Abstract
This timely article reviews the history and current status of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin Compact, a tri-state water compact between Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. In the United States, water rights disputes are common in the arid West, where the supply of water is simply not plentiful when compared to the vast area of land; in fact, the western water rights doctrine dates back to the Gold Rush days of the mid 1800's. However, the Southeastern United States, with its humid climate, lush greenery, and plentiful rainfall, has always had an abundant water supply for its needs. Therefore, the region has been basically immune from the "water wars" that have plagued the west. With such a bounty of water, the Southeast seems an unlikely locale for a water war. But, the sprawling development and booming industry in and around the Atlanta, Georgia, area have sparked a three state dispute between Alabama, Florida, and Georgia over water rights in the Chattahoochee River. Indeed, a water war has begun in the Southeast, and the first battle is over the "Hootch."
Recommended Citation
Stephenson, Dustin S.
(2018)
"The Tri-State Compact: Falling Waters and Fading Opportunities,"
Florida State University Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law: Vol. 16:
No.
1, Article 2.
Available at:
https://ir.law.fsu.edu/jluel/vol16/iss1/2