Georgia Worried About Water

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) as of July 30 has installed a 1-year moratorium on new ground and surface water diversions in much of the SW quadrant of the state.  The Lower Flint and Chattahoochee River basins are where the 17 partial and full Counties that are affected reside.  Most of this area is both a groundwater and surface water moratorium.

According to some in the state, the high price of corn along with the droughty conditions have got many producers wanting to expand irrigated acres. The Tifton EPD office that issues irrigation permits for Southwest Georgia has received six times the number of new permits in the first six months of 2012 than it did in the same period in 2011.

The EPD feels everyone will be at risk if new permits are not better controlled, with director Jud Turner going on record as saying  “The water resources affected by the suspension are a significant source of water for irrigation.  A continued increase in withdrawals from these resources may ultimately lead to unacceptable impacts to existing users or compromise the sustainable capacities of these resources.”

The reason for the 1-year moratorium is to study the water systems more.  While they know the groundwater levels are dropping and the stream base flows are being reduced, they are not sure how much of these impacts are due to increased water development versus the drier natural conditions.  They suspect both are at fault, but want to understand to what extent each is responsible.

You can read more here.  And here is the state's Press Release.  Just for comparison, we've had the equivalent of this moratorium on new development here in NW Kansas since about 1986.  As responsible as this action may appear, my guess is that with the reported declining groundwater levels they're going to ultimately discover that they too are behind the water development policy curve.  The delayed effect of groundwater development may be claiming another victim.  I hope I'm wrong.

"Thoroughly and Thoughtfully"

These were the words the 11th Circuit Appeals Court used as they directed the Corps of Engineers to make a final determination on the water allocation from Lake Lanier - in one years time - to settle the tri-sate disagreement over Lake Lanier's uses.  This ruling was based on an appeal from Georgia on an earlier ruling by US District Court Judge Paul Magnuson that gave Georgia, Alabama and Florida until July 2012 to come to an agreement on how to share the water, or, Atlanta would only be able to withdraw the amount of water that it received in the mid-1970s.  The latest 11th Circuit ruling overturned Magnuson's 2009 ruling. 


Of course Georgia is pleased with the new decision while both Alabama and Florida are just plain, non-plussed.  It wasn't long before Alabama began calling for another appeal and  I'm certain Florida will weigh in very soon, too.


But my overall guess is the Corps will surprise everyone with their revised (thorough and thoughtful) operational plan next year.  I'm guessing Georgia will end up sharing more water with the other two states than they do now, and that all three states will still need to push water conservation, replacement supplies and efficient water use further than any of them have to date.  Just a hunch, mind you...

Regional Water Planning - Really or Rhetoric

Just read where a prominent engineering firm will be working with 3 Georgia regional water planning councils to do future water planning. The article says: "the plans will improve the quality of life for citizens by providing a proactive, sustainable strategy for water resource management with the growing state’s long-term needs at the forefront." (The operative words have been made bold so you don't miss them.)

Water resource assessments and population projections up to 40 years into the future will be used to develop realistic estimates of future water use. The firm says: “Our team is experienced in water... and... will gain consensus around a program of actions that best balances the regions’ needs within available water resources as the state of Georgia plans for sustainable future water supplies.”

A few facts: 1) These councils are strictly advisory; 2) They are entirely appointed by the Governor, Lt Governor and the legislative Speaker of the House; 3) The engineering firm for this particular region was selected by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division; 4) These 3 planning regions are in SW Georgia where Ag use (irrigation) dwarfs all other uses; and 5) These regions are already over developed (water-wise) as evidenced by the water right auctions held during the last drought.

My predictions: 1) Sustainability with the state's long-term needs at the forefront likely does not portend well for Ag users in these regions under this arrangement; 2) Some of these regional planning councils will eventually implode citing their "yes-man" expectations as the reason; and 3) You gotta love the generic rhetoric, but eventually the planners will see what it really means.

I wish them the best and I hope I'm wrong on all 3 predictions, but I'm pretty sure "sustainable water resources" is a lot easier to think and say than it is to do - especially when water use reductions are going to be required to reach it.