Alabama governor agrees to water talks

By Kristi E. Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has agreed to meet with Gov. Sonny Perdue in an attempt to hash out a water-sharing agreement, Perdue said Monday.

Now it’s up to Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida to join in as well.

Perdue sent the two governors a list of 40 possible dates in which he was willing to sit down and talk about the use of Lake Lanier, which a federal judge last month said could not be tapped for drinking water.

Riley faxed a response with about 20 dates on Monday, Perdue told reporters at the Governor’s Mansion.

“Now it’s up to us to contact Gov. Crist and get a date and a venue,” said Perdue, flanked by 10 of the members of Georgia’s congressional delegation.

“It’s very important that we sent a message to all of Georgia that we have uninterrupted water supply,” said Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.). “We have to make sure Georgia’s water supply is protected and uninterrupted.”

U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson ruled in July that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should have never allowed Georgia to draw water from Lake Lanier, saying that it’s not among the lake’s “major uses.”

He also said metro Atlanta would be cut off from using Lake Lanier for drinking water in three years unless the three states reach an agreement, which also must be approved by Congress.

Perdue met with Georgia’s delegation Monday to review his plan to regain use of Lake Lanier. He will also host a briefing Wednesday for the gubernatorial candidates about the ongoing efforts to solve the tri-state water war.

“This is a state issue ... it affects all of our state. It’s not just a metro Atlanta issue, and it’s not just a southwest Georgia issue,” said Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.).

Perdue and members of Georgia’s congressional delegation have called for a national water policy that could make it legal for municipalities to draw drinking water from Lake Lanier as well as nearly 80 other federally managed reservoirs in 27 states.

Chambliss said they were working on legislation and will file it “at the appropriate time.”

“It’s not as easy as jotting something down on a piece of paper,” he said.

Among the governor’s plans to fight for a new water policy include appealing the judge’s ruling and resuming negotiations with Alabama and Florida.

He has also formed a water-impact team of business and political leaders and appointed the president of Georgia Power as its frontman.

But Perdue has insisted that Georgia has a right to the water that originates in the state and that falls in the state and will fight to keep it.