The tri-state water dispute is a 21st-century water-use conflict among the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida over flows in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin and the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has regulated water flow for the entire Chattahoochee River, from Lake Lanier in Forsyth County, Georgia, to Alabama and Florida. The states filed suit in 1990 in their conflict over the water supply; federal courts have affirmed the Corps' authority to negotiate the conflict. As the Lake Lanier project was authorized by Congress, each of the three states is entitled to an equal portion of the water; the project was never envisioned only to benefit metropolitan Atlanta, the closest large city and one that has developed rapidly since the late 20th century, greatly increasing its water consumption. The water flows are also regulated to support a variety of uses by states downriver, including preservation of marine life under the Endangered Species Act, and support for major seafood industries.
History
Buford Dam
In 1938, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers produced a report for the U.S. Congress that suggested a list of potential hydropower projects. One of the suggested dams was the Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River to create a reservoir (now known as Lake Lanier) in north Georgia. In addition to providing hydroelectric power, the dam could provide a steady water supply to Atlanta if, in the future, the city needed additional water resources. The city did not contribute to construction of the dam or reservoir. Additional objectives for the dam included reducing flooding downriver during heavy rains and allowing for easier navigation on related Georgia waterways. Congress authorized the construction of Buford Dam in 1946, and the dam was completed in 1957. As Atlanta's population continued to grow from the time the dam was built, especially since the late 20th century, its consumption and need for water has grown. At the same time, both Alabama and Florida used the waters from Lake Lanier, which were critical to a variety of uses, including important economic industries. In 1989, the Corps of Engineers released a report concluding that some of the water being used for hydroelectric power at Buford Dam should, instead, be used to supply Atlanta with water for human consumption.
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