By Alabama Public Radio
Tuscaloosa AL – Drought conditions that have gripped the South are also ratcheting up the water-sharing battle between Alabama and Georgia. Alabama has asked the US Army Corps of Engineers to release more water from two northern Georgia lakes because of falling water levels on the Tallapoosa River and Lake Martin. Officials from Alabama as well as Alabama Power Co. hope to divert water from Allatoona and Carters lakes in Georgia to the Coosa River. That would allow Alabama Power to reduce the amount of water released from its reservoirs by 10 percent each week.
On Wednesday, Lake Martin was 4.8 feet below full pool, which is 490 feet above mean sea level. The utility also will lower the levels of Lay Lake and Lake Mitchell by one foot beginning on Monday to offset low water levels at Weiss Lake, Neely Henry Lake and Logan Martin Lake. Those levels are at record lows for this time of the year and Alabama Power official said. The US Corps or Engineers has begun a 10-day public notice period on the request and will decide later if it should hold public hearings.