Two Georgia legislators introduced a bill to adjust the Georgia-Tennessee state line to bring it within a portion of the Tennessee River in Marion County.
The legislation is planned by Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth) and Rep. Harry Geisinger (R-Roswell), the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
There has long been a contention that the surveyor who drew the line between the two states made an error. It is contended the line should have been a mile to the north, which would allow parched Georgia access to the river.
The legislators say a corrected survey would place the line into Nickajack Reservoir.
The joint resolution calls for creating boundary commissions between Georgia and Tennessee, and Georgia and North Carolina, the newspaper says.
Members of the Tennessee Republican Party responded by saying Gov. Phil Bredesen "should move quickly to defend Tennessee's southern border against a new plan by Georgia to claim a mile-wide stretch of Marion County."
The GOP said, "Georgia wants access to water from the Tennessee River. The drought that has impacted many counties in Tennessee has been severe in Georgia, and the population explosion, especially around Atlanta, and poor planning regarding infrastructure has resulted in Georgia politicians eyeing their neighbors' natural resources.
"The Tennessee River is vital to the people and the economy of Tennessee and northern Alabama. Besides drinking water, the river facilitates economic growth, transportation, and recreation. One measure of how important it is: Water from the Tennessee River is used to cool the reactors at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Sequoyah Nuclear Generation Station in Soddy-Daisy, Watts Bar Nuclear Generation Station in Rhea County, and Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Decatur, Ala."
Bill Hobbs, communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party, said, "Gov. Bredesen needs to stand up to this latest attempt by Georgia to take our resources. Tennessee's southern border was established in 1818. Tennessee residents living at the southern edge of Marion County should not wake up one day to find themselves declared to be Georgia residents, and Tennessee's water is being diverted to Atlanta."