Lake Lanier Association disappointed with Fla. legal threat

GAINESVILLE - The Lake Lanier Association has issued a statement registering disappointment with Florida Governor Rick Scott's decision to sue the state of Georgia over its use of water in Lake Lanier.

Executive Director Joanna Cloud said she doesn't think Scott has all the information he needs, especially when he has blamed problems with Florida's oyster industry on Atlanta's water consumption.

"The upshot of it is metro Atlanta, when you factor in all the returns and all the water conservation, the net impact of the entire region of metro Atlanta on the Apalachicola Bay is about two-percent, in terms of water that's available to Apalachicola Bay," said Cloud.

In a statement from the Association, LLA said it has "empathy for the Florida oyster industry, having experienced the direct impact of a major drought on a North Georgia economy." That statement, released Monday night, points out that losses in the Lake Lanier area exceed $100 million annually when the lake is drawn down to 1060 feet or below for extended periods of time.

Cloud also noted that there are studies underway seeking ways to share water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River basin fairly with Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Cloud said Scott could better spend his state's money funding those studies rather than spending dollars on legal action.

"We recommend that he focus those resources on finishing those studies and, you know, coming to the table and coming up with a water-sharing agreement that's equitable for everybody," said Cloud.

She pointed out that one of those groups, the ACF Stakeholders, has representatives from Florida in the group, so Scott's state would have representation as the study moves forward. The statement issued by LLA Monday indicated that the initial findings from the ACF Stakeholders could be released by the end of this year.

Follow the link below to read more from the Lake Lanier Association.