Thread: Georgia lawmakers OK request to redraw borders

Georgia lawmakers OK request to redraw borders
1:00 AM

ATLANTA (AP) -- Lawmakers in drought-parched Georgia voted Friday to ask mapmakers to redraw their state's northern boundary in hopes of tapping the Tennessee River, in a vote that potentially escalates a conflict with their neighbor.

If negotiations fail, the bill would authorize Georgia's top attorney to file a lawsuit to try forcing a boundary change.

The House and Senate both approved the measure on the legislative session's final day. It now goes to Gov. Sonny Perdue, who has not said whether he supports it.

Congress in 1796 designated that Tennessee's southern borders stretch along the 35th parallel, but surveyors in 1818 were a bit off the mark. They now know that the border was placed about 1.1 miles south of where it should be.

The resolution asserts that the flawed survey mistakenly placed Georgia's northern line just short of the Tennessee River, which has about 15 times greater flow than the one burgeoning Atlanta depends on for water.

Tennessee hasn't taken kindly to Georgia's drought-inspired bid; lawmakers there have reacted with a mix of scorn and humor.

A growing number of Georgia lawmakers are also began to question the measure. It passed the Senate unanimously, but it drew a handful of outspoken supporters in the House, where it was adopted 132-24.

State Rep. Brian Thomas, a Democrat, said Georgia shouldn't look at the Tennessee River as a "canteen" for Atlanta's growth.

"This resolution is a reflection of our inability to actually grapple with this problem," he said. "Folks are looking at this as a silver bullet."

But supporters didn't back down. State Sen. David Shafer, the plan's sponsor, said it is needed to "reassert our rightful claim to the border territories and the water of our shared Tennessee River."

"There's nothing we can do about the drought except conserve water and hope it rains," said Shafer, a Republican. "But in the long term, we must increase the water supply -- and our only two options are the Atlantic Ocean and the Tennessee River."

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Our next civil war will be over water I feel. Either no fresh water or the ocean in your driveway (FL).


Anyone seen the special on the glacier that supplies India and China? There another country but I can't remember it. Well it's melting and it won't be long before they are all thirsty. That should be a fiasco.

I grew up on islands here in Maine off Freeport. The guy that bought our island has an osmosis machine out there now. That's the only way to survive the crisis for these three countries. I don't see it happening...