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Politics : The Environmentalist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: average joe who wrote (16884)	10/14/2007 12:08:41 PM
From: Sam	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 36917

Water wars. From The Tennessean--the southeast, not the southwest. Glad to know who to go to to get indulgences, lol. Thursday, 09/20/07 Weather exposes deficiencies in the water system By LARRY McELROY Adverse weather conditions always point to and magnify deficiencies with either water supply or the water distribution system. The extremely dry weather conditions of 2006 and 2007 are no different. Dry weather brings to the forefront the fact we have limitations of our water supply. The problems many have felt may not be solved for years. The past months of dry weather are viewed as the reason for rationing by many systems. We live in a part of the state defined as one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation, and one must ask: How are we going to meet the demands of a growing population? How much will it cost to secure a more reliable water supply? Where will the water come from? Do we need to be looking at our natural resources more closely? How many water systems know their limitations, and do our cities and counties acknowledge those limitations? Should water systems be expected to provide water for aggressive irrigation and, if so, at what rate? Even if the drought is over and the moisture levels return to normal, we will continue to face supply problems. Water treatment plants and water lines away from the plant can be built to meet demands, but if the supply is not available, the capacity of the plant is meaningless. Several years ago, there was a story in The Atlanta Constitution regarding water supply in the Southeast. The story addressed the Southwest water wars in the 1800s between individual landowners. The story predicted the water wars in the Southeast would be more bitter because they would be between states and municipalities. The writer was correct. Today, there are lawsuits between Alabama, Georgia and Florida. The water wars are here. Our normal annual rainfall is 50-52 inches. Each Middle Tennessee watershed and drainage basin can collect only so much water. We are not able to make it rain or increase the size of the drainage system to generate more water. Therefore, each watershed or drainage basin has a natural limitation. Past attempts were made to build a dam in Maury County. The effort was killed by environmentalists because of the snail darter. Today, Columbia and Maury County are in dire need of a water supply. The need to protect the environment is understood; however, there must be a balance between human needs and the environment. Systems withdrawing water from Percy Priest Lake do not have an unlimited supply. Priest Lake is large in terms of shoreline miles, but comparatively, is a small, shallow lake. Priest Lake was not built for water supply, but for hydroelectric production, flood control and recreation. The pool of water left for human consumption is a small part of the total volume. If we do not have a normal rainfall or above this winter and next summer, more serious water shortages may occur. tennessean.com