WASHINGTON (AP) _ Governor Perdue says he's grateful for the
relief now that Georgia, Florida and Alabama may be close to at
least a temporary answer to their sticky water-sharing situation.

A plan brokered Thursday in Washington by the Bush administration calls for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to hold back more water in Georgia lakes while the governors of the states work toward a water sharing agreement.

The proposal was announced after the governors of the three states met with Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and other administration officials.

The decision to reduce river flows into Florida and Alabama during an extreme drought still must win approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

That's because of the potential effect on several species of mussels and sturgeon that live downstream and are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Officials say the agency will issue its biological opinion on the change within two weeks.

Perdue and other Georgia leaders have been criticized by environmentalists who say the current water crisis is largely the
fault of Atlanta's uncontrolled sprawl and a resulting demand for more resources.