Riley, Davis push for water wars resolution

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Early on the morning of Sept. 2, four passengers boarded a state-owned Cessna Citation jet at Montgomery Regional Airport, bound for a covert meeting in Atlanta.

The group included Gov. Bob Riley, two aides and U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, D-Birmingham, according to flight logs released last week by the governor's office.

The purpose of the trip: A meeting with U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., to discuss the long-running water wars dispute between Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

The rendezvous at

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta

International Airport was arranged by Davis at Riley's request. Davis maintains a close working relationship with Lewis, an Alabama native and civil rights icon, through the Congressional Black Caucus.

Riley had a bold agenda. Bolstered by a decisive federal court ruling, he hoped to enlist Lewis as an ally in helping to bring the 19-year legal battle to a close.

That would mean persuading Lewis, the dean of the Georgia delegation, to turn against Gov. Sonny Perdue. Perdue, like Riley a second-term Republican, was on the warpath over a U.S. District Court ruling July 17.

That ruling by Judge Paul Magnuson of St. Paul, Minn., barred Georgia from drawing Lake Lanier water to supply the Atlanta area.

At Perdue's direction, the state filed an immediate appeal, and Perdue, a former Air Force captain from rural Bonaire, vowed to "nationalize" the dispute in a lobbying campaign before Congress.

Riley, backed by Davis, preferred that the three states avoid an expensive fight and continue their negotiations to reach a settlement. The two men are partisan rivals — Davis is running to replace the term-limited Riley in 2010 — but were unified in their 45-minute meeting with Lewis.

Davis on Tuesday praised Riley for his leadership on the issue and said it was important to show that Alabama's delegation is solidly behind the governor. It was also important, he said, to show that the state's position will not change after Riley leaves office....