Sat., August 1, 2009 11:25am (EDT)

Tri-State Water War: Governors Spar Over 2007 Agreement

By Melissa Stiers

Updated: 4 years ago

ATLANTA  —   Governor Sonny Perdue wants the records of a failed 2007 water settlement between Alabama and Georgia open to the public. The move comes after a recent verbal sparring match between Perdue and Alabama Governor Bob Riley in the media.

Governor Perdue told the the Atlanta Journal Constitution last week, back in 2007 the two states were within hours of resolving the water dispute when Alabama pulled out. Governor Riley hit right back on WABE, saying Perdue was being “disingenuous.”

So, according the AJC, Perdue has written a letter to Riley asking him to sign an enclosed confidentiality waiver to bare the documents to the public.

These warring words come as the states prepare for renewed negotiations over water rights to Lake Lanier, a federal reservoir that supplies Atlanta’s water.

Meanwhile, this week Governor Perdue will hold water stakeholder meetings in Columbus and Albany. Perdue says the recent federal court ruling saying Georgia has little right to Lake Lanier for drinking water has impact up-and-down the Chattahoochee and Flint River basin.