Three-state agreement likely to precede any action by Congress on water, Nathan Deal says

Perry — U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal said Tuesday that any action in Congress to resolve the tri-state water issue will probably have to be preceded by a negotiated agreement between the governors of Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

Deal, a Gainesville Republican now running for governor, is considered the member of the Georgia congressional delegation most familiar with the water issue — Lake Lanier being part of his 9th District.

Last month, a federal judge ruled that most of metro Atlanta has no right to use Lanier as a source of drinking water — that Congress authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct Buford Dam five decades ago solely for the purpose of power generation, navigation on the Chattahoochee River, and flood control.

The judge gave Georgia three years to persuade Congress to expand Lanier’s list of uses to include drinking water.

“Anybody who thinks Congress can solve anything in three years does not understand the way Congress works,” Deal said. “So I think it has to be premised on the idea that a negotiated settlement is going to precede any action by Congress.”

Alabama has agreed to several dates proposed by Georgia for renewed negotiations. Florida has yet to respond.

Deal was one of four Georgia congressmen — two Democrat, two Republican — featured at a Georgia Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

The annual summer event at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter is one of the largest political events of the year. More 1,100 elected officials, lobbyists, business leaders and political candidates filled the tables.

Two members of the state Supreme Court attended: newly elected Chief Justice Carol Hunstein and Justice Robert Benham. Republican candidates for governor included Deal, state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine and Secretary of State Karen Handel. Democratic candidates included House Democratic Leader DuBose Porter of Dublin and former state labor commissioner David Poythress.

There may have been others. It was a big room.

I got there late (had to punch out the Kasim Reed/Andrew Young item on the way), and so didn’t see the 75 or so friendly health care protesters who greeted the congressmen.

Travis Fain, who writes the blog Lucid Idiocy for the Macon Telegraph, took a few snaps of U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson shaking hands with the demonstrators — who were mainly targeting U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop.

During a panel discussion by the four congressmen, the two Democrats — Bishop and U.S. Rep. John Barrow — emphasized their role in slowing down a House vote on health care reform until after the August recess.

But water was the most interesting topic — in part because the discussion was moderated by Michael Garrett, president of CEO of Georgia Power.

Much to the annoyance of Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, Garrett has been persuaded by Gov. Sonny Perdue to head up the ad hoc committee that will determine Georgia’s negotiating strategy in future water negotiations.

Garrett played it close to the vest: “[The judge] clearly put it on Georgia to ask congress for a reauthorization. That’s going to have to be done. But it seems to me there’s probably going to be some negotiation among the states.”

Deal was more definitive, as mentioned above. U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland laid out the state’s disadvantage in Congress. ”We have 13 members in the House. Florida has 25. Alabama has nine. So it’s a 34-to-13 kind of deal,” he said. “We’re in the process now of trying to work with some of these other states. But it’s like going to court. Most lawsuits aren’t settled until you get to the courthouse steps.”

Bishop represents southwest Georgia, which has often sided with Alabama and Florida in water disputes. The Albany congressman pronounced himself satisfied with Perdue’s assurances — given Monday at a meeting of the Georgia congressional delegation at the Governor’s Mansion.

Perdue “made clear that this is a Georgia problem. It’s not a north Georgia or south Georgia or southwest Georgia problem — and we’re going to have to tackle it as a whole,”’ Bishop said. “He gave us assurances that every section, geographically, of our state will be treated fairly.”

“There are people in Georgia,” Bishop said, “who are worried about too much of the water being utilized upstream.”

For his part, Barrow — who lives in Savannah — said he would be on guard against any attempt to solve metro Atlanta’s access to water by “dipping a straw” into the Savannah River basin.

Deal had one cutting observation: Republicans have long railed against “activist” judges, demanding jurists “who are strict and literal interpreters of the law.”

This federal judge has ruled that because Congress didn’t explicitly declare thirst-quenching to be a purpose of Buford Dam, the Corp had no right to distribute captured water on that basis.

“I sort of joke with those people. I wish we had a judge who was a little more activist in his interpretation,” Deal said.

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