Title 12

(a) In carrying out its purposes under this part, the department shall have the following powers: (1) To administer all funds available to the department under this part; (2) To accept or decline any grant of funds made by the United States government or any agency thereof for th…

This part shall be known as and may be cited as the ‘‘Metropolitan River Protection Act.’’ History. — Ga. L. 1973, p. 128, § 1; Code 1981, § 12-5-440, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 2107, § 4.

As used in this part, the term: (1) ‘‘Applicant’’ means any person who requests the issuance of a certificate under this part. (2) ‘‘Area’’ means a standard metropolitan statistical area recognized by the United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, and as set forth…

(a) The General Assembly finds that adequate supplies of clean water for drinking and other purposes constitute the lifeblood of the great metropolitan areas of this state and are, therefore, essential to the health, welfare, and economic progress of the state; that development ad…

The commission shall, consistent with the purposes of this part: (1) Prepare, adopt, and keep up to date one or more comprehensive, coordinated land and water use plans for the stream corridor. The plan, as prepared and approved by the commission, shall set land use criteria for …

(a)(1) Pending adoption of the plan by the commission, it shall be unlawful for any person to erect, maintain, suffer, or permit any structure, dam, obstruction, deposit, clearing, or excavation in or on the stream corridor which will adversely affect the efficiency of or restric…

(a) After receipt of a complete application for a certificate, the governing authority shall transmit to the commission a copy of such complete application and all supporting documents. (b)(1) If, from the application or from its own investigation, the commission finds that there a…

Every certificate issued by a governing authority and every recommendation of the commission, unless the proposed use is not harmful to the water and land resources of the stream corridor, will not significantly impede the natural flow of flood waters, and will not result in significa…

Any person aggrieved by any final determination, cease and desist order, other order, or other final action of the commission or a governing authority under this part and who has exhausted any administrative remedies may take an appeal to the superior court of the county in which a…

The requirements of this part are in addition to and do not supersede other requirements of law including the zoning and building regulations of the political subdivision involved. History. — Ga. L. 1973, p. 128, § 10; Code 1981, § 12-5-449, enacted by Ga. L. 1982, p. 2107, § 4.

This part shall not apply to the following uses: (1) Any land or water use for agriculture or animal husbandry as defined in the ordinances adopted by the governing authority, provided that a buffer of natural vegetation is maintained for a distance of 50 horizontal feet from the …

(a) If a governing authority determines that any person is violating any provision of this part, any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this part, or the terms and conditions of any certificate issued under this part, the appropriate governing authority shall employ any one or…

(a) On or before January 1, 1984, or March 1, 1999, with respect to land brought within the stream corridor on July 1, 1998, each governing authority shall adopt ordinances or regulations governing use of all land which is in the drainage basin of any tributary. Such regulations …

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this part to the contrary, nothing contained in this part shall be construed so as to prohibit any person, firm, or corporation from removing sand from any watercourse without restriction when such removal is accomplished in such a manner th…

The plan, every proposed version thereof, every revision thereof, and every application for a certificate under this part shall constitute public documents and shall be freely available for inspection by any person. History. — Ga. L. 1973, p. 128, § 16; Code 1981, § 12-5-455, enac…

(a) If the commission has reason to believe that any person is carrying out any land-disturbing activity in or on the stream corridor without a certificate pursuant to this part, in violation of the terms and conditions of a certificate issued pursuant to this part, or in any other…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the ‘‘Georgia Water Supply Act of 2008.’’ History. — Code 1981, § 12-5-470, enacted by Ga. L. 1989, p. 1304, § 1; Ga. L. 2008, p. 644, § 2-1/SB 342.

(a) The exercise of any powers conferred by this article shall be subject to applicable law governing eminent domain and the allocation and distribution of the waters of the state. (b) Nothing in this article shall alter or abrogate any provisions of this chapter or any rules, re…

As used in this article, the term: (1) ‘‘Authority’’ means the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority created by Code Section 50-23-3. (1.1) ‘‘County’’ means any county created under the Constitution or laws of this state. (1.2) ‘‘Director’’ means the director of the division. (…

(a) The division may acquire, design, construct, equip, operate, maintain, expand, and improve a project, in whole or in part, directly or under contract with others, including each of the facilities described in paragraph (10) of Code Section 12-5-471, for the purpose of promoti…

(a) The division shall be authorized to assume by intergovernmental contract the responsibility for procuring all permits, licenses, and permissions from the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof; the State of Georgia, its departments, agencies, or aut…

The division shall have the following powers: (1) To acquire real and personal property of every kind and character by purchase, gift, lease, or otherwise and to own, hold, improve, use, sell, convey, exchange, transfer, lease, sublease, and dispose of the same, or any interest t…

(a) The division may fix rentals, fees, prices, and other charges which any user, concessionaire, franchisee, or vendor shall pay to the division for the use of a project or part thereof or combination thereof, and for the goods and services provided by the division in conjunction…

(a) It shall be the duty of the authority, in consultation with the Environmental Protection Division of the department, to prescribe rules and regulations governing the selection of sites for projects. Such rules and regulations shall include, but shall not be limited to, provis…

(a) The division may contract with any local government to exercise on behalf of such local government such responsibility in connection with the planning, design, acquisition, construction, operation, management, and maintenance of a project of such local government, as is now o…

(a) The division and the department may enter into agreements with local governments, setting fees to be paid to the division or the department for the purpose of enabling the division or the department to expedite or enhance the state regulatory process and to provide services v…

The provisions of this article shall be deemed to provide an additional and alternative method for the doing of things authorized by this article and shall be regarded as supplemental and additional to powers conferred by the Constitution and laws of the State of Georgia and shal…

This article, being for the welfare of this state and its inhabitants, shall be liberally construed to effect the purposes hereof. History. — Code 1981, § 12-5-478, enacted by Ga. L. 1989, p. 1304, § 1; Ga. L. 2008, p. 644, § 2-1/SB 342.

(a) In the exercise of its powers under this article, the division may contract with any public entity which shall include the state or any institution, department, or other agency thereof or any county, municipality, school district, or other political subdivision of the state o…

The division shall be authorized to utilize the financial advisory and construction related services of the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission with respect to the acquisition, design, planning, and construction of any of the projects. Code Section 50-22-9 shall be a…

It is found, determined, and declared that the carrying out of the purposes of the division as defined in this article is in all respects for the benefit of the people of this state and that the purposes are public purposes; that the division will be performing an essential governm…

(a) In the event of a failure of any local government to collect and remit in full all amounts due which involve the credit or guarantee of the state or the authority, it shall be the duty of the state treasurer or the duty of the authority to withhold all funds of the state and …

Any waiver by the division or the department of any costs or fees owed by any local government to the division or the department under this article shall constitute a grant in the amount of such waiver to such local government pursuant to Code Section 50-23-6 or Article VII, Sect…

There is created as a joint committee of the General Assembly the Georgia Water Supply Act Legislative Oversight Committee, to be composed of the members of the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment and the Senate Natural Resources and the Environment Committee. Th…

As used in this article, the term: (1) ‘‘Damages’’ means damages of any kind for which liability may exist under the laws of this state resulting from, arising out of, or related to the discharge or threatened discharge of oil. (2) ‘‘Discharge’’ means any emission, other than nat…

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person is not liable for removal costs or damages which result from actions taken or omitted to be taken in the course of rendering care, assistance, or advice consistent with the National Contingency Plan or as otherwise directed…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the ‘‘Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Planning Act.’’ History. — Code 1981, § 12-5-520, enacted by Ga. L. 2004, p. 711, § 2.

As used in this article, the term: (1) ‘‘Director’’ means the director of the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources. (2) ‘‘Division’’ means the Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources. (3) ‘‘Water Council’’ means…

(a) The division shall develop and propose a comprehensive state-wide water management plan not inconsistent with this chapter and in accordance with the following policy statement: ‘‘Georgia manages water resources in a sustainable manner to support the state’s economy, to prote…

(a) The division shall work in cooperation, coordination, and communication with the Water Council and any other state, local, regional, or federal agency as appropriate to develop a comprehensive state-wide water management plan. (b) The division shall solicit extensive stakehol…

(a) There shall be a Water Council composed of one member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives who shall not be a member of the General Assembly and who shall serve for a term of four years and until a successor is appointed and qualified; one member appointed …

(a)(1)(A) No comprehensive state-wide water management plan submitted by the Water Council pursuant to this article shall have any force or effect unless approved by the General Assembly by means of the adoption of a joint resolution ratifying such plan, except as otherwise provi…

This article shall be known and may be cited as the ‘‘Flint River Drought Protection Act.’’ History. — Code 1981, § 12-5-540, enacted by Ga. L. 2000, p. 458, § 1.

(a) The General Assembly declares its intent and the public policy of this state that the state plans, regulates, and controls the withdrawal and the use of the waters of the state under the laws of Georgia to protect the public health, safety, and welfare; and the granting of an…

As used in this article, except where otherwise specifically provided, the term: (1) ‘‘Acceptable Flint River basin stream flows’’ means the quantity of stream flows at one or more specific locations on the Flint River or its tributaries which provides for aquatic life protection and…