Tri-State Water Wars: Impact on Metropolitan Atlanta’s Future Growth Es

Tri-State urine Wars Impact on Metropolitan battle of Atlantas Future Growth Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting. - Mark TwainMetro Atlanta is on a collision course with reality and the shock of this collision will have profound political and economic implications for future growth end-to-end the Southeast. The core problem is that Atlantas runaway growth will soon outstrip the available body of water supply (Corps, 1998). And if Atlanta continues to increase its water consumption until the maximum limits are reached, the effects on downstream users will become catastrophic, both economically and environmentally. Without multi-state agreements concerning changes in usage patterns, this could bring about hindrance by the Federal courts that would effectively halt Atlantas development until the usage disputes were resolved. By comparison, some western states water lawsuits have lasted for decades, typically frost usage patterns as is. (Barr, 1999) The southeast ca n ill afford to have Atlanta the regions single largest engine of economic growth brought to a standstill because of this issue. The root cause of the entire regional problem is the combination of Atlantas high growth and an inadequate water supply. No US city as large as Atlanta is founded on a river as small as the Chattahoochee. (NY Times) If Atlanta were the size of Birmingham, there would be no crisis whatsoever. In addition, the lack of a usable immunity aquifer system in North Georgia limits the options for expanding the available supply. (ITT) The underlying granite subsurface prevents the formation of large underground water reserves, which are often a significant water source for other large cities. Only by transfe... ...raci. Conservation helped avert more dread(a) water limits. USA Today. July 16, 2002Web SitesTri-state pact essential to growth.Congressman Bob Barr. May 24, 1999, official web sitehttp//barr.house.gov/newsdescr.asp?RI=435 Atlantas Unquenc hable Thirst Sparks Dixie Water War. By Marcello Ballve, Pacific News Service, Mar 11, 2002http//www.pacificnews.org/content/pns/2002/mar/0311water.htmlTri-State Water Wars.Southern Environmental Law Centerhttp//www.selcga.org/originals/water_wars/water_wars.shtmlThe Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa Water Deal The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. By brad McLane, Executive Director, Alabama Rivers Alliance http//www.alabamarivers.org/tristatewars.htmITT Industries Guide to Global Water issuesAtlanta and the Southeast, by Charles Seabrookhttp//www.itt.com/waterbook/atlanta.asp