Nathan Deal: Capping water would be disaster for South Georgia farmers

Gov. Nathan Deal warned that Florida’s attempt to cap Georgia’s water use and set a strict limit of water flowing south across the state line could have dire consequences for the state’s agricultural industry.

In an interview Tuesday as the state’s lengthy battle with Florida over regional water rights neared a critical juncture, Deal said limits on water use could be a “disaster for agriculture” that could force farmers to change the types of crops by restricting irrigation.

“Farmers are allowed to make those calls on their own, based on market prices for the commodities they produce. They should not have an artificial process to grow their crops,” Deal said. “It’s pretty far-reaching.”

The governor said Florida was forced to target Georgia’s agriculture industry in part because of successful water conservation efforts in metro Atlanta. He pointed to data provided by his office that show metro Atlanta is withdrawing 10 percent less water over the past decade despite growing by more than 1 million people.

Read more: http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2016/11/29/nathan-deal-capping-water-would-be-disaster-for-south-georgia-farmers/