Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced that Georgia farmers will be allowed to drill new irrigation wells starting next year. For over ten years, farmers in southwest Georgia could not drill new wells due to a ban enacted in 2012 during a severe drought. Starting April 1, Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division will accept applications for new wells in the lower Flint River area. The director of the state agency noted that conditions have changed since 2012. A lawsuit from Florida in 2013 linked Georgia’s water use to negative effects downstream but was dismissed by the U. S. Supreme Court in 2021. State officials say that new water withdrawals will conserve resources, with no additional water taken from streams or lakes. New wells will have to stop using water during extreme drought and must be connected to efficient irrigation systems.