Water Wars and Water Use Allocation

Alabama and Florida have been involved with litigation against Georgia since 1990 over the use of interstate waterways because Atlanta has seen a tremendous amount of growth. Atlanta is currently taking 65 million gallons a day (MGD) from the Etowah, with 23 MGD never being returned (inter-basin transfer). Transfers are expected to rise to 150 MGD in the next 30 years. These excessive transfers are harming the Coosa’s ability to assimilate pollution as well as provide sufficient water for habitat, drinking and recreation downstream. We are especially concerned about recreation-dependent economies on the lakes of the Coosa. Coosa Riverkeeper is the Alabama state representative for the Tri-State Conservation Coalition, an alliance of NGOs seeking solutions to the Water Wars.

There are also local water use allocation issues in many areas of the Coosa Valley, exacerbated anytime there is drought. Because of the lack of significant water use allocation legislation in the Alabama, those withdrawing water from a creek may suck the creek dry without facing any action from state agencies. Coosa Riverkeeper has seen this first hand on some creeks during the 2011 drought season.