Atlanta’s Drought
As Atlanta’s Drought worsens with no apparent end in sight, a day of reckoning is upon us. The drought is one of unprecedented proportions and extends throughout much of the Southeastern United States. Rainfall levels are well below normal and now with levels at both Lake Lanier and Alltoona well below normal it is time for all good men to come to the aid of our country and to protect this critical resource. As water in these two river basins provide most of the water to the Atlanta region and beyond, a fresh look is needed by outsiders who have no vested interest, no ax to grind, and only a people to protect.
Marina’s are being forced to close, landscaping business’s are going out of business, restaurants are concerned about their future ability to obtain water, and throughout the business and residential community people are concerned about their drinking waters availability and their very livelihood. Though much has been written about what to do about the present crisis, little has been done to change the processes and procedures which contributed to the drought in the first-place. From the outside looking in there is much which can be done to alleviate future water shortfalls but it takes planning, investment, a strong will, and determination. The status quo is not working and we need to take a determined look to change past policies and to positively look to the future. Though many of these steps will be difficult to implement their successful integration into our water resource protection and planning are critical to the regions long term success.
Of primary importance is to first establish that people are more important than any special interest groups. Though I am an avid supporter of protecting the beauty and nature of this world we have been given I do not believe the needs of downstream mussels outweigh the needs of an entire region, its farmers, and its people. No, I am not suggesting that we ignore the fisherman or the mussels but when special interests outweigh the needs of all it is obvious that our priorities are out of balance and should be re-evaluated.
We need to immediately begin the process of acquiring additional land for reservoirs. Not only would this tend to beautify our land but it would provide additional pockets of water which could be utilized to stem any future water shortage. If it is safe to do so and would not harm the overall integrity of our dams, full water levels of both Lake Lanier and Lake Alltoona should be raised to as to raise the capacities of water which could be stored.
It’s time to stop talking and start walking towards investing in the infrastructure and capital expenditures to immediately begin working on alternative fuel sources. Though nuclear energy has long been a political “hot potato”, our nuclear energy program needs to be brought up to speed and revitalized.
No longer should we look to future rainfalls to fill our lakes but we should look to protect the water that we have. Water releases, water restrictions, and water use of any type either for navigation or for the environment should be first evaluated in terms of water levels. Critical water management issues should not start when there is a crisis but before one occurs to hopefully avoid and critical shortages.
Water treatment plants such as the F. Wayne Hill, Water Resources Center, in Gwinnett County need to be built throughout the region. This plant recycles the water at a state of the art facility and then replenishes/dispenses the water back into Lake Lanier. Previous limits as established by the Environmental Protection Division should be re-evaluated first and foremost to be sure that water emissions from the plant are clean and then secondarily the levels of releases should be raised and maximized.
Water planning and its preservation are not for the faint of heart or those who are willing to bend on the issues. Water protection and its safeguards will necessitate a multi-prong approach and will never cease to be a critical component as the Atlanta region continues to grow. Act today; the future of you and your children depend on it.
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