Federal Judge Overturns Water Ruling

The Associated Press is reporting a federal judge has tossed out a lower court ruling that would have severely restrict Atlanta’s ability to take water from Lake Lanier, starting in July 2012, unless the governors of Georgia, Florida and Alabama reach an agreement to end the long-standing water wars between the tri-state area.

The appeals court reportedly ruled that the U.S. Corps of Engineers must first issue a final decision on whether Georgia can have more water before legal challenges can proceed. The decision Tuesday by the 11^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an early order from U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson.

According to the 2011 Forsyth County Water Quality Report (see story), the vast majority of Forsyth County’s water comes from Lake Lanier and is treated by either Forsyth County or the city of Cumming. A small portion of Forsyth County’s water comes from Fulton County, who withdraws water from the Chattahoochee River.