Corps starts twice-daily water releases

The Chattahoochee River south of Atlanta is filling up faster than normal, thanks to U.S. Army Corps of Engineer releases to keep downstream locations covered.

The Corps says it's started twice-daily releases from Lake Lanier, in order to protect Fla. shellfish on the Apalachicola River. Federal law requires the Corps to keep three point-two-billion gallons flowing southward daily.

Columbus Water Works President Billy Turner official says that's likely to continue, if the quantity of water meets the Endangered Species requirements.

Fish and Wildlife officials will monitor the health of the mussels downstream, to determine of they can survive in lesser amounts of water. If so, the Corps will gradually cut back on the amounts released.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the drought.

Columbus: Water Works filing suit against Corps of Engineers

The City of Columbus may join a federal lawsuit against the US Army Corps of Engineers. At stake are water use rights in the Chattahoochee River.

The City of Columbus's Water Works is asking the city council to join its case. It contends that the city isn't getting it's fair share of water. The plaintiffs say the corps is mainly looking after Atlanta's interests, at the expense of other downstream users.

Clifton Fey, an attorney for the City Council, says they will discuss the issue: “The Water Works and the City Council here in Columbus are going to take all necessary steps to protect the interests of all Columbus water users, and those of people downstream. It will be on the Columbus City Council agenda next week.”

Georgia, Florida and Alabama filed four similar lawsuits in US district Court in March. But the Water Works say those suits do not adequately represent Columbus's interests.

Columbus, Phenix City accord: a river runs through it

Columbus and Phenix City have agreed to share water resources, despite the ongoing water war between Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.

Officials from both cities held a ceremony on Thursday on a bridge over the Chattahoochee River, marking the accord. A pipe siphoning water from the river just north of Columbus connects both cities’ systems.

Columbus uses about 30 million gallons of water daily. Phenix City uses far less daily – about six to eight million gallons.

The accord is meant to allow mutual aid in an emergency situation, like Katrina or terrorism.

Billy Turner, President of the Columbus Water Works, says that while the agreement has no bearing on the ongoing water war between the two states and Florida, it does show mutual goodwill.

”In some ways, people think the river divides us; but in Columbus and in Phenix City, we believe it’s what connects us.”

Turner says either city would be willing to supply the other with up to eight million gallons of water a day, in an emergency.

Phenix City plans to draw off about one million gallons a day in coming weeks, while they work on their water system.