4 counties want state to lift drought restrictions

ATHENS - Leaders in four northeast Georgia counties want the state to lift drought restrictions because of recent rainfall.

Officials in Clarke, Barrow, Jackson and Oconee counties are lobbying the state Environmental Protection Division to remove them from the list of 61 counties in north Georgia that are under the state's strictest drought restrictions.

Melvin Davis is chairman of the Oconee County Commission and the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority. The authority oversees the Bear Creek Reservoir, which supplies water for the four counties.

Davis says the region has enough water to ease the watering rules.

The authority's criteria for moving the region to the less severe restrictions are river flows, soil moisture and the amount of water in Bear Creek.

Just last fall, the lake was on the verge of running dry but it has been replenished by winter rains.

Members voted Wednesday to send a letter to the EPD asking to be exempt from the state's Level 4 restrictions.

If EPD approves, utilities in the four counties would be free to allow residents to water lawns and gardens and wash cars more often.