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Senate
Resolution 123
By:
Senators Hawkins of the 49th, Murphy of the 27th, Pearson of the 51st, Unterman
of the 45th, Moody of the 56th and others
ADOPTED
SENATE
A
RESOLUTION
To
urge the United States Army Corps of Engineers to begin a study of the costs and
effects of raising the full pool for Lake Lanier from 1,071 feet above sea level
to 1,073 feet above sea level; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
as growth and prosperity continue to evolve in Georgia, the demand for water
continues to be a major focus item for Georgia executives and stakeholders;
and
WHEREAS,
the situation is exacerbated by the tri-states negotiations among Georgia,
Florida, and Alabama that have been in debate for over 15 years;
and
WHEREAS,
whenever a drought occurs, the problem becomes even more severe;
and
WHEREAS,
additional water supplies would help ameliorate the problem, but new reservoirs
are extremely expensive and there is no readily available location in Georgia
for new storage capability; and
WHEREAS,
raising the full pool level of Lake Lanier from 1,071 feet above sea level to
1,073 feet above sea level would increase the available water supply by 25
billion gallons, which would be larger than Lake Seminole on the Georgia-Florida
border; and
WHEREAS,
this increase could be managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers by
simply allowing Lake Lanier to increase as weather and rainfall permits above
the present full pool level to 1,073 feet above sea level; and
WHEREAS,
this increased supply will assist in the managed economic growth of the State of
Georgia and will provide an additional storage buffer in the case of drought
situations that could be used for assisting valid requests from Florida for
additional water for endangered species; and
WHEREAS,
additional water supply for Georgia will help answer additional water needs as
growth in population and prosperity puts requirements on more water throughout
the state; and
WHEREAS,
the costs of such action are minimal compared to any newly created reservoir and
could be implemented in 12 to 18 months, whereas a new and costly reservoir
could take a decade or longer.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body urge the
United States Army Corps of Engineers to begin a study of the costs and effects
of raising the full pool of Lake Lanier from 1,071 feet above sea level to 1,073
feet above sea level.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the United States Army
Corps of Engineers and each member of the Georgia Congressional delegation.