that mid-1970s water levels corresonded to a metropolitan area population of 1.7M, as opposed to today's 5.6M.
On Monday, Perdue said the ruling did not address how water flowing through the Chattahoochee River basin should be allocated among the three states.
“That’s only something that can be determined from the states’ perspective,” he said.
Toward that end, Perdue announced that Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has offered 20 potential dates for the resumption of negotiations with Perdue and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Perdue had given Riley’s office a list of 40 possible meeting dates.
While the governors organize those sessions, Perdue said it’s up to Georgia’s congressional delegation to develop legislation dealing directly with the authorization issue raised in Magnuson’s decision. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., said the delegation has yet to decide whether to push a broad bill that would affect federally managed reservoirs across the country or a narrower measure aimed only at Lake Lanier.
“If multiple states are affected, you might take a national scope,” added Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.
Perdue also announced that he will set up a meeting soon with representatives of environmental groups concerned with the potential ramifications of the ruling. Environmental advocates complained last month that none were invited to a meeting the governor held with 130 political and business leaders.
“The ruling … implies less environmentally friendly efforts than we’ve had and more expensive efforts than we’ve had,” Perdue said. “We’re reaching out to stakeholders in every direction.”
Doesn't sound a whole lot different from Las Vegas' plight. Too many people, too little water, too little time. Worse yet - no Pat Mulroy to lead them to the Promised Land.
Here is a related story by Dave Williams in which business owners are urged to step up on the water issue. Today's quote is from the article, and I think Sen. Isakson has it right.
“The judge may have done us a favor by giving us a deadline.” -- Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), referring to Judge Magnuson's decision
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