Authority Chairman Melvin Davis holds a lot of Executive Sessions in Oconee County. UOBWA, under Davis’s leadership, recently tried to exclude Jackson County, a member, from the “closed meeting”. Jackson County did not go along. …….

AVOC

.

September 27, 2008

.

Real leadership and vision needed with Bear Creek – UOBWA problems

.

By Wendell Dawson, Editor, AVOC, Inc

.

Jackson County is on the verge of litigation against its partners in Bear Creek Reservoir.   The Authority has not properly addressed Jackson’s concerns that Athens-Clarke and Oconee are using Jackson water allocations without paying for it.    The Jackson Herald on September 24, 2008, had vivid details about Jackson County’s position.

.

Authority Chairman Melvin Davis holds a lot of Executive Sessions in Oconee County.   UOBWA, under Davis’s leadership, recently tried to exclude Jackson County, a member, from a “closed meeting”.     Jackson County did not go along.  Jackson County’s attorney, former Attorney General Michael Bowers, threatened to sue if Jackson was excluded.   Jackson officials were allowed to attend the meeting but Attorney Bowers was excluded.   We will hear more about this.

.

9-26-08 Water War declared by Jackson County wit.pdf x    ….” On Monday, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners held an emergency called meeting at which it authorized Bowers to file litigation against UOBWA if the group attempted to keep Jackson County representatives from attending the meeting….”

.

…………………….A letter from Bowers to the authority on behalf of Jackson County suggests that the basin authority is being used “as a tool for Athens-Clarke’s own individual gain.”

.

Another troubling bit of information indicates Jackson County has a study that shows the Bear Creek Reservoir has only about half of the capacity as originally thought.   This is disappointing news to the members and helps explain some actions of Melvin Davis in seeking water elsewhere and ignoring Jackson County to protect Oconee and Athens-Clarke’s current water usage.  

.

If Jackson County is right on the Bear Creek capacity, it is very disappointing to a lot of us that the Bear Creek Consultants were so wrong.   Attorney-Consultant Tommy Craig, who was the attorney consultant in getting the Bear Creek Corps of Engineers Permit in 1996, was also the attorney-consultant for Hard Labor Creek.   Instead of addressing Bear Creek expansion issues, Melvin Davis jumped over to Walton County on a very ‘iffy’ and expensive project at Hard Labor Creek.   HLC is projected to cost over $ 350 Million while Bear Creek cost about $ 80 Million!

.

In the past, the Bear Creek Reservoir project has been recognized as a very successful example of regional cooperation.   It took years of working together to accomplish the governing procedure and build the project.   It involved a lot of “head knocking” and “give and take”.    In recent years, under the Chairmanship of Melvin Davis of Oconee County, it has had its share of negative publicity- water shortage, shares of water and allocation formulas.    Recently, UOBWA was recognized for its reduction in water use over last year.   However, experienced observers know that consumers accomplished that and it helped that Oconee County ceased selling bulk water to Walton County, outside of the Reservoir area, in September 2007.

.

Jackson County is very adamant about its position that its share of water is being used by Athens-Clarke County and Oconee County.   Some real leadership must come forward to salvage the Bear Creek Reservoir Project from further decline in cooperation.   Failure to do so will cost all of us in the future.

9-25-08 Bear Creek Reservoir authority faces lawsuit

.

The Athens Banner-Herald

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/092508/new_336494806.shtml

.

September 25, 2008

.

Bear Creek Reservoir authority faces lawsuit

.

By Blake Aued

.

Jackson County officials believe the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority - made up of Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Jackson and Oconee counties - should cut in half the amount of water each county, including Jackson, is allowed to withdraw.

.

A 1996 agreement between the four counties says they have the right to withdraw up to 53 million gallons per day from the reservoir. A clause in the agreement says that figure should have been revised after the reservoir reached a historic low in 2007, so the counties only should be able to take 24 million gallons, said former state Attorney General Mike Bowers, who is representing Jackson County in the dispute.

"It will keep the reservoir healthier a lot longer," Bowers said.

.

Jackson County officials are misreading the agreement, said Melvin Davis, chairman of the authority and the Oconee County Commission. As the four counties move through a series of increasingly strict outdoor watering rules in response to droughts, they take less water from the reservoir, Davis said.

.

"When you're looking at that, your usage has got to drop," Davis said. "I can't use my (full) allotment during a drought."

……………………………………

SLOW TO REACT TO DROUGHT IN 2007

.

10-1-07 Drought leadership is “Absent without Leave” – It is badly needed!

10-15-07 This Drought is serious! - What others in NEGA area are doing and saying

11-23-07 Water Conservation, statistics and facts about Oconee – Walton Water Sales

.

CHAIRMAN DAVIS PURSUES WALTON PROJECT RATHER THAN INCREASING BEAR CREEK

.

2-6-07 Walton – Oconee Hard Labor Creek Project raises many questions

7-19-07 Walton’s Hard Labor Creek Reservoir still having challenges

.

9-15-08 Lack of Leadership on Upper Oconee Basin Authority becoming obvious

.

The Jackson Herald

http://www.jacksonheraldtoday.com/archives/735-Basin-authority-seeks-more-time-on-Jefferson-water-request.html

.

September 10, 2008

.

Basin authority seeks more time on Jefferson water request

.

By Mike Buffington

.

Over the objections of Jackson County and the City of Jefferson, the regional water authority will ask the state for more time to “comment” on a proposal to allow Jefferson to withdraw water from the North Oconee River.

.

Board of commissioners’ chair Pat Bell and Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority manager Eric Klerk cast the only dissenting votes as the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority voted to petition the Environmental Protection Division for a 30-day extension of the comment period, which would have ended Monday, Sept. 8.
.
The squabble comes against a backdrop of a challenge from Jackson County that because the yield of the regional reservoir is vastly overstated, Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties are using Jackson’s water without paying for it.
.
Athens-Clarke Mayor Heidi Davison and deputy manager Bobby Snipes couched their concerns over the proposed permit in terms of its alleged effect on the four-county region, principally the Bear Creek Reservoir.
.
That 505-acre impoundment receives water pumped from the Middle Oconee River. Athens-Clark draws water from the North and Middle Oconee rivers. Those permits, said Snipes, are linked to the Bear Creek Reservoir in that Athens-Clarke is not allowed to withdraw from the reservoir as long as it can meet its needs via the rivers. If Jefferson takes 4-5.6 mgd from the river, the concern is that Athens-Clarke would have to dip into the reservoir sooner in times of reduced stream flows.