Water disputes in the United States have taken a bizarre turn, with one state attempting to redraw its borders to capture access to the Tennessee River.

Georgia’s water supply is in trouble and it would really help if it could access the river, which currently lies a kilometer or so north of the state. So politicians have decided to claim that the people who originally drew up the border with Tennessee got it wrong, setting it south of the rightful boundary on the 35th parallel.

Helpfully, if these politicians are right, redrawing the border will give Georgia access to the river. “This is a serious effort to secure our border and begin a discussion of water sharing,” says state senator David Shafer (Chattanooga Times Free Press, Walker Country Messenger).

Behind this slightly comical development is a serious issue. The US is running out of water (see Nature story on the west running dry and recent post on Vegas running dry).

But this is Friday, so let us get on with the ‘you couldn’t make it up’ details…

Both the Senate and the House in Georgia have passed resolutions demanding the boundary be moved, the former while singing ‘This Land is My Land’ (Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Not that I’m supposed to say ‘moved’.

“The resolution before you does not move our boundary,” says Shafer in the NY Times. “It does not need to be moved. If you open the Georgia code you will see that Georgia law to this day defines our northern border as the 35th Parallel.”

The Times notes that he may have a point as when the US Congress created the state of Tennessee it set the 35th parallel as its south border. Not that those in that state are taking this very seriously.

“It’s the silliest thing I’ve ever seen any group of Republicans do. I’m embarrassed that they would embarrass the party like that,” says Tennessee politician Gerald McCormick (AP). “They’re idiots.”

Headline watch

Seriously, about that border war: If we’re to raise troops, we’ll need stronger editorial support – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Image: the ferry Alabama on the Tennessee River in 1934 / NOAA