The seemingly endless drought in the Southeast has caused tension in
bordering states and now the water wars literally have a battle line. The Tennessee River has become the focus of a border skirmish
between Georgia and Tennessee. Georgia lawmakers believe part of the
river actually belongs to their state, but Tennessee residents strongly
disagree and vow to protect their boundaries. "I think this is pure desperation," said Tennessee State Sen. Andy Berke. When Congress created the river in 1796, it set the 35th parallel as
the border. In 1818 the border line was surveyed about a mile south
after forest fires and Native Americans scared off surveyors. Now Georgia lawmakers want to push it back 1.1 miles, which
would send millions of gallons of water to Atlanta and other parts of
the arid state. Since last summer Georgia has been desperate for water
and its governor even went so far as to pray for rain.
Atlanta's water reserve, Lake Lanier, has been down several feet from
its desired depth and times have only gotten more desperate as the
drought has strengthened its grip. "It's never too late to right a wrong," Georgia State Sen.
David Shafer told the Associated Press. His bill would create a
boundary line commission that aims to resolve the dispute. Along with increased water flow, moving the border would give
Georgia a chuck of Chattanooga, Mississippi and a slice of Memphis,
according to the AP. But Tennessee lawmakers aren't giving an inch -- or a drop -- of their river. "My first thought was I'd offer to settle this over a game of
college football, but that would be unfair to the citizen of Georgia,"
Berke said. Tennessee residents like Nickie Summer said the desire to push the border is nothing more than a thirsty state's pipe dream. SOURCE OF THIS STORY
