Events

2010 Education Panel Discussion
How Education / Business Partnerships Improve Georgia Schools
March 19, 2010 - 7:30 AM to 9:45 AM
Sponsored By:
Georgia Pacific
GE Energy
North Highland

[ event calendar ]

Social Networks

BTB Exclusive - Tennessee mayor thinks we're kidding

by Bobby L. Hickman

February 27, 2008

What does the mayor of Chattanooga think of Georgia's attempt to move its border with Tennessee a mile north to access the Tennessee River?

Not much.

"We're not taking it as a serious attempt to settle Georgia's water situation," Mayor Ron Littlefield told Business to Business in an exclusive interview this week. "When I first heard about it, I said, ‘I hope they are kidding.' If not, they're off on a rabbit trail that's not going to lead anywhere."

He added there are "more practical" solutions to Georgia's water woes, such as building more reservoirs.

The Georgia Assembly approved resolutions last week to revisit a long-standing dispute over the exact location of Georgia's northern boundary with Tennessee. Congress meant for the state line to be drawn at the 35th parallel, but the current border is about a mile south of there. Moving the border a little further north would bring part of Nickajack Lake just west of Chattanooga into Georgia.

"To someone who hasn't looked at the engineering problems, this might look like a solution" for Atlanta's water supply problems, Littlefield said. However, Atlanta is located at a higher elevation that Chattanooga is, he said, "so you'd have to pump water uphill all the water." He cited a Chattanooga engineer who said last week that pumping water from the Tennessee River to Atlanta would be the largest and most expensive public works project in the history of the southeastern United States. The price tag could be at least $200 billion, "although no one really knows for sure," he added.

Even the state line moves, Littlefield added, access to the river does not guarantee water would flow to Atlanta. "It would still be an inter-basin transfer that would require Tennessee Valley Authority and federal approval."

Littlefield, who was born in LaGrange, Georgia, said he is empathetic to Atlanta's problems and suggested better solutions can be found closer to home. "They've been discussing the need for more reservoirs like Allatoona and Lanier for many years, and just haven't gotten around to building them," he said. "I think that presents a more practical solution to getting through drought periods like we're having now. Another is adopting statewide conservation measures -- something as simple as low-flow plumbing fixtures. There are more practical solutions available."

Comments

Click to make comment