Term Project

ACF Mock Negotiation Strategy

State of Georgia

In light of Judge Magnuson’s decision regarding the withdrawals of Atlanta, Georgia has

come to the conclusion that an agreement made between the major stakeholders of the

basin is not only preferable, but a necessity. The State of Georgia currently has a

comprehensive water plan which will attempt to address the inefficient uses of

resources in the Atlanta Metro area, and Georgia as a whole. The State also

understands that much of the downstream withdrawals, especially in the Flint basin,

must be managed more efficiently. Part of any comprehensive plan in the ACF basin will

require new growth management and building standards, as well as changes to how

local planning offices deal with easement requests and compatibility with the State’s

Comprehensive Plan.

As part of a comprehensive effort to reduce demand in the ACF basin, Georgia has

proposed or implemented an entire suite of programs and tactics. Georgia is prepared

to begin combining efforts to find a scientifically sound audit of usage and future

demands in the basin. We will begin metering all permitted withdrawals, both public and

private uses. As part of the plan, two-10mgd grey water facilities will be licensed in

Atlanta, and will begin breaking ground within five years of an agreement. Georgia plans

to save approximately 20% of its 2009 demand within ten years of completion of the

water projects. The costs for infrastructure will be partly paid for by Renew America Act

funds, as well as tax revenue from increased brown-field developments.

Withdrawals from Atlanta are only part of the problem. Unrestricted withdrawals, from

the Flint River basin, mainly by agriculture, are a large slice of the water pie in Georgia.

We plan to work much closer with US Dept. of Interior and the Federal Farm Bureau, to

enact new irrigation techniques throughout the basin. The introduction of drought

tolerant strains of plants, as well as growth management policies in the urban areas of

the basin will allow us to significantly reduce demand on water withdrawals, while

simultaneously preserving the economic viability of one of our largest industries. While

we would like to implement a tiered payment system for water, the State feels that

pushing conservation in the Flint basin will garner more support throughout the region.

We do not feel that further burdening our agricultural sector will allow, politically, for us

to sustain this plan.

The state of Georgia recognizes that part of the problem in the Atlanta Metro area

comes from its sprawl and the “edge-cities” which have grown on its periphery. Atlanta’s

place at the crossroads of history is as much a burden as a blessing. There are many

blighted and forgotten buildings and neighborhoods within the region. The development

of what are known as “brown-field” sites will help to reduce sprawl towards cheaper, but

less urban, “green-field” or virgin sites. The State is now willing to push for changes to

the 1989 Georgia Planning Act. We are prepared to propose a tough and binding urban-

services boundary to help stem rampant growth at the area’s periphery. Density

requirements and lax zoning regulations will need to be addressed. Compliance with the

Comprehensive Plan, including changing review from every ten years, to every five

years will help keep a consistency with the goals of the State. The State plans to make

development of these run-down and expensive to rehabilitate areas a priority. Georgia

proposes a buy-in market for both Alabama and Florida, so that growth, and the

inevitable increases in withdrawals, can be managed with the best interests of all parties

in mind.

The bottom line is that Georgia will need some time to implement their comprehensive

strategy for efficient water-use. Georgia needs annual increases in withdrawals from the

ACF basin. A 4% increase for the time it takes to build both grey water facilities in the

Atlanta Metro area will keep the region economically stable, and will allow for the

savings in demand from conservation to show progress. Georgia believes that barring

an un-foreseen drought in the basin, that these minimal increases will yield negligible

damage to the lower basin, and will speed the transition towards full efficiency. As

smarter uses of the water in the basin, especially on the Flint River, become common-

place, the withdrawals from the system can be rolled-back to 1990 volumes, thus

increasing flows to ecologically sensitive regions, and continue the economic viability of

fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and Apalachicola Bay.