State Of Emergency In Drought-Stricken Ga.

Governor Asks For Federal Assistance, Water Use Restrictions Ramped Up

(CBS/AP)  With water supplies rapidly shrinking during a drought of historic proportions, Georgia's governor declared a state of emergency Saturday for the state's 85 northern counties, and asked President Bush to declare it a major disaster area.

Gov. Sonny Perdue also asked Mr. Bush to exempt Georgia from complying with federal guidelines that dictate the amount of water sent downstream from Georgia's reservoirs to federally-protected mussel species.

"We need to cut through the tangle of unnecessary bureaucracy to manage our resources prudently - so that in the long term, all species may have access to life-sustaining water," he said.

Georgia officials warn that Lake Lanier, a 38,000-acre reservoir that supplies more than 3 million residents with water, is less than three months from depletion. Smaller reservoirs are dropping even lower.

On Friday, Perdue's office asked a federal judge to force the Army Corps of Engineers to curb the amount of water it drains from Georgia reservoirs. That water is sent downstream, down the Chattahoochee River, to neighboring Alabama and Florida for needs there, including a power station, as well as to keep water levels up for some endangered species.

Georgia's environmental protection director is drafting proposals for more water restrictions.

The state declaration creates an emergency team that will oversee the state's response to drought; it also could free up some state money to respond to the water woes.

Perdue added that the state has not yet formed a contingency plan in case the reservoirs run dry.

"The backup plan is to conserve and use our water wisely," he said.

However, Perdue says he's confident there will be "a solution that will benefit all of Georgia's interests for years to come."

"This is not something we can conserve our way out of," said Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, a Republican from Gainesville, the biggest city on Lake Lanier.

More than a quarter of the Southeast is covered by an "exceptional" drought - the National Weather Service's worst drought category. The Atlanta area, with a population of 5 million, is smack in the middle of the affected region, which encompasses most of Tennessee, Alabama and the northern half of Georgia, as well as parts of North and South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia.

Georgia was placed under statewide water restrictions in April that limited outdoor watering to three days a week. By May Atlanta allowed watering only on weekends.

Now the state is enforcing mandatory outdoor water restrictions seven days a week - no lawn watering or car washing between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. CBS News correspondent Jennifer Miller reports that patrols are going around neighborhoods looking for people violating the watering ban, issuing warnings and in some cases turning off their water. Violators would have to pay a $1,000 fine to have their water turned back on.

CBS News correspondent Sam Litzinger said there are some reports of people turning in neighbors who are violating the ban.

Peter Frost, executive director of the Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority, explained his office's "zero tolerance" policy: "The minute we see it, if it's in the middle of the night, we won’t going to knock on their door, we'll just turn it off," he told CBS Affiliate WGCL correspondent Rebekka Schramm.

Fifteen violators have already had their water shut off.

Many businesses are taking a hit from the drought. Mike Chapman, of Pike Family Nurseries, told Schramm, "This time of year we're normally ramping up, hiring more people, getting ready for the fall planting season. This year we're not doing that.

"We're maintaining our employees, we're not letting anyone go, but we're not ramping up."

The nursery is steering customers to plants better able to weather a drought, like knockout roses, and properly mulch to allow soil to retain moisture better.

With Lake Lanier 14 feet below normal, recreational companies are suffering, too. Miller said people are not going to resorts and out on boats, and marinas and boat dealers are losing business.

State climatologist David Stooksbury said it will take months of above average rainfall to replenish the system.

[Krazcarl]

Rushlimpywishdrugscouldcureit For your information when i first moved here I asksd a total redneck that grew up in segregated schools about the KKK he wasn''t open minded but told me that "It USED to be big but now is nothing but sorry white trash that are afraid the blacks might get more than them" and I have found that to be true,. You were a dumb yankee and they were pulling your chain for a laugh and looks like they got one. I stoped at a gathering to see what was going on a few years back it was a KKK parade he was right nothing but sorry white trash the south has put that behind them but idiots like you won''t let them. I say again the finest people I have ever met have been Ga. boys and I''ll stick up for them and to be honest I have black friends that enrich my life.

[danlies]

This is a fake story put forth to pre-saute'' you for nefarious purposes imho.

[rushlimpdrug]

Posted by crzmeat

Believe what you want to believe.
The state of emergency in your state is simply a cycle.
25 years of living in the state makes you an expert on the state, it''s history and people.
I have nothing to prove to you.
I will just say that one of your state "boys" told me the meaning of three rocks stacked in a column meant.
If you take it personal it isn''t my problem.

Back to the article it is sad that when these things happen, the angry "conserv" people attack and make fun of Al Gore.
I don''t what Al''s motives were for making the documentary he made but I know that any work to make earth a better place for future generations is honorable.
I have seen beatiful places ruined by money.
Georgia is one of these places.
It will be a sad day the U.S. reaches 500 million and eventually 1 billion in population. Of course the rich and powerful won''t care as long as the *** are not marrying.

[erasmus6]

"What about bullsh*t? Any shortage of that in the US?" posted by zootallures2

NOPE.:)

[l8c6]

A neo con full of pride could hear the crackle as their ideological base crumbles and the image would be one of pigtails flying, hands over ears and high pitched shrills squealing, "I''m not listening, I''m not listening"

[Krazcarl]

Mcvett..I used to enjoy your slabt, So why have you turned into a troll?

[mcvett]

STOP GLOBAL WHINING!
STOP GLOBAL WHINING!

HEY, HEY, HO, HO, GLOBAL WHINING HAS GOTTA GO.
HEY, HEY, HO, HO, GLOBAL WHINING HAS GOTTA GO.

.

ROTFLMAO,,,,Seig Heil, Hillary

[Krazcarl]

Rushlimpdrug...Your a lier the words you speak are faulse I KNOW been in Ga. 25 years never heard such talk and a working man yes there have been barbs but borh ways your lieing to look intelligent go wipe your mouth.

[l8c6]

I think it''s big government interference. If big federal government wouldn''t have been on the backs of individuals and the state of Georgia this dam would never have been built and those homes there wouldn''t be sitting along a parched man-made fake beach.

The only way to rectify this interference would be to drain the lake and let nature reclaim the area. It would be more government waste to spend money on destroying the dam. The past cannot be changed but by stopping government now, we taxpayers won''t have to face the problems caused by such big federal government interference.

Maybe a private firm can come in and with the aid of local government condemn the properties, build a resort and do a much more sensible and viable profit maximizing endeavor for the area than have those private homes sit there wasting space.

[hawksprings]

This is all part of the 9/11 conspiracy.
Look at the photographs: See how there used to be more water in the lake before 9/11?
Now look at it. See!!!

Bush and Cheney did this!!! Those sick #*&$%^@$!!!

[rushlimpdrug]

rushlimpdrug...do you have to wipe your mouth after you speak, thought you did. Did mom have any kids with IQ. I live in Ga. great place great people came on a visit from Me. 25 years ago never left yea a d*m yankee. People that put down the south have neverspent time here.
Posted by crzmeat

So tell the people in Georgia to stop whinning.
I''ve worked with people FROM Georgia (not imports) and by the grace of God they were law abiding KKK members. Wow! They spoke of great pride in their work to keep their state "clean".
They tried to "inspire" me to admire their KKK work. I know these type of folk are everywhere I''m just saying ignoring some truths don''t make realities go away. As examples there is New Orleans and Katrina. Jenna, and many more.
Stupid is as stupid does.
If the truth hurts well, that is your problem.
Grow a brain and grow up is all I can tell you.
Whether someone is from the south north east or west so what. What is important is they act with some smarts.
Right now the country as a whole is acting with total stupidity, and if it makes you feel better, I include myself.

[jerr11]

According to MORAL MAJORITY leader Jerry Falwell, God is punishing the southerners for supporting the immoral corrupt greedy Bush/Cheney admin.

This drought is just the beginning.

The locusts are coming next!!

And then the plague!!

LOL

[Krazcarl]

rushlimpdrug...do you have to wipe your mouth after you speak, thought you did. Did mom have any kids with IQ. I live in Ga. great place great people came on a visit from Me. 25 years ago never left yea a d*m yankee. People that put down the south have never spent time here.

[ubrew12]

I do think this is partially due to Global Warming.
The solution is to bring water from the water-blessed northern states to the water-deprived southern states via canals. Essentially, California already does this on a smaller scale.

Eventually, efforts to ameliorate Global Warming will right the system. In the short term (next 50-100 years), its gonna be outa-wack.

[zootallures2]

What about bullsh*t? Any shortage of that in the US?

[zootallures2]

Learn to drink oil and eat money.

[Ed0719]

The Dems run Georgia, starting with the Peanut Emperor Jimma

Posted by jowand at 09:53 PM : Oct 20, 2007


Sorry, but you''re wrong. Georgia is a Republican-controlled state. The governor and the majority of the state representatives are Republican, with the majority of state offices held by GOP appointees. Our GOP governor wants to spend millions on a campaign to promote recreational fishing in the state, that''s his "legacy". Not sure what he intends those fish to live in, though.

Atlanta, and the state of Georgia, are beholden to the big campaign donors, namely the major developers, who are still putting up dozens of 40+ story highrise condo towers in the middle of Atlanta, building 1000 home subdivisions in the suburbs, bringing thousands more people into an area that already has trouble providing enough water for current residents. But that''s OK, as long as the developers get their money, that''s all that matters, that''s all that the GOP cares about.

[greeneyes222]

So whatever happened to urban planning?

The Army Corps has warned Atlanta for years that their current water supply couldn''t sustain the city''s growth. But the rain kept falling, and the city did nothing to address the issue.

Now we have a drought and it turns out the Army Corps was right. Atlanta still hasn''t implemented water use restrictions, even though other cities in the southeast have. Their answer to the situation is to whine that the Army Corps is being mean and demand relief.

Take it from another person living through this drought in the southeast - you in Georgia will get no sympathy from the rest of us down here until you take some responsibility for your own inaction and do something to help yourselves. You''re still washing cars and watering lawns? We''re not.

Bad planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on ours.

[mcvett]

STOP GLOBAL WHINING!
STOP GLOBAL WHINING!

HEY, HEY, HO, HO, GLOBAL WHINING HAS GOTTA GO.
HEY, HEY, HO, HO, GLOBAL WHINING HAS GOTTA GO.

.

ROTFLMAO,,,,Seig Heil, Hillary

[skyk-2009]

If you have never experienced years of drought, be very happy that you havent.


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Posted by danstoned at 04:41 AM : Oct 21, 2007
+ report abuse

I think that is the problem.. we are experiencing weather patterns we''re NOT supposed to be seeing. Yes draught is common in the Southwest but this type of thing in the SWAMPY area of the nation. Any fool should be able to see that the weather system is changing and it''s changing because of global warming, exactly as we have been told it would.