TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Interim Plan Developed To Tackle Tri-State Water Dispute

ADVERTISEMENT

BY BILLY HOUSE / The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 1, 2007

WASHINGTON - Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and his Alabama and Georgia counterparts have reached an interim plan to address a tri-state water dispute.

Amid what has been a relentless Southeastern drought, the plan allows Army Corps of Engineers to reduce the outflow from Lake Lanier in Georgia into the Chattahoochee River in gradual amounts by a total of 16 percent, to protect the drinking water supply for metro Atlanta.

But to address the concerns of Florida and Alabama about such a reduction of flow eventually into the Apalachicola and Flint rivers, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said the Corps would closely monitor the impacts at each stage.

The plan, agreed to in a meeting today with the three states' governors and the Bush Administration, still must be approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In remarks after their meeting at the Department of Interior, all parties emphasized it is not a permanent approach.

Crist said the governors and federal officials will meet again in Tallahassee on Dec. 12. They hope to have a final plan to address regional water problems given to the Corps by February.

"If it were easy, it would have been done 18 years ago," said Kempthorne, who mediated Thursday's talks. "It won't be solved in 18 days."

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue argues that the flow out of Lake Lanier in his state must be limited to protect the needs of the people of Georgia, including the drinking water supply for metro Atlanta.

But Crist and Florida governors before him have argued that curtailing water flowing from Georgia will cause severe harm to the Apalachicola Bay's commercial fishing industry, as well as federally protected mussel species.

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley worries that a nuclear plant and other Alabama industries that use water from the Chattahoochee will have to close.

"We care a great deal, obviously, like the other governors do, about our people, about our fish, and about environment," said Crist.
"And those are the things we are trying to protect in the Sunshine State," he said.

"We want to make sure that our fisherman that need this water in order to survive, and feed their families, have that opportunity," Crist said.

"And I am confident and I am optimistic that's exactly what is going to happen," he said.

Riley said his concerns about keeping plants operating are addressed in the interim agreement, but that failure to come together on a regional plan for the three states "is not an option."

Perdue said he was still looking to heaven for a better resolution.

"I'm going to go back to Georgia and pray for rain," said Perdue after the meeting. "That's the ultimate solution."

Reporter Billy House can be reached at (202) 662-7673 or bhouse@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT