In the summer of 2007, unprecedented drought conditions brought the city of Atlanta, Georgia, within weeks of running out of water. Most of Atlanta’s water comes from Lake Lanier, a reservoir that the Army Corps of Engineers created by damming the Chattahoochee River. With Lake Lanier drying up from lack of rainfall, Georgia petitioned the Corps, which manages the dam, to reduce the amount of water released downstream. The Corps refused, citing its obligation under the Endangered Species Act to protect the habitats of a species of sturgeon (a fish) and two species of mussel (a mollusc). Objections were also raised by Alabama and Florida, where hundreds of towns, recreational facilities, and power plants depend on the water released downstream. Some people thought that Atlanta authorities had brought the water shortage on themselves by allowing developers to build without considering whether adequate water was available. Florida also argued that reduction of freshwater inflows would harm its oyster fisheries. How would you prioritize the competing claims on the water from Lake Lanier? Who should allocate scarce water resources? How can cities and states plan more wisely for future shortages?

In the summer of 2007, unprecedented drought conditions brought the city of Atlanta, Georgia, within weeks of running out of water. Most of Atlanta’s water comes from Lake Lanier, a reservoir that the Army Corps of Engineers created by damming the Chattahoochee River. With Lake Lanier drying up from lack of rainfall, Georgia petitioned the Corps, which manages the dam, to reduce the amount of water released downstream. The Corps refused, citing its obligation under the Endangered Species Act to protect the habitats of a species of sturgeon (a fish) and two species of mussel (a mollusc). Objections were also raised by Alabama and Florida, where hundreds of towns, recreational facilities, and power plants depend on the water released downstream. Some people thought that Atlanta authorities had brought the water shortage on themselves by allowing developers to build without considering whether adequate water was available. Florida also argued that reduction of freshwater inflows would harm its oyster fisheries. How would you prioritize the competing claims on the water from Lake Lanier? Who should allocate scarce water resources? How can cities and states plan more wisely for future shortages?