Lawsuits
In July 2009, a federal judge from Minnesota (chosen as an arbiter from a neutral location) ruled that Congress never authorized Lake Lanier to be used as a source of the water supply for metro Atlanta. The state was given three years to stop withdrawing from the lake (except for the adjacent cities of Gainesville and Buford), unless Congress authorizes it, or the three states which use the basin come to an agreement. The Atlanta Regional Commission chairman noted that if enforced, cutting drinking water to 75% of the region would require disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
See also Tri-state water dispute.
Read more about this topic: Lake Lanier