Logan Martin Lake Topics: Why is the Ga water a bad decision?
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Name:
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gmax6174
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Subject:
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Why is the Ga water a bad decision?
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Date:
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7/6/2012 12:43:06 PM
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I'm no expert, but I'll explain it best I can from what I've read in the papers over the past few years. If I get some of this wrong, someone please correct me.
There are two separate court cases. One is over Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochie/Flint Rivers, and one is over the Coosa/Tallapoosa Rivers.
The dams on those rivers were built with federal money and were designed and planned by the Corps of Engineers. Funds to build Lake Lanier were approved for hydro electricity, flood control and navigation purposes. There was no mention of providing Atlanta drinking water when the dam was approved.
Over the past 50 years, Atlanta's growth has outpaced its resources. If it is allowed to take its water from Lake Lanier it would dramatically alter the Chattahoochee, which could eventually devastate marine environments downstream--particularly Appalachicola Bay (the mouth of the river) and its billion-dollar seafood industry.
The reason we should care is because we are having basically the same fight over Lake Alatoona (source of the Etowah/Coosa Rivers). If Atlanta is allowed to take all the water it needs from Lake Lanier, then the same logic will apply to any decision on Lake Alatoona, which means you can forget having water under your pier any time except during the occasional flood.
It's an interesting debate that's been going on for 20 years or so, so I'm sure I've grossly oversimplified things here. It's basically the same kind of fight western states had 150 years ago. It was never a problem here because there was always plenty of water. But then Atlanta grew until it ate all of northern Georgia.
If it wants to continue that growth for the next 50 years, it will need to either come up with new ways of getting water, or else take it from the Coosa.
Alabama and Florida are arguing that it needs to be proactive and do the former, which would be healthier for the city of Atlanta and the region as a whole in the longterm.
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