Reply #9: You actually do need a resevoir, Georgia's water system is horrible.... [View All]

[ShaneGR]

Up there in the NW part of the state you're the hardest hit by this draught. Here's the draught map.




All signs indicate that this will be longterm effect of global warming, as the trend has continued for over half a decade now.

Then factor in that because those areas are so rural, they only consume a small % of the states water supply (some of which comes from North Florida). I would guess that most of your county still uses wells, which are drying up rapidly.

Now, take a look at Georgia's natural water map. The circles are federal and state monitoring sites at major streams, lakes, and rivers. Red indicates they are extremely dry, water level is low, and in some cases there is a danger that some of the smaller ones could dry up all together.

This is a problem that small counties in the south face. The threat of a dryout harbers more dangers than just drinking and sewage water. Fires. Big fires. Destruction of wildlife both in the water and out through starvation, suffocation, and migration.

Resevoirs are used to fix many of these issues by building up a body of water and then using it for a variety of purposes including irrigating the surrounding countryside. The larger they are the farther away they help its creators.

There are 3 main factors involved in the creation of a good system.

#1: Make sure the creation of it restricts its use to helping the local populace. Too many times the thing ends up powering some far away city, not working for the benefit of its inhabitants.

#2: Controlling the impact of the decreased waterflow downstream. If your water is running past you at 10 mph, after its setup the water will probably be flowing 2-5 mph slower, and there will be less of it. Robbing Peter to pay Paul?

#3: Protecting the rights of individuals who have to abandon their homes. I'm of the opinion that eminent domain should be used, but I think they should factor the value of the land, and multiply that by 200%. Not fair value, really awesome value. And then pay for their move. Heck, why not give them 200% for their land, then give them new waterfront property for free? They could look out every morning and say, "I used to live down under that."