A Weekly e-Newsletter from
Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)

October 19, 2007

Dear Friends,

First, I want to thank the millions of Georgians who are making sacrifices every day to comply with water restrictions as a result of the severe drought we’re facing. There were some positive developments in Washington this week regarding our water crisis and I am hopeful there will be even more news to report in the coming weeks.

I received some positive news from Army Secretary Geren late yesterday when he committed to me by telephone and in writing that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin to update the water control manual for the drought-ravaged Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River Basin. Senator Chambliss and I have been urging the Corps for at least two years to update the water manuals governing this river basin as well as the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin. The current release of water from these two basins is based on science and population figures that are almost 20 years old and that do not reflect the tremendous growth and modern-day needs of Georgia. While it is a good first step by Secretary Geren to begin an update of the ACT River Basin, I urged him to also begin an update of the water control manual governing our other drought-ravaged basin, the ACF River Basin.

Also this week, all the members of the Georgia congressional delegation came together twice to seek to address this water crisis in a unified, bipartisan manner. As a result, our delegation introduced bills in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House to provide for a waiver for obligations under the Endangered Species Act to the Army Corps of Engineers during drought conditions. Currently, the Corps is required to send millions of gallons of water from Georgia downstream to Alabama and Florida every day solely for the protection of two endangered species: mussels and sturgeon. Specifically, the legislation would amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to allow a state to be exempt from the Act when the Secretary of the Army or a Governor declares that drought conditions are threatening the health, safety and welfare of residents in a region served by a river basin managed by the federal government. This legislation would allow the Corps to manage the basin during times of drought in a manner that is consistent with what is in the best interests of the people of the ACT and ACF basins, and not the two species in those basins.   

I am very supportive of Governor Perdue ’s action this week seeking an injunction against the Corps after it failed to heed hisrequest for an immediate alteration of all ACF reservoir releases, so that releases from Woodruff Dam at Lake Seminole are only equivalent to inflows, up to 5,000 cubic feet per second.  Governor Perdue’s request last week stipulated that any additional inflows above 5,000 cubic feet per second should be stored.  In order to make a short-term immediate impact on Georgia’s water supply, Governor Perdue requested this action be taken immediately and be kept in place until March 1, 2008. 

I will continue to work on this crisis every day to fight for a more realistic and fair management of Georgia’s water to other states to ensure that Georgia residents have water for their homes and businesses and to ensure that the threat to our lakes is stopped.

State Children’s Health Insurance Program (also known as SCHIP)

I am continuing to work to reauthorize and expand SCHIP, which is known in Georgia as PeachCare. The House this week failed to override the President’s veto of a bill that would have expanded the program by $35 billion, paid for the expansion with a tax increase and expanded the program to allow adults and middle income families to be covered. I am working to see that this program remains true to its original intent as a program to provide health insurance to low-income children.

What’s on Tap for Next Week?

Next week, the Senate will continue to debate the Labor-Health and Human Service-Education Appropriations bill.

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson