We in the Chattanooga area certainly have no water shortage problem, with the broad Tennessee River flowing through our area and Chickamauga Dam impounding a great deal of water to generate electricity. We have plenty of water for consumption, navigation and everything else that requires it.
But time after time, the subject arises as to whether, when and how some of our plentiful water might be diverted from Tennessee to Georgia, where our Tennessee River flows close to the Georgia border.
It’s a sensitive subject. Parts of Georgia need water. Tennessee has it. But there are questions about how much might be needed, diverted and used – and about the effects on the Tennessee people contributing water and the Georgia people receiving it.
Water conservation, purification and use are important matters – especially for those who don’t have all the water they need or want.
We should all want to be good neighbors, and for all of us to thrive in a reasonably cooperative way.
But when major natural resources may be diverted, the questions and the answers are never simple. Therefore, no such plan should be approved without extremely cautious consideration beforehand by lawmakers in Tennessee – if it is approved at all.