FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Chambliss, Isakson Urge Responsible Management of ACF and ACT River Systems During Congressional Field Hearing

COLUMBUS - U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today hosted a Senate Agriculture Committee field hearing in Columbus to address the effect of the Army Corps of Engineers’ operation of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basins on Georgia’s agriculture community.

Chambliss chaired today’s hearing and the senators were joined by U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., and U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga.  All members of the Georgia delegation were invited to attend.

Senators Chambliss and Isakson and U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., held a similar hearing in Gainesville earlier this year and promised to hold a second hearing downstream. 

“There has not been an updated water control plan for the ACF in more than 50 years, and I believe this lack of a master control plan is the root of a number of problems we have experienced,” said Chambliss. “We have varying needs in both North Georgia and South Georgia and in some instances there are competing interests.  We need to strike the right balance and make sure that folks on this end are provided with the levels necessary for our agricultural needs, commerce, use of our ports, and for safe recreational purposes as well.”

"There are several competing interests regarding water use in our state -- business interests, environmental interests, agriculture interests, stewardship interests and recreational interests. I do not believe that these interests have to be mutually exclusive. I think they can be inclusive," said Isakson.  "It is absolutely essential that the 50-year-old water control plan is updated to reflect the state of Georgia and its population of almost 10 million and to reflect the diversity of the entire Chattahoochee River corridor."

Witnesses at today’s hearing include the Honorable Sonny Perdue, Governor, State of Georgia; Brigadier General Joseph Schroedel, Commander, South Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Mr. Dick Timmerberg, Executive Director, West Point Lake Coalition; Mr. Mike Gaymon, President & CEO, Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Steve Singletary, Vice Chairman, Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission; and Mr. Jimmy Webb, Flint River Water Council.