On January 21, 2021, the State of Georgia and the United States Army Corps of Engineers executed a “storage contract” granting a permanent right to the State to utilize Lake Lanier for water supply. Forsyth County, the City of Cumming, Gwinnett County, the City of Buford, and the City of Gainesville (which serves Hall County) – have always relied on Lake Lanier, but their uses have been threatened by litigation for decades. Access to water supply from the river, on the other hand, was confirmed years ago.
This signed contract ensures that water will be available to meet the lake users’ projected needs through at least 2050. Having secured permanent contractual rights to Lake Lanier, the State of Georgia and the lake users can now plan for the future.
“This is the culmination of decades of work by metro Atlanta leaders to ensure access to Lake Lanier water in order to responsibly support long-term growth and economic vitality,” said Katherine Zitsch, Managing Director, Natural Resources, Atlanta Regional Commission.
Read more in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution and WABE.