Montgomery, AL – Two conservations groups are urging the Alabama Legislature to adopt a comprehensive plan to ensure that the state has a healthy river system and plenty of drinking water.
The Alabama Rivers Alliance and the Southern Environmental Law Center said the state needs a strong policy concerning the future use of water resources, particularly since a federal appeals court has ruled metro Atlanta can legally take water from Lake Lanier rather than allowing more water to flow into rivers and streams downstream.
Cindy Lowry, executive director of the alliance, said Alabama is one of the only states in the south that does not have a statewide water resources management plan. Legislators voted in the 2011 session to reconstitute a committee that was formed several years ago to develop such a plan.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)