High court lets Lake Lanier water ruling stand
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from Alabama and Florida in the long-running legal dispute over water rights to Lake Lanier.
The states had filed petitions with the high court seeking review of a decision by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta that gave the metro area rights to water from the lake.
Gov. Nathan Deal and Attorney General Sam Olens expressed delight with the court's decision.
"By denying a hearing of the decision of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in the tri-state water case, the nation's highest court has affirmed that drinking water was always an authorized use of Lake Lanier," Deal said. "We felt confident in the firm grounding of the Eleventh Circuit ruling. We can now move forward with this issue behind us, have the governors work together and come to a long-term agreement that will provide for the water needs of all three states."
Olens said he was pleased that the 11th Circuit's decision is now law, "making clear that Lake Lanier can indeed be used for water supply for Georgia. It is my hope that we can finally put this decades-long legal dispute to rest and work together with our sister states — in meeting rooms, not courtrooms — to develop a fair and equitable water sharing plan and promote a strong and vibrant Southeastern region."
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About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
