The State of Florida will file suit in U.S. Supreme Court to stop Georgia’s consumption of water, which state officials say is threatening the economic future of Apalachicola fisheries.
The move comes less than a day after both federal officials and Florida Governor Rick Scott declared the Apalachicola oyster fisheries a disaster. Today's announcement was made by Scott and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio following a tour of Apalachicola Bay with local legislators.
"Georgia has not negotiated in good faith to fairly share the waters that flow between our two states," Scott said of the pending suit.
"Florida will bring suit in the U.S. Supreme Court next month to stop Georgia’s unchecked consumption of water that threatens the existence of Apalachicola fisheries and the future economic development of this region."
Florida and Alabama have each sought relief from reduced flows in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basins over the past 20 years through legal challenges to the Army Corps of Engineers’ water management practices, without success.
Scott said the state latest lawsuit will take aim at, "Georgia’s unmitigated and unsustainable upstream consumption of water from the Chattahoochee and Flint River Basins."
