GAINESVILLE - Though Tuesday's federal appeals court ruling allows Lake Lanier to continue being used as a water source, Hall County's planned reservoir is still critical to secure the future drinking water supply through 2060, according to commission chairman Tom Oliver. The county will continue moving forward with permitting and construction of the 850-acre Glades Reservoir in North Hall.
"We are delighted with today's ruling and the impact it will have on our county. However, it has not been determined how the water from Lake Lanier will be allocated. Glades is as important now as it was a decade ago when we began planning for this reservoir," Chairman Tom Oliver said Tuesday evening.
This ruling comes shortly after Hall County submitted an amended application on June 10 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a permit to build Glades Reservoir. The application outlines a plan to yield 80 million gallons per day by pumping water from the Chattahoochee River. The original permit filed in 2009 for 6.4MGD was revised following a federal judge's ruling that jeopardized water withdrawals from Lake Lanier. While that ruling was overturned Tuesday, Glades is still a critical project for Hall County.
"We need reservoirs to ensure that we have enough water to support our growing county. This project will allow us to control our destiny," Oliver said.
The County anticipates receipt of a permit in 12 months, at which time the design will be finalized and construction begun. The total cost is expected to be $138 million.
Tuesday's ruling was issued by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. (See separate story.)
Saturday
June 28th, 2025
3:32PM
