Attorney General Chris Carr is applauding the execution of a contract between Georgia and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last week providing the State with storage space in Lake Lanier that will allow Georgia to withdraw and use the water held in that storage space for municipal and industrial purposes. Georgia water supply providers, including Gwinnett and Forsyth counties and the cities of Gainesville, Cumming, and Buford, had been withdrawing water from Lake Lanier for years without formal contracts in place while waiting on the Corps to respond to the State’s request for a formal contract.

“Because of this contract, Georgians can rest assured that their water needs will be met for decades to come,” said Attorney General Carr. “This is an important step forward for our state, and I want to thank Governors Kemp and Deal, our congressional delegation, Rick Dunn, Director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, and all who have worked in this issue over the years for their roles in making this happen.”

The contract, entered into under the federal Water Supply Act of 1958, provides Georgia with 254,170 acre-feet of storage in Lake Lanier to accommodate withdrawals of 222 million gallons per day of water. This amount of storage is anticipated to meet Georgia’s projected water supply needs from Lake Lanier through 2050 and will ultimately give the State permanent rights to this storage.

Along with the Governor’s Office and Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division, attorneys with the Attorney General’s Office and outside counsel to the State, Kazmarek Mowrey Cloud Laseter LLP, led contract negotiations on behalf of the State, with assistance from the Governor’s Office and Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division.