ROME, Ga. (AP)- The current drought has posed problems for Georgia's agricultural and manufacturing centers, prompting losses
estimated to be in the billions of dollars.

Chattahoochee River mills are preparing for layoffs or cutbacks. Mandatory water restrictions are possible for north Georgia carpet makers. The state's landscape industry has tallied $1.2 billion in losses.

Carol Couch, director of the state's Environmental Protection Division, soon will recommend harsher water restrictions to Governor Perdue and commercial and industrial users could face mandatory cutbacks.

Don Cope, the CEO of Dalton Utilities, next week is considering
reducing by 10 percent the water allotment for the region's dozens
of carpet and flooring manufacturers.

State agriculture commissioner Tommy Irvin says the state's
agriculture industry suffered a $782 million drought-related hit.

Nurseries and landscaping companies across the state have lost
13,800 full- and part-time jobs since May, according to a report
released this month by the Urban Agriculture Coalition.

Georgia Power has been forced to spend millions restoring the
Coosa River's water temperatures to environmentally acceptable
levels.

In other parts of the state, Dalton carpet makers, and other industries use half of the community's 34 million gallon daily demand of water.

The MeadWestvaco paper mill, located 25 miles below Columbus,
installed an auxiliary pump for use if the Chattahoochee River's flow shrinks to below 184 feet above sea level. The cereal box and frozen-food packaging maker may be forced to slice production, and jobs, by 25 percent.