Hydropower — one of the original purposes for which these dams were built — means power generated from the gravitational flow of water. It DOES NOT mean cooling water for coal-fired plants (Florida) or nuclear plants (Alabama). The problem here is not Atlanta’s water consumption, and never has been. The problem is the perverted notion that water in Georgia’s reservoirs should be used to artificially reengineer the natural environment in Florida and Alabama during times of drought. Again, the solution is simple: in times of drought, Florida and Alabama should not be allocated more flow from Georgia than would naturally occur if the Georgia dams did not exist. Indeed, if that fair and common sense approach had been taken during the last 3 years, Lanier would have never been stressed and would be at full pool right now.

I suggest everyone concerned with this problem attend future corp meetings. Visit their website. Or you can call Consumer Affairs Dept. in the Mobile Corp. office. They are very receptive to your comments and questions. If you see an abnormal release while driving over the dam, say during a rainy month, call them and they will call the dam operator to see what is the reason and will call you back with an explanation. Don’t believe me? Make a quick call. They are listed in Directory Assistance, Mobile, Ala.

In the Corp meeting in Cumming, GA in May 2008, Col. Jorgenson clearly admitted the release was to meet EPD requirements of minimum 5,000 CFS at Watts Dam on Lake Seminole for endangered mussels, even though no study supported this requirement and that it would take 3 years to study the problem(He said that 5000 CFS was simply the 50 year historical minimum norm). So during the drought Lanier had to produce the water for this 5000 CFS. Furthermore, they admitted that the water load in Atlanta was not the cause of the dropping lake level. During that period, 90% of the water released totally bypassed Atlanta.

Many people have their life savings in the properties and businesses on the lake. Many have their life savings, retirements and their children’s education tied to their property value on the lake. Certainly anyone in their right mind would not value a worm or a useless mussel above 20,000 lake home owners and their life savings. Obviously the EPD plan is flawed. The mussles have been in Florida an esimated 250,000 years — that’s a fact, and they certainly have suffered many droughts, not just the recent on last year. The damn was built just 50 years ago.

Certainly infrastructure projects in Alabama and Florida need to be done. Look at a map of Alabama and you can see it is covered with lakes and rivers. Florida is surrounded by water. To this point NOTHING has been done to solve this problem.

If I had a fellow Floridian in the same position, I would simpathize. I would say “Georgia, build some infrastructure. Talk about wise usage of Stimulus $$$ !!!