Governor Perdue Lauds Federal Court Decision on Lake Lanier Water Settlement

Court Decision Gives Georgia More Flexibility for Statewide Water Planning

Atlanta - Governor Sonny Perdue today applauded a federal court decision approving a settlement between the Army Corp of Engineers and Metro Atlanta over water storage in Lake Lanier. Florida and Alabama objected to the settlement, claiming Atlanta's attempts to store water would jeopardize states downstream. U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson rejected the challenge, instead ruling the settlement is "neither illegal nor contrary to public policy."

"Obviously, I am very pleased with the court's ruling determining the agreement is fair, reasonable, and valid. This decision gives Georgia the flexibility it needs to store water and meet statewide demand over the next decade, and possibly beyond."

The settlement was reached between the Corp and metro Atlanta governments in January 2003 to address water demand in north Georgia. The settlement does not directly allocate water to the local governments involved. Rather, the state will allocate resources based upon a statewide plan. The Corps must also conduct environmental impact studies before the settlement can be implemented.