Today Georgia took a step closer in trying to adjust the border between Georgia and Tennessee. The state Senate and House voted on a resolution to reclaim a mile of that border they say was measured incorrectly. At stake are millions of gallons of water flowing in the Tennessee River.
This is not the first time Georgia lawmakers have tried to negotiate with Tennessee over the river. This time, however, lawmakers say they're ready to let the courts weigh in.
Senator David Shafer is the bill's sponsor.
"This commission is authorized to and empowered to take whatever other steps are necessary to clarify and secure the border if Tennessee does not cooperate with us. It could conceivably include litigation. Border disputes go automatically to the Supreme Court and cannot be appealed."Shafer does acknowledge that drawing water from the Tennessee River will not solve the state's water shortage, but says, it’s the only option short of a permanent solution.
"We're in a drought now and the only way we're going to get through that is to conserve water and hope for rain. But in the long term we have to increase water supply. And our only two options are desalinated water from the Atlantic Ocean, which is probably feasible along the coast. But not feasible in north Georgia. Our only option for north Georgia is the Tennessee River."The state House today created the Georgia-Tennessee Boundary Line Commission, made up of 3 senators and 3 house members.
----------------------------------
Click here (http://www.libs.uga.edu/darchive/hargrett/maps/1816m4.jpg) to view an 1815 map featuring the Georgia-Tennessee Boundary line, including the Tennessee River. (Courtesy: Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, GA 30602).
