A recent move by a federal agency to prohibit pumping water from Lake Lanier for use in irrigation is highly concerning to the U.S. Congressman whose district includes the lake.
"They have deemed it...a minor change. Well it's something that affects up to 5000 people in both Georgia and South Carolina," U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, said Friday.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers implemented the new shoreline use rules on January 1, but announced the move in a new release on January 8. The change applies to all property owners who had permits to pump lake water for lawns and gardens, Corps officials said.
It includes all Corps managed reservoirs in the Southeast or the Corps Mobile District. Corps officials have said the new rule brings shoreline management into compliance with federal law. That law was written in the 1940's, Collins said.
"Why then, did they allow property owners along these lakes to purchase permits, pumps, and other infrastructure for so many years?"
Collins, who noted the burden to those property owners who now must find irrigation alternatives, said it's a transparency issue as well.
"We basically did find out about it when they did issue the press releases as well, and that's the problem right now...(it) should have been talked about, should have been discussed."
Corps officials have said lake property owners may still pump lake water to wash permitted docks and boats berthed at them, but that water must fall back into the lake.
Collins serves as Chairman of the Army Corps of Engineers Caucus.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/1/363178/collins-critical-of-corps-policy-shift-on-irrigation