Georgia’s Water Situation
History suggests Feb. 15 deadline for tri-state water deal unlikely
A longtime adviser on the nearly two-decade-long water war among Georgia, Florida and Alabama had one question when he heard that governors of the three states vowed to settle their differences by Feb. 15. What year? The latest three governors to face the issue — Georgia’s Sonny Perdue, Alabama’s Bob Riley and Florida’s Charlie Crist — agreed during a private lunch last week with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and the chairman of the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality to reach a comprehensive water agreement by early next year. But people like Jerry Sherk who have witnessed the dispute for years have their doubts. Sherk, who specializes in water law and who over the years has advised both Georgia and the city of LaGrange in the dispute, is blunt about the likelihood of a deal in 3½ months. “Not a chance,” he said. “If there’s political goodwill, we will reach a nice, superficial, unenforceable gentleman’s agreement that will be window dressing at best.” Too many parties — from various federal agencies to hydropower customers — would need to be at the table in too short a time, Sherk warned. What’s more, he said, “The absence of trust here is more all-pervasive than I’ve ever seen it in a water conflict, and I’ve seen a lot of water conflicts.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution_ 11/4/07