Valdosta State University graduate Stephen Dupuis (VSU '08) teamed up with UGA grad Stephen Turner to create Defy Thirst, which strives to empower developing nations through sanitation education and the sharing of efficient, inexpensive water filtration technology. It is good to know that our graduates from this university are not only able to earn a living but contribute to solving the problems of the world.

Atlanta loses Lake Lanier

Last Friday, July 17th, Judge Paul Magnuson ruled that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been improperly tapping Lake Lanier as a municipal water source for Atlanta. I have yet to read the entire decision, but according to newspaper accounts it hinged on the idea that current use of the reservoir deviates from the initial purpose of impounding federally protected waters of the Chattahoochee River.

The Lake Lanier case involved the state governments of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It was tried before a judge from the federal district of Minnesota, presumably to insure impartiality. Judge Magnuson's decision has implications for many other localities where lakes originally constructed for flood control or irrigation have been converted to municipal water supplies or some other purpose than that for which the waters were originally impounded.

Many environmentalists are already applauding this decision, particularly in Alabama and Florida. However, it is likely that Georgia will now instead move forward on new dam construction. New dams, particularly if built within the "ACF" (Appalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint) system, could have even more deleterious impacts on both local Georgia environments and downstream fisheries and hydrology.

Georgia Wildfire

We got the attention of the British newspaper The Guardian, although they have simply published the AP wire story by Russ Bynum. This is definitely related to long-term regional drought in the Southeast, the worst years of which are always when we are in the El Niño mode of ENSO. Groundwater withdrawal might also be a factor. This would be a great topic for a master's or Ph.D thesis.

The fire first broke out a little over two weeks ago on April 16th in the town of Ware along U.S. 1 between Waycross, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida. It rapidly spread into the Okefenokee Swamp. This past weekend a few spot fires flared up outside of the main wildfire, which appears to be under control. There is suspicion that arson may be responsible for these spot fires, and our governor Sonny has made an appearance in Waycross to announce that he is taking charge and protecting us all from both nature and man.