The Army Corps of Engineers would hold back more water in Georgia lakes while the governors of the states work toward a water sharing agreement under a plan brokered by the Bush administration.

The initial plan calls for a roughly 20% reduction in flow and retention of the excess.

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 impact on several species of mussels and sturgeon that live downstream and are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Officials said the agency would issue its biological opinion on the change within two weeks.

Georgia EPD Chief Carol Couch tells WSB Washington correspondant Jamie Dupree, "The Corps is recommending a decrease in the minimum flows, the one's they've been conducting their releases on. Depending upon what they come out after their review, it provides the flexibility needed to retain any additional water that might come in with rain in Lake Lanier and in our sewer systems. So, it's heading in a very positive, very productive way."

"The measurement of the flow is below Jim Woodworth Dam which is right at the border with Florida and Georgia. One of the concerns here is that you're operating Lake Lanier, which has most of the storage in the system, to deliver to a flow target which is almost 300 miles downstream with a lot of intervening purposes and needs to support."

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue said he's grateful for the relief.

But 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.

All four senators and both governors from Georgia and Alabama participated in the meeting in Washington, which aides described as tense.

The lawmakers say the session was "productive,'' even though leaders from Florida, which also is embroiled in the dispute, did not attend.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)