The next wave of regional water planning: case study on the Northwest Georgia Regional Water Resources Partnership

Abstract

The Northwest Georgia Regional Water Resources Partnership (Partnership) is a regional coalition of water permit holders and other interested parties located in and adjacent to the Coosa River Basin in northwest Georgia. The Partnership’s area is defined by the 15 counties within the North Georgia and Coosa Valley RDC areas. The Partnership has taken a proactive stand in initiating regional or “sub-state” comprehensive water planning. Brown and Caldwell worked with the Partnership to outline the future scope and budget necessary to undertake water, wastewater, and watershed planning for the entire region. The Partnership represents the “next wave” of regional planning that will involve non-metropolitan counties that do not necessarily share a central feature as did the Atlanta-focused Metropolitan North Georgia Regional Water Planning District. This paper provides an overview of the Partnership, how it differs from other regional planning efforts, and the education, outreach, and planning activities conducted to date.