ATHENS — The Georgia Water Coalition will release its third annual “Clean 13” list and report via teleconference Thursday starting at 9 a.m.
The report highlights the extraordinary work accomplished by individuals, businesses, industries, nonprofit organizations, and state and local governments to protect Georgia’s water.
The Georgia Water Coalition’s mission is to protect and care for Georgia’s surface water and groundwater resources, which are essential for sustaining economic prosperity, providing clean and abundant drinking water, preserving diverse aquatic habitats for wildlife and recreation, strengthening property values, and protecting the quality of life for current and future generations.
The members of the Georgia Water Coalition work collaboratively and transparently with each other to achieve specific conservation goals. Among those goals and the principles o fthe organization are:
♦ The surface waters and groundwater of Georgia are public resources to be managed by the state in the public interest and in a sustainable manner to protect natural systems, meet human and economic needs, and account for the effects of climate change.
♦ Effective water management requires ongoing, rigorous evaluation and planning that is:
a) transparent and informed by citizen input;
b) based on watersheds, river basins, and aquifers;
c) informed by the best available scientific data;
d) reliant on uniform, consistently applied, and enforceable standards; and
e) implemented, enforced, and timely revised as necessary
♦ Shared waters must be apportioned equitably among all users to meet reasonable needs and assure the long-term sustainability of the natural systems on which those water supplies depend.
♦ Effective water management and allocation requires conservation as the primary management method. All Georgians must strive to become better water stewards for those living in a downstream area, adjacent state, or elsewhere in a given river basin.
