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Board of Directors Meet the GGIA Team Our History GGIA Chapters Charter & Chapter Affiliation Requirements Committees Event Calendars Legislative Calendars Awards Program Awards Winners Downloads Insurance Programs Payment Policies Scholarships   News   Assembly passes two water bills 3/11/2010 ATLANTA - Identical water conservation bills cleared both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly on Wednesday, an overture designed to help the state in negotiating a deal with Florida and Alabama over water rights. The bills provide incentives to encourage water conservation. Among the provisions are a requirement that builders install low-flow faucets and toilets in new construction and a watering ban during some daylight hours in the warmer months. A federal judge ruled last July that the sprawling metro Atlanta area had little legal right to the drinking water from Lake Lanier. The ruling gave Georgia, Alabama and Florida - the states that have long feuded over the massive federal reservoir - until 2012 to reach an agreement for sharing the water. If they don't, Atlanta's acces.... Click here to view entire article.     Lawmakers approve ‘culture of conservation' water bill 3/11/2010 A bill that state lawmakers say will create a “culture of conservation” and potentially help douse Georgia’s water war with Florida and Alabama is all but a done deal. The state Senate passed its final version of the bill 52-0 on Wednesday, and the House quickly followed with a 166-5 vote on an identical version of the proposal. One chamber’s bill must now clear the other chamber before the legislation heads to Gov. Sonny Perdue for his signature. That procedural requirement, however, is just a technicality; leaders in both chambers were already applauding final action on the 15-page bill. The bill, among other things, would curtail outdoor watering and require builders and apartment building owners to more efficiently manage water. Perdue said he will sign the bill as soon as it .... Click here to view entire article.     Regents spend little time on budget crisis 3/11/2010 Regents spend little time on budget crisisBy Walter Jones Morris News Service Thursday, March 11, 2010 ATLANTA --- The simmering budget crisis facing the state and the University System of Georgia was hardly mentioned Tuesday or Wednesday during the Board of Regents' monthly meeting. It was referred to briefly when the board approved a statement of principles to "guide campus-level innovation" by urging the presidents of the state's 35 public colleges to seek ways to grow that don't depend on tax funds. Last week, members of the House and Senate appropriations subcommittees for higher education asked for a list of cuts totaling $300 million that the system would make if it couldn't raise tuition or fees. The response included more than 4,000 layoffs, enrollment caps, closing of.... Click here to view entire article.     Statement of Governor Sonny Perdue Regarding Water Stewardship Legislation 3/11/2010 Statement of Governor Sonny Perdue Regarding Water Stewardship Legislation Passing Both the House and Senate Wednesday, March 10, 2010 Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774 ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue issued the following statement today regarding the House and Senate each passing separate water stewardship legislation. The Senate passed its legislation 52-0, the House passed its legislation 166-5. “Both the House and Senate took major steps today towards our goal of creating a true culture of conservation in Georgia. This legislation promotes water conservation in Georgia and shows our neighbors that we are serious about being good stewards of our natural resources. Both Senator Tolleson and Representative Smith have done outstanding work putting this bill .... Click here to view entire article.     Wanted: A new home for thousands of trees 3/1/2010 Natures Inc., a nursery in the Shannon-Plainville area is facing a dilemma that could be a boon to tree lovers. Lynn Gilbreath said that Georgia Power has informed the nursery, which is growing trees at three different locations, will have to get rid of young trees that are planted under utility transmission lines by the end of March or face the specter of having the trees bush hogged. The firm has a large tree farm near the intersection of Highways 53 and 140, another off the Plainville Road and a third off Highway 53. Gilbreath said that the company would offer thousands of trees for sale for digging fees, generally $25 to $40. Several different species of maple, a number of oak species, river birch and other species will be available. “It may be 20,000 trees, you cannot.... Click here to view entire article.     University System to submit proposed cuts 3/1/2010 ATLANTA - The Georgia General Assembly remains in recess this week, but members of several key committees will spend the week hashing out details of the budget, state water conservation policy and transportation funding. This will be the second week of an unusual two-week recess that legislative leaders declared after the 20th day of the 40-day session. Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will meet and compare notes gathered last week during testimony from agency heads about pared-down operations. Leaders from the University System of Georgia today plan to deliver a list of cuts it is recommending to slash $300 million more from the state's 35 public colleges and universities - on top of the $265 million that Gov. Sonny Perdue already mandated. Appropriati.... Click here to view entire article.     Interior Department Launches WaterSMART Initiative 2/26/2010 WASHINGTON, D.C.—Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today signed a Secretarial order establishing a new water sustainability strategy for the United States. Salazar showcased the Department of the Interior’s WaterSMART Initiative at a press conference featuring a geospatial presentation on water supply and demand in the high-tech operations center at the Department’s headquarters.The “SMART” in WaterSMART stands for “Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow.” “The federal government’s existing water policies and programs simply aren’t built for 21st century pressures on water supplies,” Salazar said. “Population growth. Climate change. Rising energy demands. Environmental needs. Aging infrastructure. Risks to drinking water supplies. Those are just some of the .... Click here to view entire article.     Report: E-Verify misses half of illegal workers 2/26/2010 WASHINGTON — The system Congress and the Obama administration want employers to use to help curb illegal immigration is failing to catch more than half of the unauthorized workers it checks, a research company has found. The online tool E-Verify, now used voluntarily by employers, wrongly clears illegal workers about 54 percent of the time, according to Westat, a research company that evaluated the system for the Homeland Security Department. E-Verify missed so many illegal workers mainly because it can't detect identity fraud, Westat said. "Clearly it means it's not doing its No. 1 job well enough," said Marc Rosenblum, a researcher at the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan Washington think tank. E-Verify allows employers to run a worker's information against Department of.... Click here to view entire article.     University system looks to cut $565 million 2/26/2010 By Ashley Fielding afielding@gainesvilletimes.com POSTED Feb. 25, 2010 11:27 p.m. Two area colleges have been directed to make more than $7.5 million in combined cuts to meet state legislators’ budget demands. After a meeting with the House and Senate subcommittees on higher education Wednesday, Erroll B. Davis Jr., chancellor of the University System of Georgia, is looking to cut the university system’s budget by $565 million — nearly $200 million more than the system expected to cut before Wednesday, said system spokesman John Millsaps. On Thursday, the chancellor directed system presidents to come up with a plan to make the cuts by Saturday afternoon, detailing specific amounts that each institution would have to cut. The chancellor plans to make a systemwide recomm.... Click here to view entire article.     Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announces final rule for H-2A program 2/25/2010 Labor certification for temporary agricultural employment of H-2A workers in US to strengthen worker protection for both American and foreign workers WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced a new rule regarding the H-2A program. The Labor Department will publish in the Feb. 12 edition of the Federal Register, a final rule governing the labor certification process and enforcement mechanisms for the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program. The final rule is being published to strengthen worker protections for both U.S. and foreign workers and to ensure overall H-2A program integrity. The rule will be effective March 15, 2010. The H-2A nonimmigrant visa classification applies to foreign workers coming to or already in the U.S. to perform agricultural work.... Click here to view entire article.     Rainwater Reuse for Water Sustainability 2/24/2010 If you drive any type of gas-powered vehicle, you are very much aware that the cost to fill up your tank has skyrocketed. But have you checked your water bill lately? Droughts and population growth have resulted in more people having to rely on less water, making it an increasingly scarce commodity. In some areas, water rates have risen more than 25% as municipalities struggle to meet the growing population’s demand for water. A large portion of these fees go to build and maintain the infrastructure that transports water to homes and businesses. Water utility providers have passed laws to limit the number of times water can be accessed, employing tier pricing to encourage decreased usage and limiting the availability of new services. While conservation programs have helped somewhat, only.... Click here to view entire article.     Cobb judge delays school turf installation 2/24/2010 Not all Cobb County high schools will have artificial turf fields by fall following a judge's injunction Tuesday. Superior Court Judge Watson White has prohibited the school district from moving forward with plans to spend $16 million to install artificial turf until further notice, according to Jay Dillon, spokesman for the district. "Delaying this initiative means not all fields will be installed by the start of school this fall, and when they are eventually installed the cost is likely to be higher," Superintendent Fred Sanderson told the AJC. In September 2008, Cobb voters approved the turf as part of a special sales tax to benefit schools. The tax is expected to generate $586 million for the school system over five years. The tax money is separate from the district's gener.... Click here to view entire article.     Report: Georgia should add jobs in 2011 2/24/2010 Georgia will lose another 35,600 jobs this year -- about half of them good-paying positions -- before finally resuming job growth in 2011, according to a report issued today by the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University. The state will add 43,200 jobs in 2011 and 66,700 in 2012, according to the report. But that will only begin to offset the more than 340,000 lost during the recession, it says. Rajeev Dhawan, director of the Georgia State center, said the national economy will continue to recover sluggishly, although the worst is over. “Previous sharp recoveries were accompanied by a strong recovery in jobs – one that is notably absent at present,” he wrote in the report released at the center’s quarterly forecasting conference. “Investment spending, a leading ind.... Click here to view entire article.     State, feds resist their own stormwater rules 2/24/2010 Decades after the state imposed storm water rules on local governments in metro Atlanta, it has yet to set such rules for its own highways, university campuses and other properties. State and federal agencies have also balked at paying fees to defray local costs of meeting state and federal storm water mandates, a stance that could leave private property owners footing the entire bill for keeping urban runoff out of creeks. State agencies and state lawmakers have tried once — and are expected to try again — to bar local governments from billing state properties for the cost of controlling their runoff. The irony isn’t lost on local officials. As they toughen storm water controls, resistance is coming from the state and federal governments that ordered the controls in the first .... Click here to view entire article.     State House passes midyear budget 2/12/2010 By Ashley Fielding afielding@gainesvilletimes.com POSTED Feb. 12, 2010 12:40 a.m. State Rep. Carl Rogers, a vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, may finally get to work on something else this weekend. After weeks of carving, the state House approved a midyear budget that slashes $1.2 billion in spending and includes more unpaid furlough days for state employees. And for the first month of the session, Rogers said he spent “199.9 percent” of his time trying to lower state departments’ spending to the level of sagging state revenues. And this weekend, he hopes to get moving on some of his own legislation that, until now, he hasn’t had time for. “Doing the midyear budget’s been very difficult,” Rogers said. “It’s hard enough to do it when there’s mon.... Click here to view entire article.     Lawmakers analyzing water conservation bill for Lake Lanier in detail 2/12/2010 ATLANTA - Lawmakers this week are getting their first detailed look at Gov. Sonny Perdue's recommendations for statewide water conservation. House and Senate committees held hearings, with a parade of witnesses offering recommendations on how to lessen the impact on one industry or another. The ideas for the bill came from some of the suggestions produced by a task force of business and environmental groups Perdue appointed last summer after a federal judge ruled cities near Atlanta had no right to withdraw water from Lake Lanier, giving them until 2012 to find other sources. State officials hope that passing a conservation law will give them bargaining power with the judge and with Alabama and Florida, which convinced the judge they're due the water once it flows down the Chattah.... Click here to view entire article.     National Retail Federation forecasts 2.5% increase in retail sales for 2010 2/2/2010 he National Retail Federation released its 2010 economic forecast today, projecting retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 2.5 percent from last year. According to its bi-monthly Retail Sales Outlook, influential economic indicators such as the housing market and employment are beginning to show positive signs, which will bolster consumer confidence throughout the year. Total industry retail sales for 2009 declined 2.5 percent. “As we continue to see signs of improvement throughout the U.S economy in 2010, overall sentiment will begin to lift, making way for slight increases in consumer spending,” said NRF chief economist Rosalind Wells. “While we still expect shoppers to continue to be frugal with their discretionary spending, ret.... Click here to view entire article.     National Retail Federation forecasts 2.5% increase in retail sales for 2010 2/2/2010 he National Retail Federation released its 2010 economic forecast today, projecting retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 2.5 percent from last year. According to its bi-monthly Retail Sales Outlook, influential economic indicators such as the housing market and employment are beginning to show positive signs, which will bolster consumer confidence throughout the year. Total industry retail sales for 2009 declined 2.5 percent. “As we continue to see signs of improvement throughout the U.S economy in 2010, overall sentiment will begin to lift, making way for slight increases in consumer spending,” said NRF chief economist Rosalind Wells. “While we still expect shoppers to continue to be frugal with their discretionary spending, ret.... Click here to view entire article.     England Named Vice Chair of Appropriations 1/26/2010 Representative Terry England (R-Auburn) has been named to the powerful position of vice-chairman of the House Subcommittee on Education. House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) made the announcement during the first week of the legislative session. “Terry England will bring thorough and deliberate leadership to this important position overseeing the state’s budget for education at the K-12 level,” said Speaker Ralston. “His strong conservative principles will help guide our state’s fiscal policy and ensure that we continue to provide the best education for Georgia’s children.” Representative England will also continue to serve as vice chairman of the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, in addition to being a member of the Education, Industrial Relations, and Natural .... Click here to view entire article.     Lecture series focuses on tri-state water wars 1/26/2010 From staff reports POSTED Jan. 25, 2010 11:32 p.m. Georgia’s water wars will be the subject of an upcoming lecture series at Georgia State University in Atlanta. The university’s department of geosciences plans to present speakers who have different perspectives on the ongoing dispute between Georgia, Alabama and Florida over water resources in Lake Lanier. The series is free and open to the public. Scheduled speakers include: James Bross, professor of law at Georgia State, who is an expert on water law and the history of the dispute, on Thursday. Neill Herring, a lobbyist with the Georgia chapter of the Sierra Club, who will speak about water conservation in Atlanta, on Feb. 11. Frank Stephens, program analyst for Gwinnett County’s Department of Wat.... Click here to view entire article.     Cagle Promises Changes To Tax System 1/26/2010 Tax system reforms on the way, Cagle says 10:14 am January 25, 2010, by nancybadertscher Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle told the state’s mayors Monday that the Senate will be rolling out legislation this week aimed at correcting inequities in the state’s property tax system. Cagle, in a breakfast address kicking off the Georgia Municipal Association’s annual Mayors’ Day, said changes will be recommended to ensure “fairness and equity” not only for the cities and counties, but also for taxpayers. He did not provide details of the plan, but said it would involve “structural changes” in the calculation of fair market value. Changes in the state’s property tax system are ranking high on legislators’ priority list. Among them are expected to be an easier process for homeowners to challenge t.... Click here to view entire article.     Oxendine would dip into water at border 1/21/2010 Chattanooga Times Free Press Georgia gubernatorial candidate John Oxendine said if he's elected he'll meet with Tennessee's new governor to discuss ways Georgia could gain access to the Tennessee River. If negotiations fail, he vowed to take his request to the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Oxendine, one of seven announced Republican candidates for governor and the state's fire and insurance commissioner, visited Chattanooga on Wednesday and spoke with Times Free Press reporters and editors. As one of 12 items in his Contract with Georgia, Mr. Oxendine has said he would break ground on new reservoirs in North Georgia. He said Wednesday that the Tennessee River should not be "the key" to Georgia's long-term water plan, but said he hoped it would play "a very important role" in the s.... Click here to view entire article.     Marietta Square: Keep off the (artificial) grass 1/19/2010 There's no question that Glover Park in Marietta Square isn't the easiest place in the world in which to grow grass these days. That said, it would be a mistake to pull up the grass there and replace it with artificial turf. The park plays hosts to a constant stream of concerts, rallies, political events and weddings, as well as being heavily visited by sightseers and workers from nearby stores and government office buildings out taking a stroll or enjoying the air. That heavy foot traffic and ground compaction is undoubtedly stressful for the grass. A number of wonderful, mature trees, some more than a century old, also shade part of the grass. "It's getting increasingly difficult to grow healthy grass in the park, so the turf would allow us to have a nice surface for people to sit .... Click here to view entire article.     Contractors singled out in Merkley amendment 1/18/2010 Heil Electric has provided employee health benefits for more than 50 years, said Stan Heil, a principal with the Portland electrical company. Some of his competitors don’t, he said. “In about two hours, six of my competitors on a job I’m bidding don’t provide any benefits,” Heil said. His options: either get by with less profit or lose the bid. An amendment to the federal health care reform bill could change that by requiring even small contractors to provide health benefits to their employees. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., added the amendment, which was written earlier, to the bill on Sunday. Merkley’s amendment would require construction companies with five or more employees, and at least $250,000 in annual payroll expenses, to provide health benefits to their workers. Companies in.... Click here to view entire article.     Georgia Ag Hall of Fame nominees sought 1/15/2010 Each year, the University of Georgia pays tribute to outstanding Georgia agricultural leaders by inducting them into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame. The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association is currently seeking nominations for the honor. The program is designed to recognize individuals who have made significant achievements in agriculture, agribusiness industries or the service institutions. Nominees may be retired or active, man or woman, living or deceased. In addition, the association recognizes CAES alumni who have excelled in their chosen fields or in serving their communities. Nominees for the CAES Alumni Association Young Alumni Achievement Award must be 35 years old or younger. Nominees for the CAES Alumni Award of Excellence mu.... Click here to view entire article.     Georgia cities set rainfall records in December 1/15/2010 By Pam Knox University of Georgia Georgia ended 2009 on a cold, rainy note, setting several records for December across the state, including some annual records. Strong fronts brought severe weather, too. Rainfall was well above normal, according to radar estimates. Many areas south of the fall line from Columbus to Augusta and in the northeast mountains received more than 10 inches of rain. The highest monthly total from National Weather Service reporting stations was 13.62 inches in Columbus (9.22 inches above normal). The lowest was in Brunswick at 4.02 inches (1.19 inches above normal). Atlanta received 9.10 inches (5.28 inches above normal), Macon 8.98 inches (5.05 inches above normal), Athens 8.87 inches (5.16 inches above normal), Augusta 8.97 inches (5.83 inches above n.... Click here to view entire article.     Water Conservation Could Limit Suburban Lawns 1/13/2010 John Boyle, a 51-year-old venture capitalist in Menlo Park, built a new home on his property more than a decade ago largely to create a big lawn where his children could play football or baseball. So Mr. Boyle, who is also a city councilman, is particularly sensitive to the idea that a proposed municipal ordinance to cut landscaping watering would prohibit other people from doing the same. He says he applauds conservation but is against the government dictating how to do it. “I think it is important, where possible, for people to design their yards the way they want,” he said in an interview last week. The all-American suburban lawn, the backdrop for everything from the illustrations in old Dick & Jane readers to House Beautiful, long ago began to fade in the drought-prone suburb.... Click here to view entire article.     Deal changes mind on lake bill 1/12/2010 U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal will change the language of a proposed bill after meeting with West Point Lake representatives for about an hour Monday afternoon. “West Point Lake is in a unique situation,” said Deal, a Gainesville Republican who is making a bid for governor. “We’ll be withdrawing the language about West Point.” Deal had proposed a bill late last year that would authorize all federal lakes in Georgia - including West Point - to be used for water supply. The move comes after a federal judge ruled this summer that Congress has three years to reauthorize Lake Lanier for water supply for the Atlanta metro area. If there’s no reauthorization, water users there will need to find another supply. West Point Lake advocates support the move to authorize Lanier as a drinking water sou.... Click here to view entire article.     Sonny Perdue raises the possibility of a special session to resolve water dispute 1/12/2010 In a quick session with reporters this morning, Gov. Sonny Perdue said that he and his fellow Republican governors in Florida and Alabama are on track to resolve a 19-year water dispute among the three states sometime this year. In fact, Perdue mentioned the “L” word he has previously dismissed. Legacy. But the governor also raised the possibility of a special session this year: “We’re hopeful we can get it done before the end of this session. That’s an aggressive, challenging timeline. But we have had a lot of progress over the holiday period. “I sense a renewed spirit of cooperation between Florida and Alabama, in order to get this done. I appealed to my colleagues that, if we’re going to leave a legacy in our states of solving this, rather than punting it to another adminis.... Click here to view entire article.     Sign-up for high tunnel project funding ends Jan. 15 1/12/2010 USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is offering a new pilot project under the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative for growers to establish high tunnels (hoop houses) to increase the availability of locally-grown produce in a conservation-friendly way. A seasonal high tunnel is a greenhouse-like structure, at least 6 ft. in height, which modifies the climate inside to create more favorable growing conditions for vegetable and other specialty crops grown in the natural soil beneath it. This pilot program, which will be a 3-year study, will test the potential conservation benefits of growing crops under these structures. Participating growers can receive funding for 1 high tunnel. High tunnels in the study can cover as much as 5% of 1 acre or approximately a 30- by 72-ft. s.... Click here to view entire article.     Three states seek to keep water rights talks secret 1/7/2010 In a motion filed this week, the three states say keeping their talks and related documents confidential "may encourage the open exchange of information and proposals necessary to address the issues... and discourage the improper dissemination of the same." Some observers object. "We actually keep asking ourselves ‘What is it that has got to be concealed here?'" said Sally Bethea, executive director of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, a Georgia water protection group. "After 20 years, don't we all basically know the facts? Is this confidentiality arrangement really something just to serve as cover for political leaders -- the governors? Bottom line, we think secrecy is not in the best interest of all the people in the three states who rely on these river systems." The execu.... Click here to view entire article.     Water talks to be held on both sides of river 1/7/2010 On the Georgia side, the Joint Regional Water Planning Council will meet Jan. 19 in Augusta. South Carolina's newly formed Savannah River Basin Regional Water Resource Forum meeting will be Jan. 21 in North Augusta. The South Carolina meeting's purpose is to allow stakeholders throughout the Savannah River Basin to offer their input on water quality and water supply issues. The Georgia group is also involved in issues such as water supply for municipalities and the eventual implementation of the statewide Comprehensive Water Management Plan. The Savannah River and the issue of interbasin transfers have come up often in discussions of how metro Atlanta provides drinking water. Click here to view entire article.     Professors seek to give LEED credits to plants 1/7/2010 Research involving toxin-absorbing plants is LEED-ing the way for a new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design credit. "We want to give formal LEED credits for indoor air quality by removing [volatile organic compounds] using plants," said Svoboda Pennisi, an associate professor in the horticulture department. She said the process for a building to obtain LEED certification was similar to a college major. An architect chooses which type of LEED certification he or she wants, and then has several credits to choose from in order to obtain that certification, she said. "As I understand it, there is no formal LEED credit given to [indoor plants] other than something called 'greenwalls,' and that's more aesthetic and not related to indoor air quality," Pennisi said. She said .... Click here to view entire article.     Oregon nurseries' prospects stunted by recession 1/5/2010 Oregon's nursery and greenhouse industry, long the leading light of the state's agricultural economy, is in the depths of a historic downturn that is shedding jobs, causing bankruptcies and eroding the state's reputation as the best place in the country to grow plants, trees and shrubs. Here are highlights of a report on the situation that ran in The Oregonian: A confluence of events -- a slumping national economy, a dramatic drop in homebuilding, lack of access to credit and ruinous weather the past two winters -- means many of Oregon's nearly 2,200 nursery and greenhouse operators aren't likely to survive what's shaping up as a rocky 2010, industry veterans say. "It's terrible," said Scott Paul, who founded Alpine Nursery in Boring 33 years ago. "Worst I've ever seen it." P.... Click here to view entire article.     Thirsty Cities: Water management in a changing environment 1/5/2010 On a clear day in November 2007, the governor of Georgia held an unusual public vigil. Before the doors of his state capitol, Gov. Sonny Perdue bowed his head, took his wife’s hand and prayed for rain. Some called it a stunt. Others admired the gesture. Above all, one thing was clear: Northern Georgia was facing its worst drought in 100 years, and there was no easy fix. It would take unprecedented statewide efforts to save Georgia from ruin. With an average of 125 centimeters of rain a year, Georgia seems an unlikely place for a drought. Even in 2006 when the drought began, nearly 105 centimeters fell on the state. But Georgia’s water supply relies heavily on its system of reservoirs, which is entirely dependent on rain, and the state’s population growth — 18 percent between 2000 and.... Click here to view entire article.     GGIA Makes The Case For Smart Water Policy 1/4/2010 The members of the Georgia Green Industry Association (GGIA) find themselves approaching the upcoming 2010 legislative session asking the same question as many metro Atlantans. Can a common sense solution be found to ensure future water supplies for Atlanta before the 2012 deadline imposed by a federal judge? The ultimate irony for an industry riddled by a historic drought followed by the current economic downturn was the timing of the judge’s decision. After months of bans on outdoor irrigation and the resulting demand destruction, Georgia had just emerged from the drought. Our growers, garden centers, landscapers and irrigation contractors began to once again hope for productive seasons only to be hit with the news that Atlanta might soon face massive water shortages. The timing wa.... Click here to view entire article.     Editorial: Water task force makes good recommendations 12/28/2009 The lead sentence in a Chattanooga Times Free Press story last week on the recommendations of a Water Contingency Task Force assembled by Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue outlines, tongue-in-cheek, at least one reason the task force's report appears to be a serious look at how to handle looming water supply issues in the state. "A Georgia water planning group has issued its final report to the governor and the plan doesn't mention tapping the Tennessee River as an option," the story's first sentence reads, in a reference to efforts by the Georgia General Assembly in last year's legislative session to revive an arcane dispute over the boundary between the two states. To briefly recap, Congress in 1796 set Tennessee's southern boundary - and hence, Georgia's northern boundary - at the 35th la.... Click here to view entire article.     Congress introduces first comprehensive immigration reform legislation, and an employer-unfriendly H-2B reform proposal. 12/28/2009 Written by Craig Regelbrugge For Immediate Release December 17, 2009 On December 15, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and nearly 100 colleagues introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for American Security And Prosperity (CIR ASAP) legislation. The bill, the first comprehensive immigration bill introduced this Congress, contains enforcement and border security, employment verification, and legalization provisions. From an employer perspective it is a mixed bag. On a very positive note Gutierrez included the ANLA-endorsed AgJOBS provisions in his bill. AgJOBS would overhaul the H-2A program, and provide an earned legalization program for experienced and essential farm workers. On a more disappointing note, the bill would add more burdens to the H-2B program. While the bill is an .... Click here to view entire article.     Horticulture professor “hustles” for local charity 12/22/2009 Most of the horticulture industry knows Univ. of Ga. horticulture professor Allan Armitage for the research he conducts on annuals and perennials. Armitage has decided to expand his repertoire to include competitive dancing. He has agreed to participate in the 3rd annual Dancing with the Athens Stars competition in Athens, Ga., on March 21. The event is a major fund raiser for Project Safe, a non-profit organization seeking to end domestic violence. The competition spotlight’s some of the city’s local “celebrities” with a dance instructor. Allan will be dancing the Hustle with Liza Pitts, who is Miss Univ. of Ga. 2008. Trophies will be awarded to the couple most favored by a panel of judges as well as to the couple who earns the greatest number of votes prior to and during the competition.... Click here to view entire article.     Founder of Metrolina Greenhouses dead at 63 12/22/2009 Tom (Teunis) van Wingerden, founder of Metrolina Greenhouses in Huntersville, N.C., was killed at the 150-acre facility on Dec. 19. WCNC-TV reports that Charlotte- Mecklenburg police were called to the greenhouses around 3:30 a.m. and that van Wingerden was involved in an accident inside the facilities involving an ATV-type vehicle. The Charlotte Observer reported that detectives were still investigating the case. van Wingerden was born on Feb. 12, 1946, in Ridderkerk, Netherlands. He was the 2nd eldest son of the 16 children born to the late Aart and Cora van Wingerden. Tom immigrated to the U.S. with his wife Vickie in 1971 and started Metrolina Greenhouses a year later. The company, which operates nearly 6 million sq. ft. of greenhouses, employs 600 full-time and over 200 part-time .... Click here to view entire article.     No rain records just yet 12/15/2009 The 56 inches of rain Athens has received so far this year hasn't broken any records - yet. But it's slowed construction across the region and pushed infrastructure projects past schedule. Following two of the 10 driest years in Northeast Georgia's history, the rainy year has taken many project managers by surprise - delaying construction schedules of long-planned projects like a trash transfer station that's under way in Jackson County. "If I knew this was all it would take to end the drought, we would have started work on (the transfer station) a long time ago," said Len Bernat, purchasing manager for the Jackson County government. "Have a big concrete pour scheduled, and you're guaranteed to have rain." Meteorologists with the National Weather Service have measured 56.3 inche.... Click here to view entire article.     2009 wettest year on record in Columbus, seventh-wettest in Atlanta so far 12/15/2009 The west Georgia city has recorded 74.77 inches of rain so far this year, about 10 inches more than has fallen in Atlanta, the National Weather Service said. The previous record for annual rainfall in Columbus was 73.22 inches, set in 1964. That record was shattered as 3 inches of rain fell over the weekend. The Weather Service has posted a flood watch for the Columbus area, beginning at 4 p.m. Monday and running through Tuesday evening, as 1 to 2 inches of rain is forecast. Atlanta's record for rainfall in a year is 71.18 inches, set in 1948, the Weather Service said. So far this year, the city's official rain gauge at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has registered 64.44 inches of rain. If no more rain fell, 2009 would come in as Atlanta's seventh-wettest year. Atl.... Click here to view entire article.     Put up or shut up 12/15/2009 IT'S PUT up or shut up time today for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue. Mr. Perdue is scheduled to meet today with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley in a fresh effort to work out a three-way compromise on water rights, Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River. The governor, to his credit, successfully convinced his counterparts to come to the table for the first time to settle the dispute as equals, outside a federal courtroom and the halls of Congress. But if the latest talks are to bear fruit, Mr. Perdue has to alter the script. Georgia officials can't use the same line - that metro Atlanta must have the water from Lake Lanier or it will wither - and expect sympathy and a favorable outcome. The meeting in Montgomery, Ala., between the three top executives represents .... Click here to view entire article.     Lake Hartwell option absent from water report 12/15/2009 Sonny Perdue's Water Contingency Task Force will not offer any interbasin transfer scenarios in its portfolio of options to resolve metro Atlanta's need for drinking water, according to the group's most recent report. "This was good news for our region, and we hope this position will remain firm," said Ron Cross, Columbia County Commission chairman and a member of the statewide committee. The committee said in a report last month that transferring water from the Savannah River basin to Atlanta was feasible but would be more expensive than other options. It specifically mentioned one scenario that would transfer 100 million gallons a day from Lake Hartwell into Lake Lanier, where it would be used by residents of Gwinnett County. Mr. Perdue's spokesman, Bert Brantley, said the conc.... Click here to view entire article.     Signs of potential progress in the ATL’s water crisis 12/15/2009 Asked about the water-war summit scheduled for today with his counterparts in Alabama and Florida, Gov. Sonny Perdue tried to lower expectations. “I would hope that we [governors] have a group hug and come out of that meeting with an agreement,” Perdue said last week. But those seemingly optimistic words were undercut by his “I’m-pulling-your-leg” smile, suggesting that a deal was only slightly less likely than the highly implausible group hug. Nonetheless, the fact that a meeting is taking place at all is progress. Presumably, the meeting was scheduled because exploratory discussions among lawyers and staff for Perdue, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley found enough common ground to believe it would be productive. Last week’s meeting of Georgia’s Water Conti.... Click here to view entire article.     Savannah frets over Atlanta's water plans 12/13/2009 As Atlanta sorts out its water supply issues, Savannah-area leaders are keeping tabs on how those plans might affect the coast. The Governor's Water Contingency Task Force met Friday to present its favored options for dealing with metro Atlanta's water crisis. In July, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson gave Georgia three years to either find a political solution to its ongoing water wars with Alabama and Florida or quit using Lake Lanier as a water source. The 87-member task force Friday recommended how metro Atlanta could best find the 250 million gallons per day of water Lanier supplies. The group, composed mainly of business leaders, emphasized what it called the three C's: -- Conserve: Aggressive conservation measures and reducing loss from leaks. -- Capture: Expandin.... Click here to view entire article.     GGIA Participates With River basin stakeholders approve letter to governors 12/11/2009 ALBANY — Meeting near the banks of the Flint River, more than 50 leaders of a group of tri-state river basin stakeholders agreed Thursday to send a letter to the governors of Alabama, Georgia and Florida to make them aware of their existence before the governors’ water summit Tuesday in Montgomery, Ala. That letter, which ACF Stakeholders members hope will be signal to the governors that their group comprising representatives of commercial, environmental and commercial interests in the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee and Flint rivers basin wants to have input into negotiations between the three states regarding the use of water from the river systems. For years, Georgia, Alabama and Florida have been at odds over how much water metro Atlanta should pull from Lake Lanier to provide water.... Click here to view entire article.     State Taken To Task On Water 12/11/2009 A task force of business and political leaders Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed in October to plan contingencies in case metro Atlanta no longer can draw water from Lake Lanier is scheduled to release its recommendations today. While the task force will recommend building new reservoirs and piping water from far-flung watersheds like Lake Hartwell and the Tennessee River to Atlanta, it is missing the "hidden reservoir" of conservation, April Ingle, director of the Athens-based Georgia River Network, said during a conference call with reporters Thursday. "We can get a lot more from (conservation) than the task force has proposed," Ingle said. A federal judge ruled earlier this year that, beginning in 2012, metro Atlanta can no longer take any more water from Lanier - a federal reservoir.... Click here to view entire article.     Everyone has stake in water 12/11/2009 As the Georgia, Alabama and Florida governors prepare to meet Tuesday on the issue of divvying up water resources from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river basin, perhaps politics and posturing will be put aside. What should occur to the governors is that this water is a very real resource that is vital to very real people. No state should focus only on what is best for it, nor should there be some scorecard kept to determine who won what in the negotiations. The biggest contention has been between the interests of metro Atlanta and Apalachicola Bay fishing interests. The truth is — or, at least it should be in a civilized society — that no Florida fisherman wants a north Georgian to be thirsty and no north Georgian wants a Florida fisherman to lose his livelihood or for there.... Click here to view entire article.     Hey Atlanta, hands off our water 12/11/2009 Those contemplating the future of Atlanta’s water supply have once again turned to northeast Georgia for a quick fix. As many Atlantans know, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson has passed down a self-professed “draconian” ruling that Atlanta has no right to draw water from Lake Lanier. The Governor’s Water Contingency Task Force recently viewed a presentation which offered several scenarios to close the 350 million gallon per day (mgd) shortfall. While there are no easy answers, when it comes to northeast Georgia water, the governor’s task force should be more about the “task” and less about the “force. Water is the lifeblood of any thriving community. If a populace is to survive and grow, there must be an ample supply of available water. Plans for providing this natural resource must ta.... Click here to view entire article.     Forum: Water efficiency is metro Atlanta's best bet 12/11/2009 Across Georgia, people are realizing the tri-state water war affects water supply planning not just in metro Atlanta, but in every part of the state. Nearly five months after Judge Paul Magnuson's federal ruling on Lake Lanier's water, the state's prospective response is beginning to take shape. Under Magnuson's ruling, the states of Georgia, Alabama and Florida have three years to develop an agreement for use of the Chattahoochee River, which was impounded decades ago to form Lake Lanier and in the years since has become metro Atlanta's major water supply. That's despite the fact - noted in the ruling - that supplying water wasn't among the purposes for which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers established the lake. So how is the state responding to the ruling? "It's starting to look .... Click here to view entire article.     Water warnings 12/11/2009 First, the good: The three states involved in the longstanding regional rivers dispute will try again to negotiate some kind of agreement. The governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia are scheduled to meet next Tuesday in Montgomery to restart water talks that have dried up so many times before. Bert Brantley, spokesman for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, noted that it would be “ambitious” to expect the governors to reach an immediate agreement. That’s no doubt an accurate and realistic assessment. But Govs. Bob Riley of Alabama and Charlie Crist of Florida had better not assume they can be too leisurely about the process, because the clock is ticking fast on another deadline Georgia has set on its own. Which brings us to the bad: Georgia’s Water Contingency Task Force, convened just two.... Click here to view entire article.     3 Governors to meet on water 12/11/2009 The governors of Georgia, Florida and Alabama have agreed to meet Dec. 15 in a fresh effort to resolve their long-standing feud over water rights. The meeting in Montgomery, Ala., will be the first face-to-face water talks between the three governors — Sonny Perdue, of Georgia, Charlie Crist, of Florida, and Bob Riley, of Alabama — in two years. The decades-old, three-state water fight has taken on a new urgency for Georgia after a federal judge in July ruled the state has few legal rights to Lake Lanier, the main water supply for metro Atlanta. The judge gave the states and Congress until 2012 to reach an agreement. Otherwise, Atlanta will see its water supply from Lake Lanier reduced dramatically. Georgia is also appealing the judge's ruling. .... Click here to view entire article.     Watch out for our water 12/11/2009 We've said it and said it and said it: Metro Atlanta wants Augusta's water. Georgia's capital and its sprawling suburbs have coveted the Savannah River Basin for years. The state's most populous area slurps up about 200 million gallons a day from the Chattahoochee River, and it doesn't get put back. Atlanta is thirsty. And apparently it's looking at the CSRA. Again. Gov. Sonny Perdue's Water Contingency Task Force released a report this past week that, among other things, floated ideas on how metro Atlanta could supplement its water supply. The 80-member panel -- heavy on businessmen but light on actual scientists -- laid out several options, including the absolute worst option for the Augusta area: pumping water out of the Savannah River Basin. It's called an "interbasin tran.... Click here to view entire article.     US DEPARTMENT of LABOR: FALL REGULATORY AGENDA 2009 12/11/2009 Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Topic: Labor Certification for Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment of H-2B Workers Key Action: Review of the H-2B regulations will assist in supporting the Secretary's goal to increase workers' incomes and narrow wage and income inequalities by protecting the wages and working conditions of both American workers and foreign nationals working temporarily in the United States, supporting the Secretary's "good jobs for everyone" policy. Key Issues The Department has tentatively identified areas for regulatory review that would enhance current wage and working condition protections for both American workers and foreign nationals working temporarily in the United States, such as: * Employer Temporary Need: The Department will be .... Click here to view entire article.     HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES PERMANENT DEATH TAX FREEZE 12/11/2009 This article is provided by your state association and ANLA as a Lighthouse Program partner benefit. The U.S. House of Representatives on December 3 approved legislation to permanently "freeze" the estate tax exemption and top estate tax margin rate at 2009 levels. H.R. 4154 sets the top rate at 45 percent and the individual exemption at $3.5 million, or $7 million in the case of spouses each claiming the exemption. Unfortunately, the House-passed measure fails to index the exemption level for inflation, a provision that ANLA and others in the business community sought. If the Senate follows the House's lead, the freeze would take effect at the end of this year. On the other hand, if the measure fails to become law, the estate tax will be fully repealed in 2010, but the repeal wil.... Click here to view entire article.     Health Care Debate 12/11/2009 HEALTH CARE REFORM DEBATE ON IN SENATE This article is provided by your state association and ANLA as a Lighthouse Program partner benefit. On Saturday, November 21, the U.S. Senate voted 60-39 to begin debate on its version of health reform. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) merged the Health and Finance Committees' versions of reform legislation into the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)," and was successful in securing the 60 votes to begin consideration. Speculation is that the bill will be debated through most of December, and that changes to the current version will be needed to secure the 60 votes necessary to defeat a potential filibuster. Some believe the debate will stretch well into 2010. Upon introduction, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).... Click here to view entire article.     I-9 AUDITS - BEWARE, AND PREPARE 12/11/2009 This article is provided by your state association and ANLA as a Lighthouse. Program partner benefit. Last summer, the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it would conduct a record number of employer audits focusing on immigration compliance. Just before Thanksgiving, ICE announced another 1000 audits, to be conducted in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. Information ANLA has obtained from ICE officials suggests that the largest number of audits will take place in the states of Texas, California, Florida, New York, and Arizona although all states will be affected. Agricultural and green industry operations have already been hit, including a production nursery and roughly nine other farm-related businesses in California, a la.... Click here to view entire article.     What's red, green and now greener? This poinsettia 12/11/2009 DURHAM, N.H. — The 700 poinsettias lined up in a University of New Hampshire greenhouse are all red, but the technique used to grow them is a bit more green than usual. Growing the perfect poinsettia has always been tricky. There's a narrow window to get plants to the ideal size, shape and color in time for the Christmas season. In recent years, high fuel costs — for heating greenhouses and shipping plants — have also made the work more expensive. With that in mind, researchers like those at UNH have been experimenting with "coldfinish" techniques that would allow growers to drop the temperatures in their greenhouses and save on heating costs. Though cooler temperatures slow plant growth and can require earlier planting, growers who cut back a few degrees late in the season still .... Click here to view entire article.     Water Contingency Task Force Recommends '3Cs' Strategy - Conserve, Capture and Control 12/11/2009 ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue received draft recommendations today from a water contingency task force made of business, government and environmental leaders from around the state. “These leaders from across Georgia looked all possible solutions and let the facts drive their recommendations,” said Governor Perdue. “They have done an outstanding job and I commend them for their hard work and commitment to Georgia. I look forward to continuing to work with the task force members as we work together to ensure sufficient water resources for Georgia's future.” The task force recommended a mix of actions known as the “3Cs” – conserve, capture and control. These include the following: • conserve - aggressive conservation measures and reducing loss from leaks • capture - expanding ex.... Click here to view entire article.     Leaders dispute water estimates 11/25/2009 Northeast Georgia may not have enough water for drinking, farming and industry in the coming decades because the state is lowballing how many people will live in the region, local officials say. Preliminary population estimates and other data that the state will use to predict how much water various regions will need are way off for the Oconee River basin, which includes Clarke and surrounding counties, according to members of the basin's regional water council. "That's become, I think, a little bit of a political issue," Jackson County Commission Chairman Hunter Bicknell said Tuesday. State officials are correcting the projections, said Bert Brantley, a spokesman for Gov. Sonny Perdue. Preliminary estimates for Jackson County, for example, show it growing about 1 percent per y.... Click here to view entire article.     Task force: Water issue means $26 billion loss 11/25/2009 ATLANTA?- Georgia’s water task force has learned that losing Lake Lanier as a source for drinking water could mean an annual loss of more than $26 billion for businesses. The group met for a second time Monday while it tries to develop an alternative plan to using the lake. Georgia has been embroiled in a decades-long fight with Alabama and Florida over water rights. Joe Maltese, one of four representatives from downstream of Atlanta and LaGrange’s point-man on West Point Lake, said he commends Gov. Sonny Perdue for calling together the task force. “He’s given a lot of attention to this important issue and deserves credit for bringing it out into the open,” Maltese said. The 15-county metro Atlanta area, which doesn’t include Troup, faces a loss of 280 million gallons of wat.... Click here to view entire article.     Perdue gets big menu of water choices 11/24/2009 A task force of Georgia political, business and environmentalist leaders Monday gave Gov. Sonny Perdue a huge menu of water supply and conservation options if Lake Lanier is taken away as metro Atlanta’s main source of drinking water. Meeting at the Governor’s Mansion, the committee gave Perdue and the General Assembly choices to add to northern Georgia’s water supply through a series of reservoir projects and/or shift existing supplies from one river system to another, a process known as inter-basin transfers. Other water supply options include building a large desalination plant near Savannah and pumping the water to the Atlanta region, and storing water underground for use during times of need, a process known as aquifer storage and recovery. Conservation options on the list in.... Click here to view entire article.     Corps to tighten spigot at Lake Lanier 11/19/2009 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to tighten the spigot at the Atlanta region’s main source of drinking water based on a federal judge’s stinging ruling in the tri-state water dispute. Corps officials say they will rewrite their operating manuals for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin to prohibit certain water withdrawals and releases from Lake Lanier after July 2012. Only Buford and Gainesville would be allowed to continue pulling drinking water from the lake under the Corps’ plans. However, if Georgia, Alabama and Florida reach a compromise and Congress approves withdrawals from the lake, the Corps said it would update its manuals accordingly. The public will have 45 days to comment on the Corps’ plans starting Thursday. U.S. District Judge Paul Magn.... Click here to view entire article.     FNGLA's Persistent Stance Wins Landscape Irrigation Results from SFWMD 11/19/2009 After nearly two years of work, a consistent stick-to-the-science message and sheer perseverance, FNGLA scored a major industry victory last week. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) unanimously voted to adopt a year-round water conservation rule providing for what FNGLA long sought: 3-days per week (rather than the current 2-days) for lawn and landscape irrigation. The rule also embraced FNGLA’s goal of providing 90 days (rather than the current 60 days) irrigation for establishment of newly planted landscapes. FNGLA has gained the trust of the District’s staff and Governing Board members. We need to work diligently to continue to earn it. Several SFWMD governing board members and stakeholders (including environmental representatives) credited FNGLA’s insistent adh.... Click here to view entire article.     1st national sustainable rating system released for landscapes 11/11/2009 The Sustainable Sites Initiative has released the nation’s first rating system for the design, construction and maintenance of sustainable landscapes, with or without buildings. It was developed through a partnership of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the U.S. Botanic Garden. The initiative’s rating system represents 4 years of work by the country’s leading sustainability experts, scientists and design professionals, as well as public input. “While carbon-neutral performance remains the holy grail for green buildings, sustainable landscapes move beyond a do-no-harm approach,” said Nancy Somerville, exec. v.p. and CEO of ASLA. “Landscapes sequester carbon, clean the air and water, increase energy efficiency, restore habitats and u.... Click here to view entire article.     Isakson: Senate Unlikely To Vote On Health Care Until Next Year 11/11/2009 11/11/09) Debate over the health care bill in the Senate likely will range over the next 6 to 10 weeks and a vote probably won’t occur until sometime next year, Sen. Johnny Isakson says. In an interview Tuesday with WABE-FM’s Dennis O’Hayer, Isakson also said the health care reform effort isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition, as some contend. You can listen to the clip here. “A lot of people think this is an all-or-nothing situation. I’m a cup-half-full guy. Because we can’t do a comprehensive bill, because it’s too pervasive and too overreaching with the House bill it doesn’t mean we can’t do a number of things that would improve affordable access to health care … We’ve got to get past this all-or-nothing philosophical debate over whether the government should or should not contr.... Click here to view entire article.     EAB quarantines get larger 11/11/2009 The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the identification of emerald ash borer in Fayette and Morgan counties in West Virginia. EAB was also recently confirmed in Roane County. Previously, APHIS had established quarantine areas only Fayette and Morgan counties due to the establishment and enforcement of equivalent state quarantines. West Virginia has now rescinded their EAB quarantines. For this reason, APHIS is establishing quarantine for the entire state of West Virginia. APHIS is also establishing Milwaukee and Brown counties in Wisconsin as a quarantine area due to the confirmed identification of EAB. Effective immediately, all interstate movement of EAB-regulated articles from West Virginia and Milwaukee, Racine, and Waukesha counties in Wisconsin m.... Click here to view entire article.     Lanier to retain most of storm’s rainfall 11/10/2009 By Mitch Clarke mclarke@gainesvilletimes.com POSTED Nov. 10, 2009 12:14 a.m. Almost no water will be released from Lake Lanier over the next few days as heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Ida hits Georgia, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Monday. Rainfall from the tropical system today should be heavy across North Georgia. A flash flood watch is in effect for most of Northeast Georgia, including Gainesville, until early Wednesday morning and 3-5 inches of rain is likely, with heavier amounts possible locally. Across Northeast Georgia, officials are bracing for the heavy rain, making sure culverts and other drainage systems aren’t blocked. In Gainesville, school officials are working to ensure that leaky roofs on some schools won’t be a disruption today. "We’ve got.... Click here to view entire article.     State tax revenue falls 17.8% in October 11/10/2009 Atlanta Business Chronicle The amount of revenue the Peach State pulled in from various taxes plunged 17.8 percent in October, the Georgia Department of Revenue reported Monday. Georgia took in $1.14 billion last month, compared with $1.39 billion in October 2008. The $1.14 billion total includes $398 million in sales tax revenue (down 18.2 percent), a deficit of $4.9 million in corporate income tax revenue (down 120.8 percent), $610.6 million in individual income tax revenue (down 15.5 percent), $65.1 million in motor fuel tax revenue (down 14.2 percent) and $6 million in property tax revenue (down 31.1 percent). Through October, state tax revenue was down 15.1 percent to $4.66 billion .... Click here to view entire article.     Tough Legislative Session Ahead 11/10/2009 Tifton Gazette Legislators: Tough session ahead By Angie Thompson, Senior Reporter TIFTON — State elected representatives honored Monday morning with a breakfast at the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce told the room packed with people that tough economic times will continue through the next legislative session and call for more cuts to the budget. State Representative Austin Scott (R-Tifton), State Representative Jay Roberts (R-Ocilla) and State Senator John D. “Dickey” Crosby (R-Tifton) discussed issues of concern with those who attended. Scott, who is running for governor, said that state revenues for October were down 17.5 percent. “Anyone who tells you we are putting more money in aren’t telling you the truth,” Scott said. “The money is simply not there .... Click here to view entire article.     Just How Wet Was October? 11/10/2009 WSB Weather Blog How Wet was this October? After being in a drought much of the last three years, several sites across north and central Georgia has received some of the highest rainfall in the past month or so. For instance, October 2009 is the second wettest October ever at both Atlanta and Athens. The only October that had more rainfall in Atlanta was 1995 when the remnants of Hurricane Opal moved across the area early in the month bringing more than 8 inches to Atlanta over a three day period. The 2009 year in Athens will be second only to October of 1937 when Athens received 11.23 inches of rain. The following table shows the top ten wettest Octobers at Atlanta, Athens, Columbus and Macon: .... Click here to view entire article.     IA Stand on WaterSense New Homes Specifications 11/10/2009 Since May of 2008, the residential landscape and irrigation industries have been deliberating the content and revisions of EPA's Water-Efficient Single-Family New Home Specification. The opportunities and implications of such a program have become a constant undertone in almost every discussion related to the future of the landscape and irrigation industries. The IA believes that the new home spec is being released prematurely; current flaws make it unacceptable to the irrigation industry, developers and water providers. The outcome is yet to be determined. As stated in the association's comments submitted on July 2, "The Irrigation Association recommends to the EPA that decisions impacting landscape irrigation should be driven locally and that the EPA not move forward with the outdoor.... Click here to view entire article.     USDA TO CONDUCT CENSUS OF HORTICULTURE 11/10/2009 Athens, Georgia – The U.S. Department of Agriculture will soon conduct the 2009 Census of Horticultural Specialties. Taken once every 10 years, this census provides detailed information on horticultural production and sales across the United States. “The Census of Horticulture will include producers of floriculture, nursery and other specialty crops,” said Doug Kleweno, director of the Georgia Field Office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). “This is an opportunity for horticultural producers to share their voices and help ensure the continued growth and long-term sustainability of horticultural farming in the United States.” The results of the census are used by industry, government, academia and others, aiding in the development of sound programs and policies, re.... Click here to view entire article.     Stabenow Cultivates Climate Change Role 11/10/2009 By Coral Davenport, CQ Staff A senator from one of the nation’s biggest industrial states — Debbie Stabenow of Michigan — has emerged as an unlikely champion for farm-state lawmakers and lobbyists angling for concessions in the Senate climate change bill. Stabenow has been working for about 18 months on a farms and forests bill. It will probably be merged with broader climate change legislation (S 1733) that would cap greenhouse gas emissions and establish a market for trading government-issued pollution allowances. The two-term Democrat has been negotiating closely with farm groups and the bill’s sponsors, John Kerry, D-Mass., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., to craft language that favors farmers and can win support from colleagues representing rural regions. Stabenow serves on the Agric.... Click here to view entire article.     Dalton test could help solve water war 11/6/2009 By Gary Tanner Correspondent DALTON, Ga. — A Dalton Utilities’ experiment with storing water underground could provide a solution to the decades-old water battle between Georgia, Alabama and Florida, the technology’s founder said. The states are locked in a three-way legal battle over water in the Chattahoochee River and Atlanta’s use of a reservoir on the river — Lake Lanier — as its primary water supply. The argument is that Atlanta uses too much water, resulting in too little water for users downstream in the other two states. But storing water underground in an aquifer near Columbus, Ga., and pumping it into the river when needed would result in a strong-enough flow to keep Alabama and Florida users happy, according to David Pyne, a former University of Florida engineering .... Click here to view entire article.     Johnson: Water and Jobs Are Concerns 11/5/2009 Johnson: Water, job universal concerns Ricki Barker Staff Writer ALBANY - As Gov. Sonny Perdue's time in office comes to a close, campaigns for the vacant seat are charging forward, hoping to become a front-runner to claim the title of governor in 2010. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, has been traveling across Georgia in recent weeks in pursuit of the Republican gubernatorial nomination. In September, Johnson announced his resignation of his Senate seat to focus on his gubernatorial campaign. "That was an easy decision when we decided to face it," he said Wednesday during an interview with The Herald. "I want to make sure I'm hearing the voters of Georgia." Johnson said he didn't feel it would be fair to his constituents to have a senator who was splitting half his time between.... Click here to view entire article.     California tackles water woes still confronting Georgia 11/5/2009 Out in California, a lengthy drought has forced state legislators to cut a massive deal on water, including mandated conservation, dams and canals and environmental restoration. From the LA Times: SACRAMENTO — Lawmakers capped months of discussions, weeks of tedious negotiations and years of chasing a water deal with approval of major legislation in a marathon session that ended Wednesday as the sun rose. The package, which includes an $11.1-billion bond that must go before voters, would nudge California in new directions on water policy while giving something to each of the major factions that have warred over the state’s supplies. The measure, likely to reach the governor’s desk early next week, would establish a statewide program that for the first time would measure if too.... Click here to view entire article.     Water use in the United States has leveled off 11/5/2009 Water use in the United States has leveled off: New remarkable numbers released New numbers on total water use in the United States in 2005 have just been released by the U.S. Geological Survey, which does an assessment of water use every five years. We have been tracking these numbers for many years. The new numbers are the latest evidence for a remarkable change in U.S. water use toward more efficient use -- a change the Pacific Institute has been calling for since our founding 22 years ago. Water Number: 410 billion gallons per day in 2005 compared to 413 billion gallons per day in 2000. This is the total amount of water withdrawn in the U.S. for all purposes (residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, and power plant cooling). Despite continuing population growth, despite c.... Click here to view entire article.     Immigration Rally Draws Thousands 11/5/2009 WASHINGTON — Thousands of immigrants came to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for a day of lobbying and an afternoon rally calling for comprehensive immigration reform. The event was timed to the unveiling of an immigration bill by Representative Luis V. Gutierrez, Democrat of Illinois and chairman of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. With President Obama’s stated commitment to immigration reform, advocates for immigrants said they hoped to revive a debate that has been overshadowed by other priorities, like the economy and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. As deportations continue to rise, immigration reform is needed now, they said, to allow illegal immigrants to obtain legal status and to stop families from being torn apart. “We need a bill that says if yo.... Click here to view entire article.     Atlanta Floods Extremely Rare 11/5/2009 The epic flooding that hit the Atlanta area in September was so extremely rare that, six weeks later this event has defied attempts to describe it. Scientists have reviewed the numbers and they are stunning. “At some sites, the annual chance of a flood of this magnitude was so significantly less than 1 in 500 that, given the relatively short length of streamgaging records (well less than 100 years), the U.S. Geological Survey cannot accurately characterize the probability due to its extreme rarity," said Robert Holmes, USGS National Flood Program Coordinator. “Nationwide, given that our oldest streamgaging records span about 100 years, the USGS does not cite probabilities for floods that are beyond a 0.2 percent (500-year) flood.” “If a 0.2 percent (500-year) flood was a cup of .... Click here to view entire article.     Regional Green Industry Analysis 10/15/2009 The Green Industry Research Consortium polls nurseries and greenhouses every five years. Part I examines sales and employment. See how your region ranks. Click here to view entire article.     PLANET stays on top of EPA WaterSense legislation 10/15/2009 WASHINGTON — The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET)'s Tom Delaney has provided the following update on a bill introduced by Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Ben Cardin (D-MD): Key Democratic senators have introduced long-awaited legislation authorizing EPA’s WaterSense program, which sets voluntary water efficiency standards, but the bill includes language that backs a controversial agency plan to limit turf grass in its upcoming first-time standard for new homes, for which many industry groups have been seeking congressional opposition. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and water subcommittee Chair Ben Cardin (D-MD) Sept. 24 introduced S. 1712, the Water Efficiency, Conservation & Adaptation Act of 2009. The bill provides $87.5 million over four years for EPA to improve and e.... Click here to view entire article.     California updates its water landscape ordinance 10/15/2009 California’s Dept. of Water Resources (DWR) has released an updated Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance to assist local governments in reducing water waste in landscapes. A Landscape Task Force recommended changes to the original ordinance adopted in 1992. The result is the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 1881), which requires cities and counties, including charter cities, to adopt landscape water conservation ordinances by Jan. 1, 2010. Municipalities can adopt the ordinance rules or develop their own program. The ordinance addresses water budgets for landscapes, the prevention of excessive erosion and irrigation runoff, landscape and irrigation design requirements, the use of recycled water where available, irrigation audits and the scheduling of irriga.... Click here to view entire article.     Cobb County Named Water Sense Partner of the Year 10/15/2009 Promotional Partner – Large Utility In 2007 and 2008, the Southeast region’s worst drought in 150 years prompted Cobb County Water System to promote WaterSense and water efficiency to its 650,000 residents in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. Cobb County implemented a toilet rebate program that discounted 1,650 WaterSense labeled toilets, inspiring other large utilities in the Metro North Georgia Water Planning District to adopt the county’s rebate model. And because everyone loves a good deal, Cobb County collaborated with other WaterSense retailer, manufacturer, and promotional partners (including fellow winners Kohler and Lowe’s) to promote the Georgia statewide sales tax holiday weekend in October 2008 for WaterSense labeled and ENERGY STAR qualified products. Coordinating clo.... Click here to view entire article.     Bayer Advanced Scholars Program: 10/14/2009 In challenging economic times, making an investment in your people and staff is an even more critical necessity: Bayer AdvancedTM is committed to partnering with Independent Garden Centers to not only deliver exceptionally formulated products that you can make a profit on, but also to help deliver world-class training to your team. The American Nursery & Landscape Association is proud to work in conjunction with Bayer AdvancedTM for the second year to deliver the BAYER ADVANCEDTM SCHOLARS program for the 2010 Management Clinic. 25 full scholarships ($550+ value) to the Management Clinic will be awarded. Scholarship package will include a full registration to the ANLA Management Clinic (Louisville KY, Jan 31 – Feb 3), a Muggets networking badge, and a private evening networking reception w.... Click here to view entire article.     Lake Lanier ruling has little impact on Augusta 10/14/2009 A federal judge's ruling that could halt metro Atlanta's access to Lake Lanier's drinking water will have little impact on the Augusta region, which depends heavily on the Savannah River. "We are operating under the premise that is has no effect and will have no effect," said Ron Cross, the chairman of the Savannah-Upper Ogeechee Council, a state committee studying future water needs in the 19-county east Georgia area. In July, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson declared Atlanta's withdrawals from Lake Lanier illegal because the lake was never authorized by Congress for water supply. Mr. Cross, who held a town hall meeting in Evans on Tuesday night to discuss water-planning objectives, said he has been assured that Thurmond Lake is not subject to the same sort of ruling. "The j.... Click here to view entire article.     Lanier is inches shy of full pool with more rain expected today 10/14/2009 Recent rains have several area creeks bursting at the seams and Lake Lanier within inches of reaching full pool. Northeast Georgia was expected to receive between one-half to three-quarters of an inch of rain overnight, according to National Weather Service forecasters, with an additional inch or two likely today. As of 6:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, Lake Lanier was at 1,070.97 feet above sea level, just .06 feet away from its full pool of 1,071 feet. About two-thirds of an inch of rain fell overnight. That's on top of nearly four inches of rain Monday that increased the lake level by almost a foot. The lake hasn’t been at full pool since 2005 and reached its all-time low of 1,050.79 feet in December 2007. Like many other North Georgia areas, Hall and Jackson counties are unde.... Click here to view entire article.     Calling The Water War As I See It 10/14/2009 By Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton) The new War Between the States, the Water War that is, comes down to one thing: economic opportunity. How can metropolitan areas around Georgia attract industry if we cannot guarantee that industry will have the water it needs to operate? And how can our rural areas produce agricultural commodities if we cannot irrigate our crops? We are all employed either directly or indirectly by one of these two economic sectors, and Georgia regularly competes with Alabama and Florida for the jobs that these areas provide. So when a Federal judge issues not one, but two back-to-back rulings against the State of Georgia, as U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson recently did, the people of Georgia deserve a forthright answer to two very simple questions: “How did this happe.... Click here to view entire article.     Lanier flirts with 1,071 feet 10/13/2009 For the first time in more than four years, Lake Lanier is less than a foot below its full level. The lake rose nearly a foot with Monday’s rains, putting it within inches of full pool at 1,070.74 at 6:15 a.m. on Tuesday. With more rain forecast throughout the week, Lanier will almost certainly reach its full level of 1,071 feet above sea level. The lake’s full pool elevation has not been recorded since September 2005. Between then and now, an extreme drought in North Georgia caused the lake’s level to drop to record-breaking lows that were more than 20 feet below Lanier’s full level. Lanier will reach its highest point at a time when the area is supposed to be at its driest. Even the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the lake, did not expect that the lake would r.... Click here to view entire article.     Judge again rules against Georgia in water fight 10/6/2009 The judge overseeing the tri-state water wars case on Monday again ruled against Georgia and all but told the state it should stop litigating claims to Lake Lanier water rights and settle the case once and for all In a three-page order, Senior U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson frowned upon the Georgia parties’ appeals to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. He said an appeal “will only delay and further complicate the resolution of the important claims at issue.” Gil Rogers, a staff attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, said Georgia needs to get the message. “If the signal the judge sent in July wasn’t clear enough, it’s now become that much more clear,” Rogers said. “He’s setting the framework for the parties to finally resolve this 20-year-old dispute.”.... Click here to view entire article.     Federal bill could define use of Lanier’s water 10/2/2009 Georgia leaders, including Deal, oppose call for corps’ study in 120 days By Ashley Fielding afielding@gainesvilletimes.com POSTED Oct. 1, 2009 11:52 p.m. A federal spending bill passed Thursday requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide a report in the coming months that could further threaten Georgia’s use of Lake Lanier as a source of drinking water. An amendment to the bill, passed nearly three months after Georgia lost a clutch battle in water-rights litigation with Florida and Alabama, requires the corps to provide a report to Congress in 120 days that shows how water is currently allocated in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basins. The Energy, Water and Related Agencies Appropriations bill could affect how .... Click here to view entire article.     Atlanta reservoir plan on hold 10/2/2009 Atlanta Business Chronicle - by Dave Williams Staff The Atlanta City Council will postpone considering a proposed reservoir on city-owned land in North Georgia until after next month’s city elections, Councilman C.T. Martin said Thursday. Martin, chief sponsor of a resolution asking Mayor Shirley Franklin to begin negotiations to sell the property, said her successor will take office in just three months, and council members aren’t likely to receive enough information during that short period to move on the project. “That’s going to be headed by the next mayor,” Martin said. “It’s probably the wisest thing to let it sit for awhile until we get all the information.” As first reported by Atlanta Business Chronicle in August, industrial developer Jerry Daws approached council membe.... Click here to view entire article.     Southeast Drought Study Ties Water Shortage to Population, Not Global Warming 10/2/2009 The drought that gripped the Southeast from 2005 to 2007 was not unprecedented and resulted from random weather events, not global warming, Columbia University researchers have concluded. They say its severe water shortages resulted from population growth more than rainfall patterns. Skip to next paragraph Related River Basin Fight Pits Atlanta Against Neighbors (August 16, 2009) The researchers, who report their findings in an article in Thursday’s issue of The Journal of Climate, cite census figures showing that in Georgia alone the population rose to 9.54 million in 2007 from 6.48 million in 1990. “At the root of the water supply problem in the Southeast is a growing population,” they wrote. Richard Seager, a climate expert at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory who led .... Click here to view entire article.     Governor forms water task force 9/30/2009 From staff reports POSTED Sept. 29, 2009 11:16 p.m. Gov. Sonny Perdue announced Tuesday the creation of a task force to develop water contingency plans across the state. Perdue’s announcement comes on the heels of the state’s filing of a notice to appeal a July ruling that limits Georgia’s use of Lake Lanier for water supply and is part of the governor’s four-pronged strategy for addressing the impact of the ruling. The other strategies include congressional action, negotiations and appeal of the decision. "While I am confident we will be successful in securing the ability to draw water supply from Lake Lanier, we cannot take that for granted and must plan accordingly," said Perdue in a news release. "We will consider conservation measures as well as opportunities to enh.... Click here to view entire article.     Cash offered to California residents who get rid of turf 9/30/2009 By From staff reports Originally published 12:38 p.m., September 21, 2009 Updated 02:18 p.m., September 21, 2009 Download this story as a podcast! STORY TOOLS E-mail story Comments Printer friendly Get a TinyURL More from Conejo Valley Conejo school district superintendent retiring Firefighters put out fire at Newbury Park home Cook burned by deep-fryer oil recovering slowly A local water agency on Monday announced it will give cash prizes to customers who get rid of their water-guzzling turf amid a state water shortage. The offer of $100 in cash is available to water customers in the unincorporated community of Oak Park who replace grass lawn areas with drought-tolerant plants or other water-efficient materials from Oct. 1 to Feb. 26. As part of an on.... Click here to view entire article.     Engineers: Smart irrigation controllers not so smart 9/30/2009 Tests of "smart" irrigation controllers found most of the devices currently on the market are not as smart as hoped, said Texas AgriLife Extension Service irrigation experts. The six devices tested, all currently on the market, applied from about one-third to two-and-a-half times more water than was recommended, according to Charles Swanson, AgriLife Extension associate with the Texas A&M University department of biological and agricultural engineering. "These devices have the potential to save water, but our data shows they're just not there yet," Swanson said. Smart controllers use weather data to automatically adjust the amount of irrigation water applied. Some smart controllers use sensors at the irrigation sites to measure temperature and rainfall. They may also measure solar r.... Click here to view entire article.     Corps: Dam held down flooding 9/29/2009 Remember when the fuss over Lake Lanier used to be about water supply? These days, it is flood control and whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mismanaged the lake in the recent heavy flooding that caused, according to Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, some $500 million in damage. The latest salvo came Monday, when the corps said if not for Buford Dam being able to stem the full force of water flowing downstream, the Atlanta area would have chalked up $124 million more in damages. "It is important to note that no dam provides full protection from flooding," said corps spokeswoman Lisa Coghlan. "Even the best flood structure cannot completely eliminate the risk of flooding." "Flood risk management is a shared responsibility and partnership among, federal, state, .... Click here to view entire article.     Lanier’s level likely to peak soon 9/29/2009 By Jeff Gill jgill@gainesvilletimes.com POSTED Sept. 28, 2009 11:30 p.m. Lake Lanier is still on the rise — but maybe not for much longer. The lake hit 1068.98 feet above sea level Monday evening, reaching levels it hasn’t hit since 2006, before a two-year drought began its onset. Full pool is 1,071 feet, an elevation that hasn’t been recorded since September 2005. The lake was at its lowest level ever, 1,050.79 feet, on Dec. 26, 2007. Kent Frantz, senior service hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, said the area, however, is now in a pattern of drier weather "and you can always expect a tendency of the lake to slowly go down through the fall season." But between typically cooler temperatures and some scattered rainfall, it could be a .... Click here to view entire article.     West Point, lake ‘back to normal’ after high waters 9/29/2009 West Point Lake was at 636 feet above mean sea level and dropping this morning, and operations at West Point City Hall had returned to normal after high waters. “We got through it,” said Army Corps of Engineers spokesman David Barr. “The lake ought to start to decline pretty quick.” Barr said the U.S. 27 bridge over the Chattahoochee River in Franklin remained closed this morning, but state Department of Transportation inspectors planned to look it over today to see if it could reopen. At the Chattahoochee in West Point, Police Chief David Kerr said the city made it through the incident with minimal impacts. The main concern was the transformer that powers City Hall and the police station. On Thursday afternoon water was just beginning to get in the bottom of the transformer befor.... Click here to view entire article.     Chattahoochee now chock-full of E. coli 9/29/2009 week's flood swept trash, contaminants into river By D.L. Bennett The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ShareThis Print E-mail Reprints The floods may be gone for most of Atlanta, but officials say it will be weeks before all the waterways are free of sewage and sediment, and tons of trash collected by the storms is cleaned up. Enlarge photo Bob Andres, bandres@ajc.com Flooding along the Chattahoochee River in Roswell produced this overflowing storm drain on Riverside Road. Officials say it will be weeks before all the waterways are free of sewage and sediment, and tons of trash collected by the storms is cleaned up. Atlanta Flood 2009 » Don't fall for repair scams Oxendine doubles damage estimates Resources: Where to turn for help Volunteer to help Atlanta flo.... Click here to view entire article.     Sunbelt Expo set for Oct. 20-22 9/29/2009 Published September 28, 2009 10:20 pm - Farm families looking to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the busy fall harvest season will soon get that chance. They are invited to attend the Sunbelt Ag Expo farm show to be held Oct. 20-22 near Moultrie, Ga. Sunbelt Expo set for Oct. 20-22 Staff Reports MOULTRIE — Farm families looking to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the busy fall harvest season will soon get that chance. They are invited to attend the Sunbelt Ag Expo farm show to be held Oct. 20-22 near Moultrie, Ga. “The Sunbelt Expo is an annual extravaganza of agricultural technology,” says Chip Blalock, the farm show’s director. “Now in its 32nd year, the Expo has become North America’s premier farm show. Our goal is to bring together more than 1,2.... Click here to view entire article.     UGA sets research funding record in 2009 9/29/2009 The University of Georgia reported Monday its research funding hit a record high of $173 million in fiscal 2009. This bested the previous high of $150.6 million raised in fiscal 2005. In 2009, federal agencies awarded $100.6 million in grants and contracts to UGA researchers -- some 60 percent of the total raised. Funding agencies include the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Education, Defense and Commerce. UGA’s total external funding, which includes research, instruction, public service and outreach, also rose to $246.7 million in 2009, according to Regina A. Smith, associate vice president for research. Declines in instruction and public service awards were offset by increases in cooperative extensi.... Click here to view entire article.     Storms replenish water inside once-dry basins 9/24/2009 One positive outcome of disastrous weather By BLAKE AUED | blake.aued@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 11:28 pm on 9/23/2009 Two years ago this month, the Athens area was weeks away from running out of drinking water. It's safe to assume such a shortage won't happen again anytime soon. Storms that dumped almost 9 inches of rain on Athens over the past week or so have filled up rivers and reservoirs, ending any remnants of the historic two-year drought that officially ended in April. "We've been doing pretty good all year," Athens-Clarke Public Utilities Director Gary Duck said. Even after state officials pronounced the drought over, Clarke and surrounding counties still were categorized as abnormally dry. After the downpour ended Monday, the rain deficit for th.... Click here to view entire article.     Rain likely to boost Lanier to 1,068.5 feet, corps says 9/24/2009 Rain likely to boost Lanier to 1,068.5 feet, corps says Order This Image - More water heads for Lake Lanier as the nearly overflowing Chattahoochee River flows past the bridge on Ga. 52 near Lula. TOM REED (The Times)1 of 3 View Larger Previous View Slides Next RELATED CONTENT Latest Lake Lanier level Local agencies help other flooded areas By Jeff Gill jgill@gainesvilletimes.com POSTED Sept. 22, 2009 10:23 p.m. So close, yet so far away — that’s Lake Lanier’s full pool. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials are expecting the lake to peak at 1,068.5 feet above sea level over the weekend, pushed to that level because of rainy and frequently stormy weather that began last week. The lake was at 1,067.73 feet above sea level Tuesday evening, .... Click here to view entire article.     Turf Battle Heats Up Over Limits on Water-Guzzling Landscapes 9/17/2009 By GWENDOLYN BOUNDS There's a turf war under way over America's lawns, and it may be headed for your yard. Later this year, the Environmental Protection Agency plans to expand its WaterSense conservation program to include a voluntary label for newly built homes. Homes could win certification if they consume roughly 20% less water than standard new homes. Along with criteria for high-efficiency toilets and faucets, the program has a landscaping clause that could strictly limit the amount of turfgrass participating builders plant. The rationale: Homeowners waste a lot of water laboring to keep lawns lush. Before & After Southern Nevada Water Authority (2) This Las Vegas home’s owner got a rebate for replacing 2,200 square feet of lawn with water-efficient plants. Locally, .... Click here to view entire article.     Group protects Northeast Georgia watershed 9/14/2009 The nonprofit trust looks after Northeast Georgia waterway. By Chris Starrs Story updated at 1:13 AM on Sunday, Sep. 13, 2009 EMAIL PRINT BLOG THIS COMMENT Buzz up! Photos Athens Banner-Herald Victor Johnson of the Broad River Watershed Association wants to educate people about how land uses can affect the river. Tricia SpauldingDANIELSVILLE - For two decades, the Madison County-based Broad River Watershed Association has dedicated itself to the protection and management of the mighty Broad River, which flows south through nearly a dozen Northeast Georgia counties. Danielsville attorney Victor Johnson said the association is a nonprofit land trust seeking to protect the land in the watershed of the river, which flows south from Banks and Stephens counties to the Savannah .... Click here to view entire article.     Atlantans backslide into wasting precious water 9/14/2009 But they haven't reverted to previously high usage levels By Dan Chapman The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ShareThis Print E-mail Reprints Free of state-mandated restrictions, Atlantans have reverted to their watery ways, dousing lawns, cars and bodies with more and more of Lake Lanier’s still-precious water. More Atlanta/Fulton stories » FBI: ATL area violent crime dips Atlanta's crime key issue at mayoral debate Woman's car hits tree Uncontested council races bad news for mayor candidates Atlanta/South Fulton North Fulton Water usage in July — the first month that North Georgians could water without much worry — rose 10 percent over July 2008, state officials said Friday. But they aren’t unduly concerned about the increase, noting that Atlantans have.... Click here to view entire article.     Atlanta weighs Dawson County reservoir proposal 9/11/2009 By Dan Chapman The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ShareThis Print E-mail Reprints An Atlanta city council committee will consider the construction of a reservoir on 10,000 city-owned acres in Dawson County. Related Public-private reservoir plan has support Downriver cities oppose Perdue plan on water Expand water storage options to secure growth for Georgia Is Allatoona next water battle? Corps denies Alabama Allatoona claim Q: Who checks the water at Lake Lanier for contamination? — Barbara Turner, ?Newnan Ala. gov. agrees to water talks Related Metro stories » Grief, anger follow fatal? chase Repaving resumes on Connector Charges: Teachers hired hookers Boil water advisory for NW ATL The transportation committee will take up a motion Sept. 17 r.... Click here to view entire article.     Dry summer brings back threat of drought 9/8/2009 state climatologist says this summer has been the driest in the Augusta area in more than 10 years, and if conditions don't improve in the next two months drought conditions could return. "If the tropics remain dry, then I think there is a potential we may go back into drought conditions," said Pam Knox, Georgia's assistant state climatologist. An El Nino weather pattern has reduced the number of tropical storms or hurricanes this summer, Ms. Knox said. Fall is typically the driest time of the year in Augusta, and without tropical activity the problem gets worse, she said. But even if the area doesn't get good rainfall in the next two months, Ms. Knox said, people shouldn't expect a return to the bad droughts seen in the past few years. "If anything we could see no more than .... Click here to view entire article.     A bubble to blame for lack of rain? 9/8/2009 A mysterious atmospheric bubble may be robbing the Athens area of much-needed rainfall this summer. Labor Day marks the traditional, unofficial end of summer, and it’s been a hot, dry one. A recent stretch of overcast days and nighttime temperatures in the 60s notwithstanding, this summer has been unusually hot and dry, according to state Climatologist David Stooksbury. “This has turned out to be a dry summer, abnormally dry, while the rest of the state has been much, much wetter,” Stooksbury said. Temperatures were 3.6 degrees above average in June, 0.6 degrees below average in July and 1.3 degrees above average in August, he said. Only 5.7 inches of rain fell on Athens-Ben Epps Airport in June, July and August combined, according to the National Weather Service. That is only.... Click here to view entire article.     Making Sense Of SBA Loan Programs 9/8/2009 Earlier this year the White House outlined a $15 billion, multi-pronged plan to help ease the credit crunch affecting so many nurseries. One program earmarks extra funding for loans and technical assistance by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) “microloan” lenders. In addition to extra funding for microloans, new ARC Stabilization Loans offer 100 percent guaranteed deferred payment of loans up to $35,000 to help viable small businesses facing immediate economic hardship. The plan will also reduce small-business lending fees and increase the amount the SBA will guarantee on some small business loans. The recovery program The U.S. Treasury Department will boost bank liquidity by purchasing small business loans in the secondary markets. The $15 billion from the U.S. Trea.... Click here to view entire article.     Dry conditions retreat after rain 9/4/2009 The latest U.S. Drought Monitor cuts the number of Georgia counties under dry conditions in half compared with last week. Meteorologists say steady, frequent rains during August have improved conditions in many areas. "It seems like the past couple of weeks have been fairly drizzly, so that's not surprising," said Jessica Fieux, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Ga. Two weeks ago, an area classified as "abnormally dry" reached from Floyd and Gordon counties up to Georgia's Northeast corner and stretched down to Telfair and Wilcox counties in South Central Georgia. Last week, a 13-county swath of the state including Gordon, Bartow and Pickens counties were downgraded back to normal conditions. Now 36 counties, mostly between Macon and Augusta i.... Click here to view entire article.     Perdue, congressmen divvy up water tasks 8/18/2009 Gov. Sonny Perdue and members of Georgia’s congressional delegation met Monday to divide up the duties of responding to a federal court decision that threatens the state’s water supply future. “There are some things Congress must address and some things that the state must address,” Perdue told reporters at the Governor’s Mansion after sitting down with both of Georgia’s U.S. senators and eight of the state’s 13 congressmen. U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson ruled last month that water systems serving about 3.5 million metro Atlantans have been withdrawing from Lake Lanier illegally because water supply was not among the uses Congress authorized for the reservoir when it was built. The judge gave Georgia, Alabama and Florida – which have been waging a legal battle over Lanier’s wa.... Click here to view entire article.     Alabama governor agrees to water talks 8/18/2009 Now waiting for Florida's governor to join in By Kristi E. Swartz The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Now it’s up to Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida to join in as well. Perdue sent the two governors a list of 40 possible dates in which he was willing to sit down and talk about the use of Lake Lanier, which a federal judge last month said could not be tapped for drinking water. Riley faxed a response with about 20 dates on Monday, Perdue told reporters at the Governor’s Mansion. “Now it’s up to us to contact Gov. Crist and get a date and a venue,” said Perdue, flanked by 10 of the members of Georgia’s congressional delegation. “It’s very important that we sent a message to all of Georgia that we have uninterrupted water supply,” said Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.). “We have.... Click here to view entire article.     Panel agrees: Lanier ruling could hurt all of state, not just Atlanta 8/17/2009 ATLANTA — All of Georgia, not just metropolitan Atlanta, will suffer the effects of a federal court decision that Lake Lanier was not designated by Congress as a source of drinking water, government officials and legal experts stressed at a conference Friday. "The pain is going to be felt all over Georgia," said Harold Reheis, vice president of Joe Tanner and Associates. The best solution to Georgia’s water woes, according to Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division Director Carol Couch, is to approach the issue regionally without state lines in mind. Reheis and Couch sat on a panel Friday with Sen. Johnny Isakson, Chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission Sam Olens and Gerald Pouncey Jr. a partner at Morris, Manning & Martin, during a lunchtime meeting of the Council for Qua.... Click here to view entire article.     Allatoona may be next battle in water war 8/17/2009 Last month a Minnesota judge ruled that Atlanta has no right to drink from Lake Lanier, a potentially crushing blow for future growth and development in North Georgia. But what happens in Birmingham could prove doubly dire for Atlanta. U.S. District Court Judge Karon Bowdre is weighing whether North Georgia illegally taps Lake Allatoona, too. Her ruling is expected next year. The two reservoirs provide drinking water for nearly 4.5 million metro Atlantans. If, as many water warriors expect, Bowdre rules against Georgia, then Atlanta’s future rests largely in Alabama’s hands. “Both Alabama and Florida are in the catbird seat,” said Mark Crisp, a water expert in Atlanta involved in the water wars since 1989. “I wish I had in my business the negotiating strength that Alabama and F.... Click here to view entire article.     Water conservation sticking in North GA 7/30/2009 The long drought in Georgia may have ended, but Peach State residents have made conservation a habit, state officials said Wednesday. Georgians have continued to conserve water, even with relaxed outdoor water use restrictions in place, according to June 2009 water use data compiled by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD). According to water use data collected from water utilities and local governments throughout the 55-county north Georgia area, water use in June rose an average of just 1.8 percent compared with June 2008. The comparison with June 2007 -- before the drought worsened and outdoor water use was allowed midnight to 10 a.m. three days a week -- is also impressive, EPD said. June 2009 water use was down 18.4 percent as compared to the 2007 data, even tho.... Click here to view entire article.     Figures: North Georgia still watching water use 7/30/2009 ATLANTA - Water use in North Georgia has risen slightly since the state relaxed strict outdoor water restrictions put in place amid a historic drought - but remains far below the water use levels of two years ago - encouraging officials seeking to prove Georgia residents are not "water pigs." The figures released Wednesday are the first snapshot since state officials lifted the restrictions last month and are considered an important test for a state locked in a legal battle with Alabama and Florida. The figures show that water use in June in the 55-county North Georgia region rose an average of 1.8 percent compared to the same month the year before. The strict drought restrictions that covered the area were lifted June 10. The numbers also show that the month's water is down 18.4 .... Click here to view entire article.     State billed millions for Lake Lanier litigation 7/29/2009 Georgia has spent nearly $6.7 million on outside legal fees to fight the tri-state water war, the state attorney general’s office said Tuesday. Related Take these steps to conserve water Related Metro stories » Woman charged after raucous party Shooting leaves 1 man dead Piedmont Hospital among most wired Marietta city council to discuss parks bond Wednesday And the Atlanta Regional Commission said it has spent $5 million on the same litigation over the water in Lake Lanier. Russ Willard, spokesman for Attorney General Thurbert Baker, said the state had paid $6,661,578.09 to McKenna Long & Aldridge, the Atlanta firm representing Georgia in the litigation since 1996. Before that, Willard said, in-house counsel handled the case. The Atlanta firm of King & Spalding ha.... Click here to view entire article.     Drought situation becoming tenuous 7/28/2009 The reservoir-shrinking, lawn-killing drought of 2007 and 2008 may be over, but Northeast Georgia is still dry, dry, dry. Over the past three months, the region has received only 47 percent of its normal rainfall. This June and July have been drier than last summer's - when the entire state banned outdoor watering. But this year, while rainfall has slowed to a trickle, looser regional watering restrictions mean consumers are using more water. In most cases, water customers are using only slightly more than last year - but in at least one county, consumers are using a lot more water, and the community is running short of the vital resource. Walton County water customers used almost twice as much water in June as they had before the state Environmental Protection Division lifted .... Click here to view entire article.     Georgia still has Tennessee water on its mind 7/28/2009 Tennessee officials still have no intention of letting Georgia tap into the Tennessee River, despite a federal court ruling last week that set a three-year clock ticking for Atlanta to find a new water source. "Tennessee officials are not rethinking this issue," said Gov. Phil Bredesen's spokeswoman Lydia Lenker on Monday. A judge ruled that Atlanta can no longer rely on Lake Lanier as its primary water source because such plans would adversely affect communities downstream in Alabama and Florida. The lake was never meant to be a water source in the first place, the judge said. With that ruling the Tennessee River may now be a more viable option than it was before, said But Bert Brantley, spokesman for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue. Border war impacts In Metro Chattanooga alone,.... Click here to view entire article.     Savannah River Basin could be option for Atlanta 7/23/2009 federal edict that could end Georgia's perennial water war with Florida and Alabama -- but limit metro Atlanta's access to Lake Lanier -- could spur more statewide interest in the Savannah River Basin's abundant water supply above Augusta. 1 / 2 Associated Press Georgia's Congressional delegation -- including Reps. David Scott (from left), John Lewis and Lynn Westmoreland -- met Tuesday in Washington to discuss how to proceed after Friday's ruling barring metro Atlanta from tapping into Lake Lanier. Click photo for options"There's no question it'll be looked at," predicted environmental lobbyist Neill Herring, who monitors water issues for clients including the Sierra Club. "They've maintained an interest for a long time." Last week's ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Pa.... Click here to view entire article.     Troubled Waters 7/23/2009 By Talia Mollett tmollett@mdjonline.com MARIETTA - Last week's decision by Judge Paul Magnuson of U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minn., opened the floodgates to the long-running water war between Georgia, Alabama and Florida, and may have local repercussions. Congress has three years to settle the dispute over water withdrawals from Lake Lanier, according to the ruling. Magnuson ruled that all Georgia's withdrawals from Lake Lanier are illegal because the lake was built for hydroelectric power, not to supply water. Congress will have three years to come up with legislation that would change that and divide the water among the states through terms agreed upon by lawmakers. If not, releases from Lake Lanier will go back to mid-1970s levels. For Cobb, that worst-case scenario.... Click here to view entire article.     Open house scheduled at UGA's 'secret' trial garden 7/7/2009 Nestled between the garbage bins of Snelling Dining Hall and a loading dock at the University of Georgia's Pharmacy Building, one of the university's hidden treasures is in rainbow bloom this week. Although the UGA Trial Garden is free and open to the public year-round, thousands of people walk by every day without seeing the garden, hidden from casual view behind opaque fences, the pharmacy building and a handful of greenhouses. But the garden will be on brilliant display at an open house from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday - with tours led by the man credited with starting the trial garden in 1982, UGA horticulture professor Allan Armitage. Some of the garden's unusual plants will be for sale, as well, and officials are asking for a donation of $5 for admission to the open house. Th.... Click here to view entire article.     Rain slowly washes annual deficit away 7/7/2009 Afternoon and evening thundershowers continue to lower the area's annual rainfall deficit, weather officials said Monday. Jackie Ricciardi/Staff Comcast contractors work to repair wires that were damaged during Sunday night's storm on Baker Street in Augusta. Click photo for optionsA trace was added Monday to the nearly three-quarters of an inch of rain that fell Sunday at Augusta's Bush Field, leaving the annual regional deficit at 1.9 inches below normal. Sunday's rain came with strong winds and intense lightning that left scattered damage across the region. Georgia Power Co. reported that at the height of Sunday night's storm about 10,000 customers were affected, although all but about a dozen had power restored by Monday morning, said Carol Boatright, a spokeswoman fo.... Click here to view entire article.     Employers must check immigration status 7/7/2009 By Talia Mollett Marietta Daily Journal staff writer MARIETTA - All public employers and employers who do government contract work must now use the Employment Eligibility Verification program to ensure new hires are legally eligible to work. New requirements under the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act went into effect last week. They apply only to new hires and do not apply to private companies that do not do government contract work. The E-Verify program, formerly known as Basic Pilot, is a Web-based system that electronically verifies the employment eligibility of newly hired employees. The new requirements fall under Senate Bill 529, which was spearheaded by Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) and passed in the 2006 legislative session. Previously, only c.... Click here to view entire article.     Every second counts in setting area's future 7/6/2009 Predictions and warnings trumpeted by those intimately familiar with the politics of this state may be showing budding signs of truth. A recent study by a state-appointed committee looks suspiciously like a first move to call dibs on more water for the ever-growing populated regions of Atlanta and reserve less for coastal counties and communities. Sanctioned by the Coastal Georgia Regional Water Council, the study focused exclusively on the outlook of water needs in the state all the way to the half-century mark. In short, it shows this region of the coast using less. The forecast concludes that the paper industry, the largest consumer of water, will be all but forgotten 40 years down the road. With it will go jobs and with it, if employment opportunities that pay livable wages is a.... Click here to view entire article.     Senate Democratic Leader Wants New Guest Worker 6/23/2009 Monday, June 22, 2009 By Terence P. Jeffrey, Editor-in-Chief (CNSNews.com) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) says he wants to enact a new guest worker program as part of a comprehensive immigration reform bill that he is vowing to take up in Congress. Reid announced his intention to enact a new guest worker program last week despite the fact that the economy is in a deep recession and the national unemployment rate has reached 9.4%, a level that has not been seen since 1983 and that is rare in the post-World War II era. President Obama, meanwhile, will host a meeting at the White House on Thursday to discuss comprehensive immigration reform with selected House members and senators. “The meeting is to continue the conversation with the hopes of beginning the debate.... Click here to view entire article.     Drought is over, but culture of conservation remains strong 6/23/2009 By Carol Couch Tuesday, June 23, 2009 The good news for Georgia is that the drought is over. But the better news is that in spite of perceptions otherwise, Georgians are emerging from drought better prepared than ever before. The three-year drought kept water resource issues in the public spotlight and now it’s important that rainy days don’t make us complacent. Some newspaper editorial pages recently have accused Georgians of not being prepared, of a slow response to drought and of feeble planning for future water management. Here’s the truth: Georgians weathered the drought with no disruptions to drinking water supply. Georgia’s 2004 drought management rules and plans have a single objective: to protect the public’s drinking water and health. No one ran out of water and the c.... Click here to view entire article.     Governor Perdue Eases Water Restrictions 6/10/2009 Governor, EPD Ease Outdoor Water Use Schedules Wednesday, June 10, 2009 Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774 ATLANTA – Governor Perdue announced today that due to significant rainfall and improved water supplies the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has issued a non-drought schedule for outdoor water use for the first time since June 2006. “Georgians have seen the most severe drought on record, and have proven their ability to conserve and manage our state’s most precious resource,” said Governor Perdue “We have become more educated about water conservation, and have taken significant steps towards ensuring a long term solution. I believe Georgians will continue to use our water resources wisely under this new outdoor watering schedule.” Under a non-d.... Click here to view entire article.     State lifts strict outdoor watering restrictions 6/10/2009 State lifts strict outdoor watering restrictions ‘Drought is over’ official declares; environmental groups worry move is too soon By RHONDA COOK The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Wednesday, June 10, 2009 Proclaiming the drought over, Georgia officials lifted stringent statewide outdoor watering restrictions Wednesday. Homeowners can now water their lawns and wash their cars, said Carol Couch, director of the Georgia Environmental protection division. MORE ON THE DROUGHT: • Map: Heavy demands on our water • Photos: April showers bring ... • Photos: Lake rises dramatically in January RELATED: State lifts strict outdoor watering restrictions Ban lifted on new Lake Lanier boat docks Drought's over and Lake Lanier gets lively Water wars judge stays patient, .... Click here to view entire article.     Chambliss: immigration reform may have to wait 6/6/2009 Chambliss: immigration reform may have to wait Charles Oliver President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., say they want to pass a comprehensive immigration reform law this year. But Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., says he doesn’t see how Congress will have the time to take up such legislation. “I don’t see how they can seriously bring up immigration reform when we’ve got the health care reform debate we are going to have. The president said the other day he wants a (health care) bill on his desk by Oct. 15,” he said. “That means we’d have to pass a bill between now and the time we break in the first week of August. You throw in a Supreme Court nominee who has got to have hearings and debates. And you’ve got all 13 appropriation bills that have to.... Click here to view entire article.     Chambliss: immigration reform may have to wait 6/6/2009 Chambliss: immigration reform may have to wait Charles Oliver President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., say they want to pass a comprehensive immigration reform law this year. But Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., says he doesn’t see how Congress will have the time to take up such legislation. “I don’t see how they can seriously bring up immigration reform when we’ve got the health care reform debate we are going to have. The president said the other day he wants a (health care) bill on his desk by Oct. 15,” he said. “That means we’d have to pass a bill between now and the time we break in the first week of August. You throw in a Supreme Court nominee who has got to have hearings and debates. And you’ve got all 13 appropriation bills that have to.... Click here to view entire article.     Small-business loans available 6/6/2009 Small-business loans available Stimulus program aims to help companies make it through recession. By David Markiewicz The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Saturday, June 06, 2009 A new federal stimulus program to help struggling small businesses offers up to $35,000 in interest-free loans, with the first payment not due for a year, and full repayment due over five years. The America’s Recovery Capital (ARC) loan program starts taking applications June 15, and Georgia companies are waiting to apply. “It sounds like a pretty good deal,” said Richard Simile, owner of Southern Cultured Marble, a north Georgia bath-installation firm whose business has slid along with the housing construction market. Simile said he’d use the loan, “quite honestly, to keep the company going.” He s.... Click here to view entire article.     Lake Lanier manual update is on the fast track, corps official says 6/4/2009 BUFORD — Jerry Barnes, pulled from retirement out of his home in the scenic Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, first thought the task of modernizing the water control plan for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin would take three years. “I added six months and $2 million to that when I realized we were being sued,” he told a lake advocacy group meeting Wednesday night, referring to litigation involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The schedule now might change drastically. U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson of Minnesota, who is presiding over legal entanglements between Florida, Georgia and Alabama over water from Lake Lanier, “was not a big fan when (he was told) the corps was going to take until 2012 to finish this,” said Barnes. “I do expect that he will.... Click here to view entire article.     Downstream water releases won't affect Lanier for now, corps says 6/4/2009 From staff reports POSTED June 1, 2009 9:42 p.m. An easing of drought conditions has prompted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to resume normal downstream releases of water previously held in reservoirs during the drought. The changes won’t affect water releases from Lake Lanier at this time, the corps said. The procedure change stems from provisions of a revised interim operating plan for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system that allow slightly less water to be released at Woodruff Dam on the Apalachicola River near the Florida border. Lake advocates, as well as the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, had requested the reduced flow in order to keep a bit more water in Georgia. "Initially, there will be minimal impacts within the basin," E. Patrick.... Click here to view entire article.     Full lake depends on weather 6/4/2009 West Point Lake project managers say crowds were slow and attendance was light during last weekend’s Memorial Day holiday, but blame most of that on persistent rains. After a two-year drought has begun to loosen its hold on the Southeast, most are thankful for a wet spring. However, the same rain that has filled the lake - the level was reported at 634.87 feet above mean sea level Friday and could attract more visitors this summer - also may trigger the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to go back to managing the lake the old way. The “old way” means that if the basin’s conservation storage rises to a high enough level, the current drought operations plan the corps adopted two years ago would be suspended and the corps would go back to using that storage instead of rain to provide the .... Click here to view entire article.     Corps: Water release in basin will have ‘minimal impact’ 5/22/2009 From staff reports POSTED May 21, 2009 11:28 p.m. An easing of drought conditions has prompted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider normal downstream releases of water previously held in reservoirs during the drought. The procedure change stems from provisions of a revised interim operating plan for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system that allow slightly less water to be released at Woodruff Dam on the Apalachicola River near the Florida border. Lake advocates, as well as the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, had requested the reduced flow in order to keep a bit more water in Georgia. Lisa Coghlan, a corps spokeswoman, has said the revised plan "has no impact on Lake Lanier." "Initially, if we return to normal operations on June 1, there.... Click here to view entire article.     The "Chapel Hill Yellow" lantana is a survivor. 5/21/2009 The "Chapel Hill Yellow" lantana is a survivor. That's appropriate, considering where the sun-tinted, drought-resistant flowering perennial first sprouted. Five years ago, an accident of nature planted the then-undiscovered hybrid in the backyard of Susy Dirr's cottage in Chapel Hill, N.C., where the former Oconee County High School valedictorian and University of Georgia grad recovered from her second lung transplant. Susy's father, renowned horticulturist and former UGA professor Mike Dirr, believes something special put the plant - a cross between two common lantana varieties - there for him to recognize. "We always say it's Susy's pixie dust," Dirr said last week, more than a year after his daughter's death from cystic fibrosis. She had survived for 31 years with the diseas.... Click here to view entire article.     Sean Hanity Explores California Drought Issue 5/11/2009 Third generation farmers suddenly find themselves with out access to water. The "drought" turns out to be man made. Click here to view entire article.     Is Atlanta entitled to Lake Lanier’s water? 5/11/2009 Federal judge will preside over hearing Monday By Bill Rankin The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Monday, May 11, 2009 After almost two decades, the hard-fought, tri-state water wars litigation that has engulfed Georgia, Alabama and Florida has arrived at the central battlefield. In a Jacksonville courtroom Monday, a federal judge will consider the question: Is metro Atlanta entitled to rely on Lake Lanier as its primary source of drinking water? Click here to view entire article.     Wet spring could drench drought issue 5/7/2009 By Harris Blackwood hblackwood@gainesvilletimes.com POSTED May 7, 2009 12:06 a.m. As litigation over Lake Lanier heads to court, drought, the issue that has exacerbated the tri-state water wars, may be going away. At midnight, the lake had reached a level of 1064.59 feet, reaching territory not seen since July 2007. The lake is still shy of its summer full pool of 1,071 feet above mean sea level. The last time it was that high was Sept. 6, 2005. Judge Paul A. Magnuson, the Minnesota federal judge assigned to hear the dispute over the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint basin, noted the drought conditions when he met with lawyers last July. "When this thing (the lawsuit) is all over and done, I’m going to make some decisions that are going to injure some people very bad.... Click here to view entire article.     Rain swells Oostanaula River out of its bank 5/7/2009 The Oostanaula River was swelling out of its bank at some spots Wednesday afternoon as Rome received another day of rain. The National Weather Service recorded 1.46 inches of rain Wednesday, pushing May’s total to date to 4.66 inches. The normal for the entire month is 4.21. The Oostanaula measured around 18 feet late Wednesday at the Turner McCall Boulevard bridge and was expected to crest this afternoon around 2 p.m. at 24 feet. Flood stage is 25 feet at the bridge. But the river was already over its banks near the Rome-Floyd County Library early Wednesday afternoon, covering the riverwalk that runs from the library to Ridge Ferry Park. Some rainfall was measured every day in Floyd County from Friday through Wednesday. Thanks to heavy spring rains, area lakes have also bee.... Click here to view entire article.     Drought status eases to mild; more rain expected today 5/6/2009 From staff reports POSTED May 5, 2009 11:51 p.m. The Lake Lanier basin has improved to mild drought status due to recent rains, according to the state climatologist, and today’s forecast predicts more rain is on the way. Both the Lanier and Lake Hartwell basins previously were in moderate drought, but now are categorized as mild due to lake levels that remain low, said David Stooksbury. The remainder of the state is drought-free. "Soil moisture conditions are above normal for the entire state except the north-central and northeast mountain counties," he said. "Soil moisture in these regions is near normal for early May. These counties include the drainage basins for Lanier and Hartwell." Stooksbury said that stream flows that feed into the lakes are near normal for e.... Click here to view entire article.     GOP candidates say yes to contest for ag commissioner 5/6/2009