SIMS SAYS WATER PLAN FAILS SOUTH GEORGIA

 ATLANTA—Georgia State Representative Chuck Sims (R-Ambrose), representing south Georgia’s water interests, was unable to support the statewide water management plan that was proposed to the Georgia House.  Sims expressed his concern that the resolution did not adequately protect south Georgia’s watersheds.  The water planning boundary lines not only combined different watersheds but separated the south Georgia communities from the northern planning districts that control the headwaters of the Altamaha, St. Mary’s, Satilla, Ocmulgee, Ogeechee, and Savannah rivers.

“Water flows downhill, and the water districts must deal with the realities of nature,” Sims said.  “To divide downstream and upstream users so they are sitting on completely separate councils is unwise.  Water planning districts should be drawn along watershed boundaries in order to better protect our rivers and coastal marshes from overuse by upstream users.”

In addition to the fact that natural watershed boundaries are ignored in south Georgia, the statewide water management plan has top-down appointments for members of each of the 12 planning districts.  Though the Governor, Lt. Governor, and the Speaker of the House must include a few locally elected officials on those planning boards, the state’s micromanagement of hand-picking members did not square with Sim’s high regard for the role of local government.  According to Sims, elected officials at the local level have a bested interest in their districts and are better suited to choose the members of their areas’ water policy councils.  “At the very least, if elected city and county leaders are not making those appointments, the local legislative delegations should have some say in the appointment of members of the water planning councils,” Sims continued.

Sims also expressed concern about inter-basin water transfers, meaning that water from one watershed can be transferred to another.  Though the statewide water plan offered some assurances, Sims was unconvinced that the needs of south Georgia would stack up well against the needs of metro Atlanta.  “The productivity of our shrimp catch and some of our fisheries are dependent upon freshwater flow into our marshes.  If the salinity gets too high the marshes cannot support the marine life cycle.  Inter-basin transfers pose considerable risk, and the resolution offered no option for legislative oversight,” Sims added.  “Also, if water tables are low, there is risk to the sport fishing industry in the region.”

Further, due to the fact that the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) falls outside the jurisdiction of the Administrative Procedures Act.  Once the resolution is signed by the Governor, the EPD will control the implementation of the statewide water plan.  House Resolution 1022 is merely a resolution which allows the EPD to develop the details, and the resulting water districts will not have the same legal standing already provided by law to the Metro North Georgia Water Planning District.  Thus, all water districts that fall outside the 16 county metro area will become legally subordinated to the Metro Planning District since it already includes major portions of five of Georgia’s six key river basins.  Sims believes all water planning districts should be on equal legal footing.

The resolution, approved in the House 131-37 and the Senate 39-12, will be reconsidered in the House on Monday, January 28. 

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