Table of Contents 

Executive Summary      

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

CHAPTER 1.  INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................

1.1 Study Objective and Framework ...................................................................................... 

1.2 Summary of Major Findings..............................................................................................

1.2.1 Tennessee’s Rights to Water Supplies Within its Boundaries......................................

1.2.2 Tennessee’s Rights to be Consulted On Adjacent States’ Developments....................

1.2.3 Tennessee’s Responsibilities Toward Upstream and Downstream States..................

1.2.4 “Rights to Use” of Adjoining States.................................................................................

1.2.5 Legal and Political Strategies Used Elsewhere and Their Lessons..............................

1.2.6 Needed Changes to Current Law or Institutions............................................................

1.3 Remainder of The Report.................................................................................................

Endnotes to Chapter 1............................................................................................................

 

CHAPTER 2.  A TUTORIAL ON AMERICAN WATER LAW RELEVANT  
TO OUR CASES.....................................................................................................................

2.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................

2.2 An Overview of American Water Law...............................................................................

2.2.1 The Law of Prior Appropriation: Differences from Riparianism.....................................

2.2.2 Major Features of Riparian Law.....................................................................................

2.2.3 Groundwater and Riparian Law.....................................................................................

2.3 Conclusions .....................................................................................................................

Endnotes to Chapter 2............................................................................................................

 

CHAPTER 3.  TENNESSEE RIPARIAN LAW PRINCIPLES - SIGNIFICANCE 
FOR WATER CONFLICTS ....................................................................................................

3.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................

3.2 Tennessee’s Water Law Principles..................................................................................

3.3 Reasonable Use Issues....................................................................................................

3.4 Groundwater-Surface Water Management ......................................................................

3.4.1 Timing of Lawsuits.........................................................................................................

3.5 Water Supply Legislation..................................................................................................

3.6 Federal Agency Powers....................................................................................................

3.7 Summary...........................................................................................................................

Endnotes to Chapter 3............................................................................................................

 

CHAPTER 4.  INTERSTATE WATER ALLOCATION APPROACHES AND METHODS......

4.1 Overview - Why Allocation Disputes Arise.......................................................................

4.2 Private Suits Over Water Allocation.................................................................................

4.3 Equitable Apportionment Suits Over Allocation................................................................

4.4 Allocation of Interstate Waters by Act of Congress..........................................................

4.5 Allocation of Interstate Waters by Interstate Compact.....................................................

4.5.1 Compact Enforcement - Structures and Functions...................................................... 

4.6 State Regulation of Water Export.....................................................................................

4.7 Cooperation in Lieu of Formal Compact ..........................................................................

4.8 Summary and Relevance to Tennessee..........................................................................

Endnotes to Chapter 4............................................................................................................

 

CHAPTER 5. THE TENNESSEE RIVER-ATLANTA DIVERSION AND MEMPHIS SAND 
AQUIFER CASE STUDIES AS WATER ALLOCATION CONTROVERSIES........................

5.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................

5.2 Atlanta, Chattanooga, and the Tennessee River - Background.......................................

5.3 Relevant Legal Principles Regarding the Selling of Water to Georgia - Overview...........

5.3.1 Riparian and State Sovereignty Issues..........................................................................

5.3.2 Implications of Aquatic Resource Alteration Permits.....................................................

5.3.3 Downstream Impacts and Their Implications................................................................

5.3.4 Summation - Diverting Tennessee River Water to Georgia..........................................

5.4 West Tennessee, Northern Mississippi, and the Memphis Sand Aquifer - Background.. 

5.5 Relevant Legal Principles Regarding the Memphis Sand Aquifer - Overview..................

5.5.1 Tennessee-Mississippi Liability Problems.....................................................................

5.5.2 Legal and Political Options for Resolving Potential Aquifer Disputes............................ 

5.5.3 Summation - Avoiding Memphis Sand Aquifer Disputes............................................... 

Endnotes to Chapter 5............................................................................................................ 

 

CHAPTER 6.  LONG-TERM CHALLENGES TO TENNESSEE’S WATER SUPPLY........... 

6.1 Baseline Issues Affecting Tennessee Water - Overview................................................. 

6.2 The ‘Ambivalent Abundance’ of Tennessee’s Water....................................................... 

6.2.1 Instream and Offstream Uses....................................................................................... 

6.2.2 User Trends and Their Significance for Future Conflicts.............................................. 

6.3 Drought and Low Flow as Actual and Perceived Problems............................................. 

6.4 Climate Change and Tennessee’s Water........................................................................ 

Endnotes to Chapter 6............................................................................................................ 

 

CHAPTER 7. INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS AND APPROACHES TO 
RESOLVE THESE CONFLICTS ............................................................................................

7.1 Toward a Set of Policy Solutions...................................................................................... 

7.2 Stakeholder Analysis Survey - Selection of Interviewees................................................. 

7.3 Survey Questions............................................................................................................. 

7.4 Data Analysis.................................................................................................................... 

7.5 Sector Analysis - Agriculture............................................................................................ 

7.6 Sector Analysis - Water Utilities....................................................................................... 

7.6.1 Sector Analysis - Recreation, Conservation, Industry.................................................. 

7.7 Summary of Survey Results............................................................................................ 

7.8 Water Allocation Mechanisms - A Brief Overview........................................................... 

7.8.1 Water Marketing............................................................................................................ 

7.8.2 Alternatives for Legal Reform - What do Tennessee’s Neighbors Do? ...................... 

7.8.3 Interstate Compacts - Pros and Cons......................................................................... 

7.9 Conclusions: Some General Recommendations  ......................................................... 

 

REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................

APPENDIX A: A Guide to Tennessee’s Water Resources by Hydrologic Region...............

APPENDIX B: Stakeholder Survey.......................................................................................

APPENDIX C: Glossary of Terms........................................................................................ 

 

 * * * * *

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

Several people reviewed earlier versions of this report, in whole or in part, and provided  comments, suggestions for improvement and update of the discussion, and/or additional research material for inclusion in the final version.  For their invaluable input, we would like to thank Alan Leiserson, Office of General Counsel, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Nashville; Dennis George, Center for the Management, Utilization, and Protection of Water Resources, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville; Susan Hutson, U.S. Geological Survey, Memphis; Michael W. Bradley, U.S. Geological Survey, Nashville; Bill L’Ecuyer, President, Tennessee-American Water Company, Chattanooga; Misty Smith Kelley, Attorney-At-Law, with the firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman and Caldwell, Chattanooga; and Dan Ferry, Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, who coordinated comments from several TVA staff members. 

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Executive Summary      

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