Georgia Lawmakers Hard At Work On State's First-Ever Drought Plan

[hatrack]

ATLANTA — Despite plenty of warnings, critics say, Georgia never got around to developing a water management plan to handle a severe drought. Now that reservoirs already are shrinking and water supplies are threatened, lawmakers are scrambling to cope. After years of lax zoning laws and pro-growth policies that led to urban sprawl throughout much of north Georgia, politicians are preparing a statewide water plan that would guide Georgia’s growth and provide emergency drought plans.

Some are talking about building a network of state reservoirs to supplement the federal reservoirs they say they can no longer rely on. “With great crisis comes great opportunity,” said state Rep. Lynn Smith.

EDIT

Each legislative attempt to hash out a plan over the last two decades has ended in failure. In the 1990s, plans to build state reservoirs failed, partly because of builders upset they would be barred from developing homes on the lakes. A water plan based on selling permits was beaten back in 2003 by critics who suggested that neighboring states would be able to purchase them and worsen the crisis. And an effort to build a state-funded regional reservoir was scuttled in 2004.

“There’s no question this situation could have been avoided,” said former Gov. Roy Barnes, a Democrat. “This is nothing new. We’ve known this for a long time. We have a state approaching nine million people. The idea we have no plan for water — I don’t know how to describe it.” Barnes said his 2002 defeat thwarted his plans to build a network of state reservoirs and help local governments fix leaky pipes.

EDIT

http://www.pottsmerc.com/WebApp/appmanager/JRC/Daily;jsessionid=CH2VHlXLgLcTnBMvnhpTv1rT6tybDzc1LJpSJLfYvHtknX2JxRDr!-1953013726?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pg_article&r21.pgpath=%2FPTM%2FLife&r21.content=%2FPTM%2FLife%2FHeadlineList_Story_802667

[kestrel91316]

1. Think positively. Maybe the drought will make the KUDZU easier to control?

[eppur_se_muova]

2. It will weaken the other plants, giving kudzu the advantage.

Kudzu always wins.

[kestrel91316]

3. They need an army of goats to take care of it - they LOVE kudzu

and really knock it down.