The governors of Alabama and Georgia announced an agreement Tuesday to end a decades-long dispute dubbed “The Water Wars,” a battle over access to water flow in the Mid and Lower Chattahoochee River Basin.
The state’s have been litigating over water in court since 1990, though this specific agreement proposal involves a 2017 lawsuit brought by Alabama that challenged the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ operations in the region, including the Corps’ policy allowing Georgia to make water-supply withdrawals near Atlanta.
Gov. Kay Ivey, R-Ala., and Gov. Brian Kemp, R-Ga., issued a joint statement saying the two states have reached an agreement with the Corps that is expected to bring an end to the suit.
Both are hailing the agreement as a “win-win”, assuring both states’ residents who live and work along the basin have access to sufficient minimum water flows during times of drought.
“This agreement is a win-win for our states, with neither side sacrificing what is important to them,” Kemp said. “The Chattahoochee River is the lifeblood of southwest Georgia, and this proposal would give citizens and businesses certainty about the flow of water they need for business and leisure alike. Just as significant, adoption of this proposal would end the current issues related to water supply for metro Atlanta at Lake Lanier, which is crucial to the future of our State.”
Source : WSFA
