It’s essential we move beyond the “water wars”

By Staff
Gov. Bob Riley, Guest Columnist
This drought has caused significant consequences throughout the region. One negative consequence has been a strain in the normally amicable relationship between Alabama and Georgia. Governor Perdue is a friend of mine, and I respect the water challenges he faces with Atlanta’s explosive growth. He must also appreciate the water challenges faced by Alabama.
Our states share two major river basins that supply water to a huge percentage of residents in both states. Although we have grown accustomed to plentiful water in these basins, the drought of 2007 has shown that we must find a way to share the water in an equitable manner.
Much of the discussion in recent weeks has focused on Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona, the two large federal reservoirs north of Atlanta. These lakes were constructed in the mid-twentieth century with federal dollars. While the Atlanta area has come to rely more and more on these reservoirs for water supply, they were not built to provide Atlanta’s drinking water needs. They were authorized for hydropower generation, navigation and flood control. Water supply was recognized as an incidental benefit of the projects, but not the controlling purpose.
Contrary to some of the recent heated rhetoric emanating in Georgia, Alabama doesn’t seek to cut off drinking water supplies to the Atlanta region. But Alabama cannot stand by and watch Georgia make a claim on the water in those reservoirs as if it belonged only to Atlanta. Downstream communities in Alabama and Georgia depend on the releases from those reservoirs to meet drinking water needs in times of drought as well as to support industry. If the water is not released, then the industries will be forced to shut down, and thousands of Alabama and Georgia families will lose their source of income.
There has also been a lot of talk about the interests of people taking a backseat to the interests of endangered mussels in the Apalachicola River. If that were really happening, then I would agree with Georgia’s leaders that such a policy makes no sense. But that is not happening.
Along the banks of the Chattahoochee in southeast Alabama sits the Farley Nuclear Plant. It provides clean power to hundreds of thousands of homes. It is a vital part of the region’s economy. Without that plant in operation, the electric power grid in the region could be seriously compromised. The operation of that nuclear plant requires cooling water to be drawn from the Chattahoochee, so a reliable flow of water is essential for the safety of that plant.
The releases being made right now from Lake Lanier are the minimum amount necessary to meet the water supply needs of Atlanta and to provide the required amount of cooling water for the nuclear plant. The Corps of Engineers has confirmed that not one extra drop of water is being released for Florida’s endangered mussels. While the mussels benefit from the water required at the nuclear plant, the mussels are simply not driving the releases.
So it is not a choice between people and mussels. No one wants to see a nuclear plant lose its cooling water. No one wants to see thousands of workers in Alabama and Georgia lose their jobs. These are not interests driven by a group of animal-rights extremists, but rather are essential issues that go to the economic livelihood, safety and quality of life of people living downstream from Atlanta.
Every citizen of Alabama and Georgia is going to feel the negative effects of a drought of this magnitude. Alabama recognizes that. But the fact that the drought has reached unprecedented levels does not mean it is acceptable for any party to grab whatever water is left and claim it for its own.
The “water war” between our states is now in its eighteenth year. Millions of dollars have been spent fighting in eight different courts. Although previous efforts at a resolution have failed, this year’s drought underscores why our states must reach an agreement. With an agreement, our two states can devote our energies in future droughts to finding ways to conserve water, not finding ways to fight one another. Alabama stands ready to work again toward a comprehensive resolution of its water disputes with Georgia. Neither side will get all it wants in such a negotiation. Only a balanced approach in which both sides share in the sacrifices will lead to an agreement.
It won’t be easy. But it is essential for Alabama and Georgia to put this dispute behind us.