Business Briefs: Georgia building water reservoirs

Georgia building water reservoirs

Gov. Nathan Deal's administration won approval Wednesday to invest $45 million in water projects, including three reservoirs it contends could send more water downstream to Alabama and Florida, states that say metro Atlanta uses too much.

A board voted to allocate roughly $40 million in funding for the Glades Reservoir project in Hall County, Indian Creek Reservoir in Carroll County and Richland Creek Reservoir in Paulding County. State officials now will negotiate with local governments to determine how much money each project gets.

Another $5 million is earmarked for a project testing water desalination in coastal Georgia. Georgia has fought since 1990 with neighboring Alabama and Florida over regional water usage. Georgia communities south of Atlanta and Alabama and Florida contend that Atlanta uses too much water upstream, leaving too little for downstream residents, businesses and wildlife.


ROTC schools to remain open

The U.S. Army has agreed to delay closure of 13 Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs for another two years for further review.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who pushed for the delay along with other Republican lawmakers in Tennessee, said the decision will maintain ROTC programs at East Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University and University of Tennessee-Martin, allowing them time to improve the programs to meet the Army's current needs.

"These programs have produced some of our nation's outstanding military leaders," Alexander said. "This is a major victory for students at these Tennessee schools."

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