Governor Announces Water Contingency Task Force

Earlier this week, Governor Sonny Perdue announced the creation of a task force that will help develop contingencies for water consumption as a result of the recent water ruling limiting the access of Lake Lanier for water supply.

Contingency planning is part of the Governor’s four-pronged strategy for addressing the impact of the ruling. The other strategies include congressional action, negotiations and appeal of the decision.

“While I am confident we will be successful in securing the ability to draw water supply from Lake Lanier, we cannot take that for granted and must plan accordingly,” said Governor Perdue. “We will consider conservation measures as well as opportunities to enhance our water supply options.”

The task force will include several dozen leaders from business, government and environmental organizations.

Coca-Cola Enterprises CEO John Brock and Tim Lowe of Lowe Engineers have agreed to co-chair the task force, which will meet throughout the fall and present recommendations before the January 2010 legislative session.

“We applaud Governor Perdue for taking this action and convening this water task force to address conservation and water supply,” Brock said. “Water is the most pressing issue facing Metro Atlanta and Georgia today. The business community stands ready to support this effort and lead, where necessary, to ensure that our quality of life and economy are sustainable for the long term.”

“We are honored to assist Governor Perdue in this important endeavor and are confident that this task force will be able to identify a number of sound recommendations to meet this critical challenge,” Lowe added.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Gwinnett Files Notice to Appeal in Water Wars Decision

Gwinnett County has filed a notice of appeal in response to the July 17, 2009, decision of Judge Paul Magnuson in the Jacksonville, Fla., District Court on the long-running “Water Wars” cases in which Gwinnett County is a party. Summarized, the judge ruled that if no congressional resolution is reached in three years, Gwinnett County must cease taking water for drinking and fire protection purposes from Lake Lanier.

Commission Chairman Charles Bannister said, “It is imperative that we protect our citizens from this draconian ruling that would jeopardize the public health, public safety and economic well-being of every Gwinnett County resident. We cannot simply stand by and hope others solve the severe water resources problem for us, but must take positive action to protect our citizens and our economy. Gwinnett continues to support the efforts of Gov. Perdue, the State of Georgia and the other water providers in the region to solve this problem with our neighbors to the west and south. We are optimistic that the three governors can reach agreement on this water use problem and that Congress will pass legislation to solve this matter once and for all.”

Gwinnett County, which has a withdrawal permit from the State of Georgia for 150 million gallons per day (monthly average), takes an average of 80 million gallons per day from Lake Lanier during a typical year. Early next year, the County will begin putting reclaimed water back into Lake Lanier.

“We have a permit from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to discharge 40 million gallons per day back to the lake,” said Lynn Smarr, Acting Director of Gwinnett’s Water Resources Department. “We have initiated dialog with the EPD that will allow us to use this permit to the maximum capacity, based upon flows at the Hill Plant, just as soon as the pipeline construction is complete.”
---
Community News You Can Use
Follow us on Twitter: @gafrontpage
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
www.PoliticalPotluck.com
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
---

Possible Alternate Reservoir for Lake Lanier?

Note: We stumbled across this story and thought this would be of interest to our readers. The debate is hot right now as Atlanta and Georgia seek to define their future water source for the area.

Dawson Forest May Host Reservoir Alternative To Lake Lanier

Since 1971 Dawson Forest on the western side of Lake Lanier has been owned by Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson Airport with the intention of using the land for a second airport. However, pressure for another airport diminished when Hartsfield-Jackson added a fifth runway in 2006 and now, in the aftermath of the court decision potentially restricing Georgia's access to Lake Lanier, some developers are renewing previous talk of building a new reservoir in the forest....http://www.lakelanier.com/200908241048/news/dawson-forest-reservoir-lake-lanier/

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.artsacrossgeorgia.com
Arts Across Georgia

Sen. Chip Pearson: Build Reservoirs Now or Leave Georgians without Drinking Water in Three Years

Recently, a federal judge ruled that metro Atlanta residents have no right to tap Lake Lanier for their drinking water. Because that function was not originally authorized when the lake was built 50 years ago, 3 million people could be without a single source of water if a compromise with Florida and Alabama is not reached within three years. While I understand the need to follow the letter of the law, we must also consider what’s practical. We cannot leave 3 million citizens without drinking water.

We need a MacArthur plan for Georgia’s water future. Out of the three states embroiled in this issue, ours has the most to lose. The time for action is now. The Governor should issue an executive order setting forth clear objectives to ensure sustainable water resources for every Georgian today and in the future. This should begin immediately and include a three year water plan that puts us in a position of meeting our current and future water needs, regardless of the ruling’s ultimate outcome.

Increase water storage capacity. The simple fact is that Georgia has plenty of water, mainly from precipitation, however we obviously lack adequate water storage for current and future needs. By implementing the provisions of the Water Conservation and Drought Relief Act (SB 342), communities can apply for state funding to enlarge existing reservoirs and obtain permits to construct new ones. Then, under the current Statewide Water Plan, require all affected counties and municipalities to immediately identify their water needs and determine the best sites for new reservoirs as well as increasing freeboards and existing reservoirs. Every corner of the state is a potential place for water storage. To the north, a reservoir on public and private property, as well as Chattahoochee National Forest land, could supplement water inflow to Lanier, maintain adequate water levels and provide direct access to drinking water (as described in SR 107). There are also many appropriate sites in North Georgia that could afford large regional reservoirs. We can tap into the aquifers throughout South Georgia and use the Oconee National Forest for more storage. Finally, let’s not overlook the Georgia coast and opportunities to build desalination plants potentially co-located with power generation, as it has been successfully done in other states.

Permit new reservoirs immediately. The Drought Relief Act provides a streamlined permitting process for new reservoirs. As counties identify new and existing reservoir sites, the Environmental Protection Division should be permitting in 90 days or less. Certainly the Corps of Engineers will require a federal 404 permit and a state-issued 401 permit. We can start the 404 permitting process right away, but shouldn’t wait to begin construction. If Congress can do one thing of vital importance for us, they can simply waive the 404 permitting requirement prior to construction for reservoirs where we are simply raising the dam and increasing the freeboard. There are hundreds of soil conservation reservoirs in North Georgia whose dams can be easily raised. The implementation of these reservoirs is crucial to ensure Georgians have enough drinking water.

Provide funding to increase water storage. The state should immediately move toward funding reservoir development. Starting with next year’s budget, the state should dedicate a huge portion, maybe even a majority, of the bond package for the next three years to fund reservoir construction and water distribution projects. We must get design, permitting and construction underway immediately. With the number of unemployed civil engineers, planners, and construction workers, we can work around the clock to see this effort through and ultimately secure their economic future and that of the state.

Raise the lake level. We must also remember that while it is a strained resource, Lake Lanier is not entirely tapped out. While petitioning Congress for access to our only existing water source, we should also petition to raise the lake level two feet and claim that water as Georgia’s. This would be an additional 85,000 feet of water storage solely for our state’s consumption.

Georgia has few alternatives over the next three years. The Governor and his team, headed by Mike Garrett, will pursue all options; including negotiating with our neighbors, potentially appealing the judge’s decision and looking for new water sources. The fact remains that the water in the Chattahoochee River and basin falls on Georgia land, and by definition, that water is ours. We should store the necessary amounts of that water for the livelihood and prosperity of our state and its citizens. The time for talk and study is over. The time for action is now. The question is, do we have the resolve?
---
Community News You Can Use
Follow us on Twitter: @gafrontpage
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
www.PoliticalPotluck.com
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
---

Graves’ Statement Regarding Tri-State Water Dispute

Republican State Representative Tom Graves (R-Ranger), candidate for the 9th Congressional District of Georgia, released the following statement after last Friday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson that shifts Lake Lanier’s water allocation to Congress concerning the tri-state water dispute:

“I am troubled by the federal judge’s decision regarding Lake Lanier’s water. His ruling Friday could be one of the largest takings of state’s rights that this country has seen in modern history. Giving the federal government this enormous power to decide a dispute that should be delegated among the states is unconscionable. I urge our Governor to take the necessary steps to a speedy resolution of this matter. As the next Congressman for North Georgia, I will vehemently oppose attempts by those in Washington to try and take our most precious resource whose genesis is in the mountains of North Georgia and will unite with other Georgia leaders to fight for a fair and equitable solution that's right for Georgia.”
---
Community News You Can Use
Follow us on Twitter: @gafrontpage
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
www.PoliticalPotluck.com
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
---

Isakson, Chambliss Joint Statement on Court Ruling on Tri-State Water Usage

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today issued the following joint statement regarding the ruling by U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson that gives the U.S. Congress the responsibility to determine how much water from Lake Lanier may be used to supply the metro Atlanta area.

“The judge’s ruling places the decision of allocation of water from Lake Lanier solely on the shoulders of Congress. As members of the U.S. Senate from Georgia, we will work tirelessly to reach an agreement that is in the best interest of Georgia while at the same time respecting the interests and concerns of Florida and Alabama. This is a huge challenge, but it is a challenge we must meet.”
---
Community News You Can Use
Follow us on Twitter: @gafrontpage
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
www.PoliticalPotluck.com
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
---

Georgia drought free except Lanier, Hartwell basins

All of Georgia except the Lanier and Hartwell basins are now out of drought. Several days of heavy rain across the southern two-thirds of the state have alleviated the remaining drought conditions in south Georgia.

The Lake Lanier and Lake Hartwell basins remain in moderate drought. Lake Lanier is a major source of water for much of metropolitan Atlanta. On the Savannah River, Lakes Russell and Clarks Hill remain abnormally low for early April.

Soil moisture statewide is near normal for early April. In scattered areas across south Georgia, soil moisture is currently above normal.

Stream flows across the southern two-thirds of Georgia are well above normal. Daily record-high flows are being set on many rivers and creeks in southwest and south central Georgia. The National Weather Service is issuing flood warnings for many rivers in the state. Updated river stage information from the NWS is available at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/alr/index.shtml.

Drowning is a major cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. Most of drowning deaths result from people driving vehicles into flooded roadways.

When a roadway is covered with water, it is virtually impossible to know the true depth of the water. It only takes a few inches of water to float a car and lead to disaster.

Additionally, when a road is covered with water it is very difficult to tell if the road has been washed away or the bridge has been undermined. The safest rule is if the road is covered with water, all drivers should “turn around, don’t drown,” as directed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's safety campaign.

Additional weather and climate information can be found at www.georgiaweather.net and www.georgiadrought.org.

Agricultural climatology information can be found at www.agroclimate.org.

Coastal climate information can be found at www.coastalclimate.org.

Daily rainfall data is at www.cocorahs.org.

U.S. Geological Survey data is at ga.water.usgs.gov.

By David Emory Stooksbury
University of Georgia

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Crane Slides into Shallows of Lake Lanier

An underwater pipeline construction contractor hired by the Gwinnett Department of Water Resources lost a tracked crane into the shallow water of Lake Lanier yesterday. Crews for the contractor, Oscar Renda, Inc., were walking the crane from the shore of Lake Lanier onto a floating barge when an anchor cable came loose and the barge shifted allowing the crane (that was partially on the barge and partially on the shore) to slide into the shallow water of the inlet used for the construction entrance to the lake.

“Thank goodness no one was injured,” said Lynn Smarr, Acting Water Resources Director. “These things happen with large equipment sometimes. Fortunately, the construction delay should only be temporary.” The contractor reported the incident to the National Response Center because of the oil sheen caused by the loss of some diesel fuel from the crane fuel tank into the water. The contractor blocked the small inlet to prevent boats and other traffic from getting close to the site. The contractor quickly installed oil booms and absorbent material to contain the small amount of leaked diesel within the small area of about 60 feet by 60 feet. The fuel will be cleaned up as quickly as practical, and the crane will be removed from the water. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was also notified of the incident, according to Smarr.

“We do not believe the small amount of diesel will be a threat to our water supply, to the lake or to others downstream,” said Tyler Richards, Deputy Director for Water Resources Operations. “When we were notified of the accident, we took the extra precaution of making sure that all raw water is taken from our Lanier intake, which is over a mile from the construction site, until the situation is stabilized and operations are back to normal at the construction site.”