Drought eases, water wars persist

[ben_meyers]

By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
ATLANTA — It's raining again in the Southeast. Much of the drought-parched region has been deluged recently by winter downpours, including weekend storms that battered the downtown business district and a swath of north Georgia.
The drought has not ended, but it has eased across most of the region, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor and the National Weather Service.

Lake Purdy, the main drinking water supply for Birmingham, Ala., is at normal levels for the first time in almost a year. From Jan. 1 through Sunday, Birmingham received 12.09 inches of rain, just below the average of 12.78.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2008-03-17-water-wars_N.htm?csp=34


Ray Davis of Mt. Olive, Ala. helps his grandson Balke Glasscock, 8, fish for the first time as Davis' wife Jackie tries to hook a fish at Lake Purdy outside of Birmingham, Ala. March 17. After recent rains, the lake has reached its normal level for the first time in a year.

[phantom power]

1. I hope that our fearless leaders remain nervous...

about how Atlanta was within about 90 days of running out of water. All that has to happen is for a future drought to last just a little bit longer than this one and we will be evacuating another American city.