For many years, Georgia has been blessed with an abundant supply of water. Our heritage of plentiful, clean, flowing water has driven a growth spurt and made our state an attractive location for businesses and families. But now we face a new reality. Increased water consumption, as well as extended droughts, has made it clear that water is a finite resource. Georgia is now at a crossroads.

We need to be smart about how we manage our water to allow for both economic development and conservation to exist side by side. The goal of the Coalition is to find a sustainable solution to Georgia’s water crisis that addresses the needs of agriculture and business and contributes to public health, while maintaining the integrity of Georgia’s natural systems.

Our first of four guiding principles is to ensure that surface and ground waters remain a public resource, managed in the public interest. We helped to defeat the water permit trading legislation in 2003 and got 177 cities and counties to adopt formal resolutions opposing water permit trading in Georgia.

This year, we will work for good water planning, for adequate funding, and for protecting property values.

Why is good planning essential? We know that water is essential to all life and that our headwater streams are our capillaries of life. Good planning is based on the way nature is planned to collect rain and ground water, that is, on watersheds, river basins, and aquifers. Good planning ensures that every community has water they need for future generations. But we’re not there yet.

We know there’s no better investment than water to ensure the health of future generations and this is why we will work for adequate funding for water planning and implementation. We need to not only restore the funds lost over the last couple of years but also we need to increase them to maintain plentiful and clean water.

We maintain that the property value of people downstream is just as important as property upstream. We have seen how irresponsible development upstream affect property downstream. We’ll be working to help protect downstream users.

This year is a pivotal year. We look to the citizens of Georgia to strengthen the Coalition by diversifying and doubling our partner members. We have grown from 4 partners in 2002 to over 100 partners today. The Coalition has been one of the most effective organizations in the environmental movement. But we have a long way to go. We need to grow. If you want:

• Clean, plentiful, affordable drinking water;
• Your children to swim and fish in clean rivers and lakes;
• Your property protected against mud and pollution from upstream; and
• Every community to have the water it needs to enjoy economic prosperity;

then support the Georgia Water Coalition’s work to:

• Protect water quality in Georgia’s rivers, streams, lakes, and groundwater;
• Protect Georgia’s wetlands and coastal waters;
• Keep water a public resource that is managed fairly by the state for all needs;
• Promote water conservation;
• Give the public a meaningful role in managing water in every river basin; and
• Ensure adequate funding for the state’s water programs.

Here’s how you can join our efforts:

• Become a part of the Georgia Water Coalition’s network of supporters. You can register by calling 1-866-88-WATER or sign up at www.georgiawater.org.
• Sign a Georgia Water Coalition petition. It’s available online and will be presented at meetings and events scheduled for the fall and early winter.
• Invite a coalition member to your environmental group, church, university, homeowner association, Garden club, Rotary or other civic club to explain the issues.

by the Georgia Water Coalition

The Georgia Conservancy is a part of The Georgia Water Coalition. Protect Georgia's water as a public resource by signing the petition. Visit www.georgiawater.org to learn more.
For additional reading, click on the editorials below:

Agency lightens stream protections
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 8, 2004
[Read the Article]

Four years may be too long to wait for a statewide water plan
The Athens Banner-Herald, April 15, 2004
[Read the Article]

Environmentalists celebrate victories
The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, FL, April 9, 2004
[Read the Article]

Bill to help quench Atlanta's thirst dies in Legislature
The Daily Tribune News, Cartersville, GA, April 9, 2004
[Read the Article]

Environmentalists hit water control bills
The Atlanta Journal Constitution, April 2, 2004
[Read the Article]

Budget woes muddle water management
The Macon Telegraph, March 31, 2004
[Read the Article]

UGA experts oppose Senate Bill 460
UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, March 22, 2004
[Read the Article]

Water planning bill in jeopardy: Lawmakers ask who has final say
The Florida Times-Union, March 15, 2004
[Read the Article]

Readers Write
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 15, 2004
[Read the Article]

Legislature 2004: Status of Legislative Bills on the Environment
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 14, 2004
[Read the Article]

Stream Buffer Bill: Environmentalists call foul on Senate bill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 11, 2004
[Read the Article]

Our Opinions: Bill tips environmental scales
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 10, 2004
[Read the Article]

Defining the problem
The Post-Searchlight, February 4, 2004
[Read the Article]

Editorial: No permit fat lady
The Post-Searchlight, January 27, 2004
[Read the Article]

A Lesson in Power Politics
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, January 25, 2004
[Read the Article]

Cities reject water permit trading
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, January 23, 2004
[Read the Article]

City asks for water control
The Brusnwick News, January 22, 2004
[Read the Article]

Water plan unlikely to make waves
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 12, 2004
[Read the Article]

2004 Georgia Legislature - The Key Issues
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 11, 2004
[Read the Article]

Water legislation not likely to make waves
Savannah Morning News, January 10, 2004
[Read the Article]

Legislators ready for '04 battles
The Brunswick News, January 5, 2004
[Read the Article]

Read articles from Fall 2002 - December 2003

AJC, January 3, 2003

Brunswick News, January 4, 2003

LaGrange Daily News, December 17, 2002

Savannah Morning News, December 25, 2002