Sponsored by the City of Gainesville and the Brenau University Sustainability Task Force, it will be held Tuesday afternoon from 1:00-3:00 at Brenau, free and open to the public.
In an effort to end the 20-year water wars involving Georgia, Alabama and Florida, U. S. District Judge Paul Magnuson, gave the states three years to come up with a solution on how water from Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River should be allocated. If the 11th Circuit U.S Court of Appeals does not reverse Judge Magnuson's decision, the majority of metro Atlanta will not be able to withdraw water from Lake Lanier starting in July 2012 and Gainesville would only be able to withdraw levels equal to those from the mid 70's.
The panel hopes to help unravel the issues surrounding the water wars for students and community members. The discussion will cover the legal aspects of the disputes, including the recent appeals, Gainesville and Hall County's plans for meeting present and future water demands, the impact on the Chattahoochee River and Lake Lanier's watershed, the effects on downstream communities like Gwinnett and proposed solutions for solving the possible water shortage. There will also be an opportunity for audience members to ask questions.
The panel will be moderated by Kit Dunlap, President & CEO of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, and consist of: Laura Hartt: Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Dr. Rudi Kiefer: Brenau University, Kelly Randall: City of Gainesville Public Utilities, Ken Rearden P.E.: Hall County Public Works and Utilities, Frank Stephens: Gwinnett County Water Resources, and Pat Stevens: Atlanta Regional Commission.
The discussion will be held in the Thurmond McRae Lecture Hall at 625 Academy Street on Brenau's Gainesville campus.
For more information call Gainesville Water Conservation Specialist Jennifer Flowers at 770-532-7462.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/3/237185