Prompted by Drought, Feds Hold More Water for Atlanta

The historic Southeast drought has prompted one extraordinary mark after another, including one notable political mark: Alabama, Florida and Georgia, which had been locked in a "tri-state water war" over the use of Lake Lanier and related river systems, have agreed to let more water flow to Atlanta, and less downstream.

The move, approved Friday by the Fish and Wildlife Service and Army Corps of Engineers, is designed to avoid harming riverine species dependent on water flows, including endangered mussels. Industry and communities downstream also rely on a steady flow of water -- but it is Atlanta that has made the most noise.

Critics have been almost as loud pointing out that the metro Atlanta area has grown rapidly in population, sprawling out into the country without regard for its toll on natural resources. The drought has exposed the difficulties that lack of vision can cause, as communities suddenly struggle to find enough water to serve their needs.

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