Governor sues Corp of Engineers over water control plans

Gov. Robert Bentley

People who live along the Coosa River could see lower water levels this fall if the Army Corps of Engineers proceeds with its current plan for managing the river basin, according to lawyers for Gov. Robert Bentley.

The Alabama governor filed suit in federal court against the Corps of Engineers on Thursday, asking the court to block the newest version of the corps’ water control manual, a document that prescribes procedures for management of the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basin.

 More than a dozen dams, built between 1914 and the late 1960s, control the flow of the Coosa and the Tallapoosa.

Upstream in Georgia lies Lake Allatoona, which was also created by a dam. Alabama and Georgia have for decades been locked in a dispute over how much water flows out of the Georgia portion of the river basin and into the Coosa.

Bentley’s suit is likely another volley in those water wars.

Bentleys attorneys said the new water control manual would allow the corps to keep water levels in Lake Allatoona higher than their historic levels mid-autumn, to allow more water-skiing on the lake.

The governor’s suit alleges that the change in policy would lead to lower water levels downstream, harming water quality and power generation along the river.