CAIRO — The Grady County Board of Commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding with Leon County, Florida on Tuesday that is expected to put an end to years of legal disputes surrounding Tired Creek Lake.

Grady County Administrator Buddy Johnson said the six-page agreement will fill a long-needed gap in communications between the two counties regarding the lake project, particularly its dam.

“It makes more sense to get along than it did to argue, and I think everybody sees it for that,” Johnson said. “I’m very thankful for how well and professionally each side has handled this.”

The deal marks the conclusion of a seemingly endless series of legal quagmires surrounding the lake project that date back farther than most Grady County officials have been in office.

“This is like making history,” said commission Chair LaFaye Copeland. “This has been going on for I know seven or more years.”

As part of the agreement, the two counties will have a direct line of communication whenever complaints arise, bypassing involvement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

By communicating directly and circumventing the Corps of Engineers, Johnson said both counties can avoid costly litigation whenever issues arise in the future.

Johnson said the deal represents a step in the right direction both for relations with Leon County and for future economic development around Tired Creek Lake.

Of particular interest to Leon County were the issues of water quality and preservation.

Officials in Tallahassee have an interest in the Ochlockonee River as it relates to the recharge of Lake Iammonia in Leon County.

Grady County will also allow real-time monitoring of the lake’s water flow and water quality by Leon County as part of the deal.

The University of Georgia assists Grady County in monitoring the lake and providing an audit of the water quality, among other tasks.

In the new agreement, Grady County will provide copies of the UGA report to Leon County.

With Grady County officials just as concerned with the lake’s water issues as Leon County, Johnson said the agreement simply made sense for everyone.

“This is a handshake, this is not a fight,” the county administrator said. “I think that’s the way this business needs to be handled.”

Leon County commissioners approved the MOU in a meeting last month, and the document was then sent to Grady County for ratification.

Grady County Commissioner Keith Moye’s motion to ratify the MOU Tuesday morning was seconded by Phillip Drew, and the board voted unanimously to approve the agreement.

Negotiations between the two entities began in December, when Johnson, lake consultant Will Butler and other local officials traveled to Tallahassee to meet with Leon County representatives.

With the agreement, Johnson has said Butler will be able to attract developers to the lake and spur economic growth in the area.

Johnson has cited Butler as the primary reason the negotiation were fruitful, and on Tuesday he also credited lake attorney Laura Benz and her Leon County counterparts for their efforts during the process.

“They did not go into this thing with the intention of ‘well, how far can we string this out?'” Johnson said. “They went in with the intention of ‘hey, let’s get this off of our plate, because it’s just not worth the fight.'”

Benz was part of the original group of Grady County officials who traveled to Leon County in December.

A draft version of the agreement was drawn up in April, and Johnson eventually met with his Leon County counterpart Vincent Long in June to ensure that both counties were prepared for a final vote.