Mapmaker's border error raises new water war front

[Ghost in the Machine]

By DAN CHAPMAN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 02/10/08

In 1818, a University of Georgia mathematician named James Camak established the boundary between Georgia and Tennessee.

He screwed up. Georgia, especially during times of drought, has paid the price ever since.

Today, Georgia legislators masquerading as mapmakers hope to fix Camak's error. They introduced resolutions last week to move the state line 1.1 miles northward — smack into the middle of the bountiful Tennessee River. Billions of gallons of water could then flow unimpeded to parched metro Atlanta.

"The Tennessee River was part of Georgia long before there was a state of Tennessee," said Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth), the resolution's sponsor. "I don't understand why a water-sharing agreement can't be worked out between the two states."

Tennesseeans scoffed at the legislation, saying Georgia's irresponsible growth prompts the water grab. "This is just a distraction from the real problem," said Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/02/09/tenn_0210.html

Sorry if this is old news, but it's the first I've heard about, and I live 50 miles from the area in question.

Can't Sonny Perdue go on TV and pray for more rain, or does that only work when he reads the forecast first?

[trof]

1. Right! And I want the Florida panhandle back.

Just look at the map.
How come that little strip of west Florida zooms way over under Alabama, taking what should be our coastline?
bastids


edited to add map for the geographically challenged
;-)

[Ghost in the Machine]

2. Yes, you were robbed!

Will there be a new war between the States?

[fed-up]

3. looks like Florida had a claim to that and more of Southern AL back in 1783

http://usgenmap.rootsweb.com/us1783.htm

more here:

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/al.htm

A Brief Description

Long home to a variety of American Indians tribes, the first Spanish explorer, Alonso Alvarez de Pineda, sailed into Mobile Bay in 1519.

The British and Spanish remained active here, but the first permanent European settlers were actually French, arriving in the late 17th century. By 1711, Fort Louis (on the present site of Mobile) was settled, and then declared the capital of a new French colony called Louisiana.

When the French and Indian War ended in 1763, the French sway over Alabama lands was over, the British took control of much of the land, and turf battles with the Spanish continued for another 20 years.

In 1783 the British (by treaty) gave their West Florida lands to Spain. Ironically, in 1783, the Treaty of Paris formally ended the American Revolutionary War, and in defeat, all British controlled lands (including most of Alabama) were ceded to the U.S.

The Spanish kept their lands for just a few short years as pressure from the fast-growing U.S. mounted. By 1812, the United States controlled the entire Mississippi Territory, included all of Alabama, Mississippi and West Florida, lands that would later be divided into the U.S. states of Alabama and Mississippi.

During the War of 1812 between Britain and the U.S. the Creek Indians were finally defeated by General Andrew Jackson's overpowering forces. By 1816, the majority of the long-held Indian homelands were gone and their resistance in Alabama came to an end.

With the Indians gone, tracts of farm land were now available and cotton became the main crop. Over the next few decades, settlers arrived in great numbers from all directions. They called this rush "Alabama Fever."

In 1819, Alabama became the 22nd state admitted to the Union of the United States. Early optimism and farming successes within the state were replaced by the 1837 U.S. depression where many Alabamians lost their savings. In the 1850's, a faltering economy was now worse as persistent drought ruined most of the crops.

[Ghost in the Machine]

4. kick

[mdmc]

5. kick