The ‘water war’ isn’t really about water at all
Look, let’s be honest.
Georgia’s ongoing battle with neighboring Alabama and, to a lesser degree, with Florida, isn’t really about the appropriate use of shared water resources.
It’s about prosperity: We’ve got it, they want it, and by restricting our water supply, they hope to divert some of that prosperity in their direction.
Alabama officials in particular seem to be enthralled by that theory, which is probably why Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley are at such loggerheads. What Perdue can’t say but probably believes is that Riley’s goal is not to protect Alabama but to harm metro Atlanta. The difference between those two motives explains why negotiations have been fruitless so far.
If you look at the water consumption numbers, Alabama’s interests are not harmed by the amount of water consumed by metro Atlanta, and Riley cannot seriously make the argument that it is. Even in drought years, the amount of water consumed by metro Atlanta has little impact on the amount of water available downstream for use by Alabama.
Even if we were to resume growth at the pace of the ’90s without implementing serious water conservation efforts — both highly unlikely scenarios — it would in no way endanger Alabama’s water resources.
Unfortunately, Alabama is not alone in the misperception that prosperity is a zero-sum game, that what Atlanta loses they are likely to gain. Some of our fellow Georgians believe the same thing. A recent editorial in the Savannah Morning News, for example, argued that “in light of a federal judge’s ruling on Atlanta’s water, state leaders should spread economic development efforts to other parts of Georgia” where water is readily available.
While acknowledging Atlanta’s growth, the editorial argues that “the city’s very success, while parts of southeast and central Georgia languish, is its own argument for ending the state’s Atlanta-centric development efforts, and shifting growth to areas of the state that can support it.”
First, the notion that state economic development efforts are somehow “Atlanta-centric” has no basis. To the contrary, the state spends disproportionately more money and effort trying to woo business to other parts of Georgia, and for good reason. Those regions are simply a tougher sell to companies looking to relocate or expand.
Second, the companies and the people that come to metro Atlanta aren’t directed here by government. They come because they seek the benefits and amenities of a major metropolitan area. They could locate to other areas of Georgia, areas with less traffic, cheaper housing and cleaner air, but they come here because they need the skilled work force, the schools and universities, the restaurants, the cultural activities and the world-class airport offered by metro Atlanta.
In other words, growth redirected from metro Atlanta by a shortage of water would not go to Alabama or Savannah. It would shift instead to Charlotte, Dallas, Chicago or Denver, metro competitors that offer an environment similar to that of Atlanta. In most cases, those shifts would cost the Southeast the secondary financial and employment benefits created by a thriving Atlanta.
In any such discussion, it’s important to acknowledge that metro Atlanta is not blameless. Should the region have been more aggressive in water conservation efforts? Of course. It also should have moved more quickly to fix water-quality problems that for decades truly did harm downstream neighbors, costing us trust we could sorely use.
It’s also true that Georgia has badly misplayed what was already a weak poker hand. The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson merely confirmed what many in Georgia quietly knew: Alabama and Florida’s legal case — dependent on a strict reading of the law — has always been stronger than the case they could offer on practical or scientific grounds.
For that reason, allowing the battle to be confined to the courtroom never made sense, and now we’re paying the price.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2011 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
78 comments Add your comment
USinUK
August 4th, 2009
11:38 am
dang. I sooooooooooo don’t have a dog in this fight.
stands for decibels
August 4th, 2009
11:39 am
Excellent. Good to see this piece online.
While I’m sure someone else out there has pointed out the rather raw zero-sum game our GA’s neighbors are playing, I’ve yet to see it laid out quite as clearly as this.
stands for decibels
August 4th, 2009
11:42 am
our GA’s? sheesh. I’ll come in again…
Gandalf - First!
August 4th, 2009
11:49 am
I’m FIRST again.
Don’t forget: O.B.A.M.A.</STRONG
stands for decibels
August 4th, 2009
11:50 am
Here’s a link to that Savannah Morning News editorial Jay’s referenced above, should anyone care to have a look.
I Report :-) You Whine :-(
August 4th, 2009
11:54 am
There will be no “price” paid but other than that, it is refreshing to see the bookman come around to my side of the debate.
The hysterics were left behind.
Brad Steel
August 4th, 2009
11:54 am
Do Alabama and the rest of Georgia actually have running water?
I Report :-) You Whine :-(
August 4th, 2009
11:56 am
WASHINGTON. D.C. – Following reports that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has been orchestrating an effort to intimidate members of Congress and Governors who raise legitimate concerns regarding the effectiveness of the stimulus, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-CA) sent a letter to Emanuel saying “While this type of scare tactic may work In Chicago, it will not work to intimidate me or other Members of the United States Congress.”
bwa
We rule.
RW-(the original)
August 4th, 2009
11:56 am
Whoever wrote this column realizes that wealth and prosperity aren’t zero sum games. Who are you and what have you done with Jay B?
Who You Gonna Call
August 4th, 2009
11:56 am
A strict interpretation of the law is the rule of the day. Progressive thinking is so non-conservative and the founders of the Laws Of Lanier could not have possibly erred for they were all direct descendants of the original law providers, were they not. Perfect in all ways, forever.
USinUK
August 4th, 2009
11:59 am
“Government Reform Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-CA) sent a letter to Emanuel”
oooooo … nothing scarier than a sternly worded letter …
baaaaaaaahahahahahaha
stands for decibels
August 4th, 2009
12:03 pm
nothing scarier than a sternly worded letter …
Well, that Rahm does have a rep for being quite the shrinking violet, so perhaps it was an effective stategery.
Who You Gonna Call
August 4th, 2009
12:11 pm
Monetary wealth is a zero-sum game.
Normal
August 4th, 2009
12:15 pm
Georgia wants water? Good! Invade Tennessee and take back Chatanooga and the Tennessee River. That was supposed to be the Georgia/Tennessee
boundry anyway. Then build a dam around Ellijay (I have property there),
Put a sign on the dam “For Atlanta Only, yna, yna, yna!”
See? Problem solved…
jt
August 4th, 2009
12:16 pm
“For that reason, allowing the battle to be confined to the courtroom never made sense, and now we’re paying the price.”
“Even in drought years, the amount of water consumed by metro Atlanta has little impact on the amount of water available downstream for use by Alabama.”
“Second, the companies and the people that come to metro Atlanta aren’t directed here by government.”
For Jay Bookman to make such sense IS the best arguement for goverment MANDATED 4 week paid vacation.
To think that something can not be decided by goverment lawyers.
Oh well, enjoy it while you can, the smog and the smug ITP will soon revert him.
TnGelding
August 4th, 2009
12:16 pm
I think AL and FL are genuinely concerned that the water will stop flowing someday. Just look at what happened to the Colorado. The other metro areas mentioned probably have water concerns of their own. Congress should be able to resolve the differences to the satisfaction of all.
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Ce-Cr/Colorado-River-Basin.html
Who You Gonna Call
August 4th, 2009
12:16 pm
Georgia should secede and take Lanier with it.
Kamchak
August 4th, 2009
12:33 pm
…House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Darrell Issa (R-Ca) sent a letter to Emanuel…
This is the same Darrell Issa that spent millions recalling the former Governor of California in an attempt to buy the Governor’s seat on the cheap, then crying like a baby on TeeVee while withdrawing when Ahhhnold threw his hat in the ring. LOL–you’re ruler is another cut-and-runner.
jt
August 4th, 2009
12:33 pm
Maybe President Obama should take a fishing trip, although someone would have to bait his hook.
AmVet
August 4th, 2009
12:36 pm
Did I misread or did JB assert that Perdue and Riley “are such loggerheads”?
What an insult to turtles everywhere!
I don’t much about his Alabamee cuz, but when it comes to Sonny “Pray for Rain”, the term is dunderhead…
getalife
August 4th, 2009
12:38 pm
Now we know what is next for the con (birthers, antchristers).
They heckle at dem town hall meetings shouting down the speakers.
Brad Steel
August 4th, 2009
12:39 pm
If Buford annexes Atlanta, the letter-of-the law issue will be solved.
Curious Observer
August 4th, 2009
12:43 pm
Oh well, enjoy it while you can, the smog and the smug ITP will soon revert him.
Like the nation as a whole, Georgia is trying to fight two wars at once–one with Florida and Alabama and another pitting OTP vs. ITP, as the quote above indicates. Most Georgians would like nothing better than to see the City of Atlanta wither and die. The bitter political divisions in the state help to ensure an unwinnable war.
There’s no way Georgia can maintain and extend prosperity under these conditions.
Eddy
August 4th, 2009
12:45 pm
If you drive down I-85 to Alabama line to Lanett, Al., the Hooch is almost over its banks there. Even during the drought, it was still full and flowing nicely. I believe that Jay has hit upon a kernal of truth. It’s not about the water!! Unfortunately, there are 3 politicians involved and tasked with arriving at a tenable solution for all. Need I say more.
I would also believe that with some analysis by competent outsiders (not the Corp of Engineers), there is information available about the capacity, supply and needs of the 3 states that would clarify the legitimate issues if there are any and this could lead to a successful resolution. But again, facts are pretty much foreign to politicians!
Get Real
August 4th, 2009
12:45 pm
Without Atlanta, Georgia would be Mississippi with even a lower quality of education.
USinUK
August 4th, 2009
12:46 pm
heading home … night all
Joey
August 4th, 2009
12:49 pm
Discussions of Water Conservation are always about how much we use. It would be helpful if we occasionally discussed how much rain water falls that we do not use.
Most people support reuse of storm (rain) water when the rain water in question falls on our roofs and parking lots. in order to be good stewards and to be Green, we must catch that water and reuse it. (Actually use for the first time.)
But what about the rain water that falls on our lawns, our fields, pastures, forest and parks? Why not catch and hold that water for reuse. Because, in order to catch and hold that water we must construct dams and reserviors. But EPA, EPD and 99% of Environmental Groups oppose construction of dams and reserviors.
Meanwhile, all of those trillions of gallons or water will continue to flow away, into Alabama and Florida, unused.
Gandalf, the Great: King and Wizard of Gwinnesia
August 4th, 2009
12:53 pm
Atlanta needs to get some whater somewhere, we are fine in Gwinnesia! HAHA!
jt
August 4th, 2009
12:53 pm
“Most Georgians would like nothing better than to see the City of Atlanta wither and die.”
That is not true. Most Georgians would like nothing better than to ENJOY the City of Atlanta. Like we all used to.
In case you haven’t noticed, the city is famous for crime and goverment corruption. Don’t blame the good citizens OTP to look upon it with derision.
“There’s no way Georgia can maintain and extend prosperity under these conditions.”
We HAVE, and will continue to DO so better than your typical Northeast or Illonois big goverment, high-tax enviroment.
Gandalf, the Great: King and Wizard of Gwinnesia
August 4th, 2009
12:53 pm
Can you help a fellow Georgian down on his water supply? Hahahaha
Gandalf, the Great: King and Wizard of Gwinnesia
August 4th, 2009
12:56 pm
OTP got water a plenty!
Turd Ferguson
August 4th, 2009
12:58 pm
AL…lol…ever been to the Birmingham International Airport…LOL.
Paul
August 4th, 2009
1:07 pm
getalife
[[Now we know what is next for the con (birthers, antchristers). They heckle at dem town hall meetings shouting down the speakers.]]
Pretty sad, isn’t it?
And when the liberal students who shout down and shut out conservative speaker guests graduate and join their conservative brethren in the real world or join the ranks of MoveOn, trying to muzzle Dobbs and company, well, no one’s gonna be able to express themselves.
Except here.
jt
August 4th, 2009
1:10 pm
All the “health-care whiners” always adversly compare our health care system with the “European System”.
It is a fact that europeans take less showers than Americans do.
Regarding The ITP/elite crowd’s proclivity to emulate all things “european” , water rationing should be no problem.
Doggone/GA
August 4th, 2009
1:11 pm
“Meanwhile, all of those trillions of gallons or water will continue to flow away, into Alabama and Florida, unused”
don’t know much about the water cycle do you?
Gale
August 4th, 2009
1:15 pm
Well written, Jay.
and well said:
For Jay Bookman to make such sense IS the best arguement for goverment MANDATED 4 week paid vacation.
stands for decibels
August 4th, 2009
1:19 pm
If Buford annexes Atlanta, the letter-of-the law issue will be solved.
Ya know, crazy as that sounds, I think you’re right.
And maybe they’d finally build a MARTA station down the street from the historic Buford downtown, while land is still relatively cheap and there’s plenty of room for parking? (I know, dream on…)
Joey
August 4th, 2009
1:21 pm
Well yes. Yes I do.
Doggone/GA
August 4th, 2009
1:24 pm
“If Buford annexes Atlanta, the letter-of-the law issue will be solved.”
Maybe, maybe not. Depends on if the law states usage by actual city, or by county. If it’s by county, then the county would have to do the annexing.
TnGelding
August 4th, 2009
1:25 pm
Gandalf, the Great: King and Wizard of Gwinnesia
August 4th, 2009
12:53 pm
Au contraire. Gwinnett County is the biggest loser in the water war.
From an earlier blog by Jay:
“At first blush, it’s likely that Gwinnett County would face drastic and immediate water shortages if that occurred. Its whole sewer and water infrastructure, and the bonded indebtedness that financed it, is predicated on access to Lake Lanier. The impact on the rest of metro Atlanta would be less immediate but severe, particularly in times of drought.”
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2009/07/18/water-decision-leaves-metro-atlanta-high-and-dry/
Hillbilly Deluxe
August 4th, 2009
1:34 pm
I think AL and FL are genuinely concerned that the water will stop flowing someday. Just look at what happened to the Colorado.
The source of the Mississippi River is Lake Itasca in Minnesota. Should Minnesota control the flow and usage of the Mississippi?
They’ve been fighting over water rights in the West well over 100 years. Now it’s coming here.
When you base your economy on unlimited growth and depend on one of the smallest watersheds in the country for four decades or more without any foresight, this is what comes of it.
TnGelding
August 4th, 2009
1:35 pm
48 going on 70:
“People gather in front of the World’s Largest Beaded Photo Mosaic of U.S. President Barack Obama on display in front of the White House in Washington, August 3, 2009. The project, created with over 372,600 beads by 1000 fourth grade students from across the U.S., was made in honor of Obama’s 48th birthday which will be celebrated tomorrow.”
REUTERS/Jim Young (UNITED STATES POLITICS SOCIETY)
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//090803/ids_photos_ts/r3995144343.jpg/
david wayne osedach
August 4th, 2009
1:35 pm
Atlanta is very lucky indeed to have a bountiful water supply. In many other parts of the country this just isn’t so.
jt
August 4th, 2009
1:42 pm
“., was made in honor of Obama’s 48th birthday which will be celebrated tomorrow.””
How do you know when he was born.?
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
August 4th, 2009
1:44 pm
Well, if they don’t get this water thing straightened out I sure don’t want to go near anybody that lives in Gwinnett County. They’ll be flopping around in dust like birds taking a bath. I reckon we’ll all know what a dirty Republican is then.
Anyhow, what with all the water in Alabama and Florida, I don’t know why they want any from Lake Lanier. I reckon it’s just like people that save up a lot of money and don’t want to use it. All they want is to save up some more and buy a bulldozer if they need one to pile it up.
I’m just like most people on this blog, I ain’t got no use for Atlanta. Maybe if they haul all of the criminals and Those People out of there so we could visit once in a while I might could feel diffrent. And the politicans too. It just seems like they all steal so much from the taxpayers their next stop is prison after they leave office. A political office in Atlanta must pay real good. Last week I was driving up Northside Drive and I never seen so many signs for mayor in my life. All them big houses had a sign saying so-and-so for mayor. I reckon the 8 years in office pay real good so they can afford to live in style when they go to prison.
I plumb forgot what else I was going to say. Have a good p.m. everybody.
Mrs. Godzilla
August 4th, 2009
1:45 pm
birthers…..if Karl Rove thinks you are an idiot
you are really a BIG one…..
@@
August 4th, 2009
1:48 pm
Well I’m pleased to hear that prosperity won’t be heading for Alabama anytime soon. If all goes well with the economy, I think I’d like to live in the southern parts of AL without prosperity following me to nirvana.
Frank
August 4th, 2009
1:49 pm
Being honest is about being honest, not fostering an easily disproved myth such as that Florida wants Atlanta’s prosperity (and sprawling development) in the Apalachicola basin. Florida has spent many millions to protect the natural water resources and environments of the basin that form one of the cleanest and most productive estuarine systems in the country. More than 8 million acres of the watershed have been protected. It is Georgia’s lack of planning, Atlanta’s non-sustainable sprawling growth and its desire for ever increasing amounts of water (to be taken away from downstream systems) that threaten the unique water environments that form the Apalachicola system. Yes, it’s about the water. No, it’s not about desiring Atlanta’s form of prosperity – in that way lies madness, as the “pay me later” overdue water bill for Atlanta will now soon demonstrate.
TnGelding
August 4th, 2009
1:52 pm
jt
August 4th, 2009
1:42 pm
At this point what does it matter? But I thought where he was born was the controversy. But wait, maybe he wasn’t old enough either! Anyway, may he have a happy and many, many more.
Allen
August 4th, 2009
1:54 pm
Amen, Jay Bookman. You hit the nail on the proverbial head. I read the same misguided editorial in the Savannah paper while visiting family in south Georgia and my reaction was precisely the same as yours. It is past time for Georgians to wake up and realize that Atlanta is our state capitol and lone single metropolis. As Georgians, we should speak of Atlanta with PRIDE, not disdain and be united in our economic battle with our neighbors and other competitors (Dallas, Denver, Charlotte, Orlando, etc.). To do otherwise is to shoot yourself in the foot.