The Lake Lanier Association (LLA) has issued its first public statement following the release of a report last week that saw a U.S. Supreme Court Special Master side with Georgia in a "water wars" case initiated by officials in Florida.
Florida is arguing that Georgia's excessive use of water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) river basin is harming the oyster industry in Apalachicola Bay.
In rejecting Florida's appeal for restricted water consumption, Special Master Ralph Lancaster cited the Corps of Engineers absence from the lawsuit, saying that lack of inclusion made the future implementation of any measures he suggested uncertain.
Lancaster did, however, call Georgia's water use "unreasonable," suggesting Florida had enough sound reasoning in their argument to continue the fight. LLA Executive Director Joanna Cloud addressed Florida's next maneuver in the statement this week:
"Florida’s latest action is a bill filed by U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) to block implementation of the updated Water Control Manual (WCM) based on the Corps’ final environmental impact statement. Instead, the bill would create a WCM 'protecting and restoring thriving and diverse populations of the full range of native fish and wildlife species … through actions such as restoring the functions of natural systems and mimicking the timing, amount, and variability of natural flows.'"
"In view of the pressures that already exist on Lake Lanier, Nelson’s bill requires a significant response by Georgia, not only in defense of Lake Lanier and its importance to the Georgia economy, but against what would be a precedent-setting action by Congress to take control of a watershed system away from the Corps of Engineers."
In the statement, Cloud encouraged Georgia lawmakers to "defeat the bill while it is still in committee," citing the state congressional delegation's success in stifling previous attempts by Alabama to take control of the ACF.
While the statement was issued in response to last week's ruling, it also addressed the need for state leadership to examine "existing agricultural irrigation practices," saying they expect "Florida, and perhaps Alabama, to use the Special Master’s report in potential future legal and legislative actions."
"We have now had three significant and historic droughts in 10 years in the ACF Basin. The increased incidence and severity of droughts calls for new thinking about how to best manage the ACF’s waters for everyone’s benefit. We must plan for droughts and put into practice policies that will minimize the impact from even more frequent and severe droughts in the future."
Cloud added that while the Governor, General Assembly and congressional delegation have supported policies and investments that help resolve the increasing demands placed on our water resources, there are a few measure the Association would like to see them continue to address, such as:
- Supporting investments in available technologies to reduce water use for irrigation while continuing to support the agricultural economy.
- Continuing improvements in municipal and industrial water conservation.
- Supporting study of raising Lake Lanier full pool by 2 feet, assuring more resilience as a resource during droughts.
- Serious consideration of correcting the inaccurately-marked border with Tennessee.
- Enabling the possible use of excess Tennessee River flows to supplement the ACF.
- Reducing inter-basin transfers to the Atlantic Ocean.
- Continuing to fight neighboring states’ efforts in Congress to take control of the ACF.
Cloud added that the LLA views these measures as "key components of a strategy for Georgia’s water future."
Despite going in Georgia's favor, it should be noted that last week's ruling is only a recommendation, meaning the U.S. Supreme Court is under no obligation to align itself with the decision.
