Water from Lake Lanier was the focus of a meeting Wednesday of congressional delegations from Georgia and its neighbors. (photo courtesy Rusty Tanton)
Representative Nathan Deal (R-Gainesville) told GPB the hour-long meeting was key in hitting some common ground:
"From the congressional point of view, just having all three state delegations say to our governors--‘we want you to begin the negotiating process’--is a very helpful thing."
A spokesman for Governor Sonny Perdue told GPB that progress is being made on the framework for a meeting of the governors of the three states. But Perdue’s office stressed the need for Congress to work now on a parallel-track for new legislation to re-authorize the use of Lake Lanier.
This summer a federal judge ruled Georgia has no rights to draw Lanier water for metro Atlanta’s needs. The judge gave the state three years to solve the issue.
