Billy House and Amy Dominello/Media General News Service
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WASHINGTON – An updated Bush Administration water-sharing plan for the Southeast is prompting cautious praise in Georgia, but anger and worry in Florida and Alabama that metropolitan Atlanta will be getting more than its fair share.
At issue is a new Corps of Engineers proposal unveiled this week that essentially is a tweaking of an interim regional drought plan that has been in place since last fall.
Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia said he is “glad” the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has recognized the importance of allowing Lake Lanier north of Atlanta to store more water, decreasing some downriver flows, and fellow Republican Sen.Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, called it an improvement over previous approaches.
But Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., noted that Lake Lanier is a federal reservoir, and “this water was never intended to be metro Atlanta’s water supply and any decision that makes it so comes at the expense of the citizens in Alabama, Florida and downstate Georgia.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Allen Boyd, a Democrat from Florida’s Panhandle, warned that Florida under such a plan would continue to “bear the brunt” of Georgia’s lack of drought planning.
The new plan was initially unveiled Tuesday to some officials, and later posted on the Corp’s Mobile, Ala., regional office Web site.
One of its main provisions would continue a temporary provision from last fall that triggers – under extremely dry conditions -- reduced downstream flows along the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint water system into Florida by as much as 10 percent.
But the Corps’ plan also allows for more storage retention in upstream lakes that serve as main reservoirs for metropolitan Atlanta, such as Lake Lanier.
A six-week review process of the Corps of Engineers proposal now begins before any changes kick-in, said Corps spokesman, Rob Holland.
“We didn’t expect everyone to agree with all parts of it. All we are saying now is that it’s a work in progress,” said Holland Wednesday.
Still to be done is an updated analysis by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services on the impacts upon federally endangered or threatened species in Florida, including freshwater mussels and Gulf Sturgeon in the Apalachicola Bay.
That report is due by June 1.
Last fall, the agency confirmed Florida's claims that some federally protected mussels and Gulf sturgeon could be killed through the reduce flows. Still, Fish and Wildlife approved the flow-reduction plan because it found the action would not wipe out any federally protected species.
Now, the agency must determine whether that finding would hold under the Corps’ latest proposal, which represents yet another temporary plan to deal with prolonged drought conditions in the region.
Florida, Georgia and Alabama have been feuding over water rights since 1990. But talks between the states on a longer-term water-sharing plan broke down again in February.
As a result, Department of the Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne promised that his agency and the Corps of Engineers would come up with a plan.
Finding one that satisfies all sides has been difficult.
Georgia has taken issue with the Corps’ release in the spring of 2006 of billions of gallons of additional water from Lanier and other federal reservoirs on the Chattahoochee to help protect downstream, sturgeon laying their eggs.
Georgia also was upset over the accidentally released billions of gallons of water from Lanier. The two actions brought the lake’s levels to record lows, exacerbating metropolitan Atlanta’s water problems last year.
Florida and Alabama have taken exception to reduced downstream flows during dry periods.
Specifically, the Corps’ new interim plan would continue to allow decreases in the downstream flows to as much as 10 percent at Florida’s Jim Woodruff Dam, from the current minimum flow of 5,000 cubic feet per second to 4,500 cubic feet.
The Woodruff dam and its lock are located in Florida near Chattahoochee, Fla., where the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers merge at the Florida-Georgia border.
Sarah Williams, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, said the agency is reviewing the proposal and will make comments to the Corps and to Fish and Wildlife.
“I’m glad the U.S. Corps of Engineers has realized its mistakes with regards to the accidental releases from Lake Lanier and that the proposed plan recognizes the importance of allowing Lake Lanier to store water,” said Isakson.
“I will be closely watching how U.S. Fish and Wildlife responds to this modified interim operating plan from the Corps,” he added.
Chambliss similarly said that while the proposal, from his perspective, appears to be an improvement, “we obviously need to continue to study it and monitor how (Fish and Wildlife) responds.”
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., also said, "We are cautiously optimistic that this new plan will be a better blueprint for how the Corps manages water resources…”
“At first glance there are some items that seem favorable to West Point Lake but I have not had an opportunity to study the plan in its entirety and will continue to provide much needed oversight in regards to how the Corps chooses to implement this new plan."
A spokeswoman for Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga, said he has not yet reviewed the proposal.
“Fairness for all the watersheds has to be achieved,” said the spokeswoman, Caroline Burns. “Whether or not this recent decision does this is yet to be determined.”
But Shelby said Lake Lanier is a federal reservoir that does not belong to any state individually, and this water was never intended to be metro Atlanta’s water supply.
“Therefore, the Corps of Engineers needs to carefully consider the intended purpose of Lake Lanier’s water supply as the continue through this process,” said Shelby.
Boyd complained the plan gives Georgia “no incentive to plan for their water needs, with our state (Florida) sacrificing our fair share of water.”
“The state of Florida has worked hard over the past 36 years to be wise stewards of our water, and the state of Georgia must do the same by developing and strictly following a responsible plan for their continued growth and water needs,” he said.
“It is expected that we will return to dry times in the coming months, and I again strongly encourage the three states to come together to reach a tri-state agreement that addresses the water needs along the entire basin,” said Boyd.
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at 1 (202) 662-7673.
At issue is a new Corps of Engineers proposal unveiled this week that essentially is a tweaking of an interim regional drought plan that has been in place since last fall.
Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia said he is “glad” the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has recognized the importance of allowing Lake Lanier north of Atlanta to store more water, decreasing some downriver flows, and fellow Republican Sen.Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, called it an improvement over previous approaches.
But Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., noted that Lake Lanier is a federal reservoir, and “this water was never intended to be metro Atlanta’s water supply and any decision that makes it so comes at the expense of the citizens in Alabama, Florida and downstate Georgia.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Allen Boyd, a Democrat from Florida’s Panhandle, warned that Florida under such a plan would continue to “bear the brunt” of Georgia’s lack of drought planning.
The new plan was initially unveiled Tuesday to some officials, and later posted on the Corp’s Mobile, Ala., regional office Web site.
One of its main provisions would continue a temporary provision from last fall that triggers – under extremely dry conditions -- reduced downstream flows along the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint water system into Florida by as much as 10 percent.
But the Corps’ plan also allows for more storage retention in upstream lakes that serve as main reservoirs for metropolitan Atlanta, such as Lake Lanier.
A six-week review process of the Corps of Engineers proposal now begins before any changes kick-in, said Corps spokesman, Rob Holland.
“We didn’t expect everyone to agree with all parts of it. All we are saying now is that it’s a work in progress,” said Holland Wednesday.
Still to be done is an updated analysis by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services on the impacts upon federally endangered or threatened species in Florida, including freshwater mussels and Gulf Sturgeon in the Apalachicola Bay.
That report is due by June 1.
Last fall, the agency confirmed Florida's claims that some federally protected mussels and Gulf sturgeon could be killed through the reduce flows. Still, Fish and Wildlife approved the flow-reduction plan because it found the action would not wipe out any federally protected species.
Now, the agency must determine whether that finding would hold under the Corps’ latest proposal, which represents yet another temporary plan to deal with prolonged drought conditions in the region.
Florida, Georgia and Alabama have been feuding over water rights since 1990. But talks between the states on a longer-term water-sharing plan broke down again in February.
As a result, Department of the Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne promised that his agency and the Corps of Engineers would come up with a plan.
Finding one that satisfies all sides has been difficult.
Georgia has taken issue with the Corps’ release in the spring of 2006 of billions of gallons of additional water from Lanier and other federal reservoirs on the Chattahoochee to help protect downstream, sturgeon laying their eggs.
Georgia also was upset over the accidentally released billions of gallons of water from Lanier. The two actions brought the lake’s levels to record lows, exacerbating metropolitan Atlanta’s water problems last year.
Florida and Alabama have taken exception to reduced downstream flows during dry periods.
Specifically, the Corps’ new interim plan would continue to allow decreases in the downstream flows to as much as 10 percent at Florida’s Jim Woodruff Dam, from the current minimum flow of 5,000 cubic feet per second to 4,500 cubic feet.
The Woodruff dam and its lock are located in Florida near Chattahoochee, Fla., where the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers merge at the Florida-Georgia border.
Sarah Williams, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, said the agency is reviewing the proposal and will make comments to the Corps and to Fish and Wildlife.
“I’m glad the U.S. Corps of Engineers has realized its mistakes with regards to the accidental releases from Lake Lanier and that the proposed plan recognizes the importance of allowing Lake Lanier to store water,” said Isakson.
“I will be closely watching how U.S. Fish and Wildlife responds to this modified interim operating plan from the Corps,” he added.
Chambliss similarly said that while the proposal, from his perspective, appears to be an improvement, “we obviously need to continue to study it and monitor how (Fish and Wildlife) responds.”
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., also said, "We are cautiously optimistic that this new plan will be a better blueprint for how the Corps manages water resources…”
“At first glance there are some items that seem favorable to West Point Lake but I have not had an opportunity to study the plan in its entirety and will continue to provide much needed oversight in regards to how the Corps chooses to implement this new plan."
A spokeswoman for Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga, said he has not yet reviewed the proposal.
“Fairness for all the watersheds has to be achieved,” said the spokeswoman, Caroline Burns. “Whether or not this recent decision does this is yet to be determined.”
But Shelby said Lake Lanier is a federal reservoir that does not belong to any state individually, and this water was never intended to be metro Atlanta’s water supply.
“Therefore, the Corps of Engineers needs to carefully consider the intended purpose of Lake Lanier’s water supply as the continue through this process,” said Shelby.
Boyd complained the plan gives Georgia “no incentive to plan for their water needs, with our state (Florida) sacrificing our fair share of water.”
“The state of Florida has worked hard over the past 36 years to be wise stewards of our water, and the state of Georgia must do the same by developing and strictly following a responsible plan for their continued growth and water needs,” he said.
“It is expected that we will return to dry times in the coming months, and I again strongly encourage the three states to come together to reach a tri-state agreement that addresses the water needs along the entire basin,” said Boyd.
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at 1 (202) 662-7673.