Judge rules against Georgia in ‘water wars’ case - UPDATE

Score one for Alabama in the never-ending “water wars” debacle.

U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson today ruled that metro Atlanta’s water withdrawals from Lake Lanier — long a bone of contention between Alabama, Florida and Georgia — are illegal and ordered withdrawals frozen at their current levels. Magnuson gave the Peach State three years to receive Congress’ approval should it want to keep dipping its straws in the giant jetski-filled pond. (PDF of the judge’s ruling)

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, whose state has argued for years that Lake Lanier was never authorized to be metro Atlanta’s water fountain, was gracious when he heard the news. According to a statement from the governor printed in the Birmingham Business Journal:

“The significance of today’s ruling for Alabama’s economic and environmental future is tremendous...Atlanta has based its growth on the idea that it could take whatever water it wanted whenever it wanted it, and that the downstream states would simply have to make do with less. Following the court’s ruling today, this massive illegal water grab will be coming to an end.”