A Plan Of Action In The Water Wars

WASHINGTON -- Georgia's legislators and senators, meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington Tuesday, have come to the conclusion that they will never be able to get the necessary votes in Congress to allow Metro Atlanta to use Lake Lanier as an unlimited source of drinking water ever again.

"As you know, water wars were around since the founding of the west," said Sen. Johnny Isakson.

What they want is for Gov. Sonny Perdue to join them one more time to try to craft a deal with Alabama and Florida -- a deal that Congress will approve.

In a best-case scenario, Sen. Saxby Chambliss said, "Atlanta will get some water from Lanier, but it will be a significant decrease from what they've been used to getting."

Democratic Congressman David Scott of Atlanta agrees, and says that because of last week's court ruling, Georgia is left in a weak bargaining position.

"That's why we have to move very quickly to get a more independent means of water," Scott said.

Scott says Georgia's just going to have to build more reservoirs.

"And use more of our state tax dollars and state tax resources to begin to develop some of our own man-made reservoirs for the future," Scott said.

Republican Representative Phil Gingrey of Cobb County says Georgia is up against powerful Congress members from Alabama and Florida who continue to fight Metro Atlanta's access to Lake Lanier.

"Senator Shelby in Alabama is trying to block that process," Gingrey said. "Because he thinks that by some process, by hook or crook, that gives an advantage to the state of Alabama. We've got a battle on our hands."

"Cooler heads will prevail," Isakson said. "Cooler minds can get together. We can negotiate a settlement and come up with a compact that works for all three states."

What's next? The members of Congress from Georgia helped arrange a meeting with Gov. Perdue on Thursday for every single government that draws water from Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River. Call it a summit meeting, where they're going to start to figure out a plan of action -- Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, if you will -- and move toward entering into negotiations with Alabama and Florida.