A disputed area of the Georgia-Tennessee border, home to an abundance of fresh water in the Tennessee River, could hold the key to a solution to the on-going "Water Wars" dispute between Georgia, Alabama and Florida over water use.
The area in question is along the 35th parallel, which was apparently surveyed incorrectly, according to Joanna Cloud, Lake Lanier Association President.
That area, about 51 square miles and containing part of the Tennessee River, is considered part of Tennessee, but technically sits within Georgia's borders, according to Cloud.
"Lake Lanier is the largest fresh water reservoir we have on our system, the Appalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River (Basin), and Lanier is very stressed in terms of the demands being placed on it to supply fresh water not only to Metro Atlanta and North Georgia, but also the downstream needs," said Cloud.
In a presentation Saturday to more than 600 Lake Lanier stakeholders, officials outlined one possible plan to alleviate the pressure on Lanier, which would essentially create a pipeline roughly along I-75, pumping fresh water from the Georgia portion of the Tennessee River into Metro Atlanta.
"The long and short of it is: We need another fresh water supply," said Cloud.
It would benefit not only the areas served by Lanier, but it would also serve Lake Allatoona in Cobb County.
"Obviously it's not as simple as I'm making it sound, building a pipeline," said Cloud.
Florida and Alabama have taken issue with Georgia's use of water in the Appalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, saying that it hurts the fishing industry.
The lawsuit is being heard in Portland, Maine.
