What we also have is over consumption. Until people start making the drastic changes they expect their governments to force them to make - more of the same will continue.

Here are two equally plausible scenarios for the next year. I named them to make for easy conversation. More scenarios are possible; but lets start with three. Which one(s) do you think most resemble the future direction the Southeast is headed?

Vote For Rain
Because of the return of some rain, a full scale crisis is averted even though the long term trend of drought remains. Vote for Rain is a stalemate between rural and urban life: in late summer of 2008, city folks are getting by; but agriculture, forest product, and water dependent energy sectors are on the verge of collapse. Economic interdependencies of urban and rural life are spoken of in passing.

By the 2008 election season, government is seen as the solution. There are ballot measures to force closure of water intensive industries. Other measures mandate changes to individual behaviors: lawn watering, car washing, water blasting decks, driveway washing, types of toilets permitted by zoning, and so on.

Gubernatorial candidates make a host of promises: pipelines from the Great Lakes; water desalination plants; public ownership of previously privatized water systems; bringing in experts from the US West, formation of inter-state water resources management planning councils, and more. There is even talk of economic development zones based on development of water saving technology.

Candidates for Federal office promise "calling in the National Guard" to haul water and the Army Corps of Engineers to "do something."

Yet, by election day in November 2008, little has changed, as these are all long term solutions. Per capita water consumption, on a steady down slide for months has plateaued by end of summer. Real lifestyle changes are barely discussed in the news. There is a sense that things will get better next year.

Vote for Rain does have a good news component. It gets people talking and thinking about climate change. The linkage between per capita energy consumption and per capita water consumption and climate is made. Vote for rain marks a tipping point in public consciousness, then.

Springtime In Dixie
Real rain comes back in the winter and spring of 2008 - at least enough to pull back from the edge of a regional crisis - and life returns to "normal." More big houses get built, with huge lawns. Power plant expansion plans go back in play. The cries of environmentalists for more water conservation measures fade into the din of traffic shuttling to and from the distant suburbs.

Enough said.

Say good-bye to sweet georgia peaches.

Yall are stupid. the reason it is called a drought is because of LACK of rain or NO rain. Not because someone watered their lawn. Lets take a look shall we?

The water tables are low.
someone waters their yard.
water seeps into the ground, back into the water table.
water table still at same level.

IT IS A CYCLE PEOPLE!

if you know anything about the south east the you will know that Atlanta sits in the foothills of the Appalachian Trail. Take a look at this map and then take a look at the one above.

Water flows down hill and away from where we are. Also It just hasn't rained. It is not that fact that we have used water for something, it is the fact that it hasn't rained.

Here is some other crazy none sense. It hasn't rained inthe SE for some time, so it must be taking it to the ocean and that is why people think that the ice caps are melting. Drought here means it is raining else where. Why not filling the Ocean back up? That is crazy talk you say. Sure it is. So is your water consumption theory.

What is true about the theory is that bringing water from underground to the surface will cause the water tables to drop, because we are in a drought, it will evaporate. Amazing how the water cycle works.

@Mouseclone

That's an interesting point, and certainly true in a closed system, but you're assuming that the water that goes on your lawn returns to the reservoirs from whence it came, instead of being shunted off to the ocean or elsewhere as waste water. You're right that the drought is caused by lack of rain, not overconsumption, but *given* that there is a drought (and thus a relatively finite amount of water in the reservoirs), overconsumption will drain those reservoirs much more quickly than wise water use would, thus the people of Atlanta will find themselves hurting for water more quickly or severely than they would if they rationed their water usage.

I didn't quite follow your point about water being taken to the ocean and the ice caps melting, so I can't really comment. Is your argument that rises in sea level are attributable to displaced rain as opposed to melting of the ice caps?

At least that's my understanding of the situation. Corrections welcome.

Crazy is believing that a watered lawn in a suburb is going to return the water to the water table. Some goes down pavement, into a storm drain where it proceeds to be discharged as wastewater. The cycle is broken. We really do need to change our consumption habits if we want a planet left for our kids. It is all about them and the problems of drought, McMansions, filled in wetlands, and overpopulation will be handed to them as their "inheritance". Some people proclaim that we need to protect our children, life is sacred, etc. It's ironic to see the double standards we place on convenience and morality. I will not have any kids, yet I care more about solving the problems that EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN IS LEAVING THEM than their immoral Bible thumping parents do!!

I go to the University of Georgia in Athens, about 1.5 hrs away. We are actually in a worse situation then Atlanta. We have about 45 days left of water and we could be out by the end of the year. They are talking about rationing...

IT seems to me that your Geography teacher has failed you. Firstly. The Atl isn't even in the severe. Secondly the worst part would be in Alabama, so the title should of been Birmingham running out of water. Thirdly, The pictures you used our from Alabama. On another note, thank you for showing the problems that we have faced for the entire summer.

Don't forget that nuclear reactors need lots of water to stay cool during the summer months!
Wonder how the nuclear industry will balance this need against the needs of the thirsty folks down there

now to my understanding water that is flushed, goes down our drains, or storm drain is returned, cleaned, treated and filter and then returned to lake lanier to mix with fresh water.

problems:

1. lack of rain

2. umm hmmm over 3 billion gallons of water released every single day and over 30G a second by the corps (plus lets not forget the 22 billion gallons released, along with the needed 3 billion, in one day!) -- Metro atlanta only uses a little under 700 million gallons a day

3. Out dated plumbing less conservation attemps here. oh, and lets not forget about the leaks

So sure, we are in a drought. Yes, we may use more than we should and there are things we can do to save .. but a few mussels that no one eat, and 19,000 other people who could easily use water from else to generate power, well does not justify putting a metro area of over 4 million ( not mentioned that we could even help athens) in this situation.

Conclusion? lol The Corps has screwed another city over once again... They didnt take care of the Nola like they should have and they are not taking care of the Southeastern water supply as well..

and WHO approved construction of a, what, is that an AQUARIUM? When rainfall is unreliable at best in this region????????????? And how many of their acquisitions have died anyway . . . .