Federal judge rules in Georgia's favor in water dispute with Alabama
Rocky Shoreline Of Lake Allatoona At Red Top Mountain State Park, Georgia, USA. (Photo By: MyLoupe/UIG Via Getty Images)
ATLANTA - A federal judge has ruled in favor of Georgia in a long-running legal battle with Alabama over water rights tied to Lake Allatoona, siding with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to allow increased water withdrawals for metro Atlanta.
What we know:
The case centers on a 2018 decision by the Army Corps, which granted Georgia permission to draw more water from the Lake Allatoona reservoir to help meet the needs of Cobb County residents and other nearby communities.
Alabama challenged the move, arguing that it violated the federal Water Supply Act and unfairly prioritized Georgia’s needs, according to Bloomberg Law News.
However, the judge found that the Army Corps acted fairly and within the bounds of federal law, determining that the decision followed appropriate protocol and did not unlawfully harm downstream users.
Local perspective:
The ruling marks a key victory for Georgia in the decades-long "water wars" between Southeastern states over shared water resources.