Polk commissioners agreed on Monday to begin negotiations with Henderson County over water rights.

Polk County is attempting to gets its Lake Adger watershed reclassified in order to use the lake for its future water source. In order to reclassify the watershed, Henderson County must agree considering most of the new watershed is in Henderson County. Henderson County in turn wants Polk to agree to share the Green River water rights in order for Henderson County to one day use Lake Summit as a water source.

Polk commissioners met Monday and reviewed a draft interlocal agreement for sharing water resources on the Green River from Henderson County.

Commissioners directed county manager Ryan Whitson, county attorneys and engineers to begin negotiations on the interlocal agreement with Henderson County.

Polk has already received an agreement with the City of Saluda, which will also be affected by the new class 3 watershed, and also needs Henderson County&squo;s approval. The county is working with the state to reclassify the Green River and is also waiting on seismic and other studies of Lake Adger in order to close on the property. The county agreed last year to purchase Lake Adger for $1.6 million and plans to one day construct a water plant at its transfer station property near the Lake Adger dam.