As shown by what has been dubbed the Water Wars between surrounding states, Alabama faces a water emergency.

The good news is, a select group of Alabama agencies (the Alabama Water Agencies Working Group) are currently working hard to define Alabama’s water laws.

Several key leaders in both the public and private sectors met this week in what will surely become a series of meetings to determine the state’s water laws.

The meeting was put together by the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association to start to bring together a group that will eventually take an initial plan before Governor Robert Bentley next month.

Alabama holds 10 percent of all navigable waterways and 20 percent of all freshwater flowing within the contiguous United States flows through the state. But there are no solid laws on the books that govern water in the state, be it rainfall water, flood plain management or coastal runoff.

This has presented many problems when going before the courts to deal with such things at metro Atlanta and retaining water runoff, which affects water levels on many bodies in this area and beyond.

This week’s first group included members of the LMLPA, as well as several state and local representatives from St. Clair County.

One of the first things that will need to be assessed, the group decided ,is what surrounding states’ regulations and laws deal with and how those might affect this state or how to proceed in putting together what should be addressed, State Rep. Jim McClendon said.

Figuring out what agencies should bring which issues to the table when crafting regulations and laws is one of the chief concerns.

“On [many of] these particular issues, we’ve got to see what we’re dealing with,” St. Clair County Commission Chairman Stan Batemon said. “You’ve got people not talking to the same people.”

Mike Riley with the LMLPA said this area’s group “will present a loud voice” and wants public input at its next meeting, to be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Pell City Civic Center.

At that point the second group session of policy leaders from this area will have been held, and more information on how things are proceeding will be addressed.