We continue to fight for the Apalachicola River and Bay — and we need your help | Opinion
The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding water of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Rivers felt like a legal gut punch, especially to those living downstream of the Woodruff Dam. In dismissing the FL v. GA case, the justices offered no relief for the Apalachicola River and Bay.
River flow is the lifeblood of the swamps, streams and estuary of the Apalachicola Bay. Livelihoods depend on it. Over 400 miles of creeks, lakes and sloughs are connected to the 107-mile Apalachicola River, moving freshwater and life-giving nutrients from the floodplain to the river and onto the Apalachicola Bay.
The eastern Gulf of Mexico’s ecological health is supported by the Apalachicola River and Bay. It’s all connected from the Blue Ridge Mountains, where the Chattahoochee River begins, to the Gulf of Mexico, the Apalachicola River’s southern terminus.
Regrettably, upstream water management fails to address downstream realities. Shortsighted policies by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who control the five federal dams in the ACF basin, have encouraged upstream consumption by holding river water in reservoirs instead of releasing it to the Apalachicola River in a timely manner.
Profound changes by the USACE to historic flow patterns have led to devastating effects to the Apalachicola floodplain, river and bay system. Oyster populations remain in decline, with the world-renowned Apalachicola Bay now closed to wild oyster harvesting for up to five years. Restoration efforts are underway by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, while FSU’s Apalachicola Bay System Initiative simultaneously develops a holistic management plan for the bay.
In April 2017, Apalachicola Riverkeeper and conservation partners filed a lawsuit against the USACE in federal court. Represented by Earthjustice, the suit challenges the Corps’ decisions on how to manage water in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River basin. This includes withholding unprecedented levels of water upstream to the detriment of the ecosystems and downstream communities. Another case by Alabama stakeholders challenging the Corps’ decisions was also filed. These cases were combined and remain active in federal court. An outcome is anticipated by August 2021.
A sustainable water management plan for was developed by the ACF stakeholders a few years back. State leaders of Alabama, Georgia and Florida are urged to collaboratively review this water sharing plan as a step in moving forward in the fair sharing of water.
Lastly, it’s important to remember Congress oversees the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Changes in federal water policy can be set in motion by Congress.
Who oversees Congress? That’s the job of the each of us, the citizens. Let your elected officials know that the Apalachicola River and Bay deserves long-term protection, and their steadfast leadership is needed across the ACF region working on tangible solutions. Make the protection of Florida’s water a priority voting issue.
While the FL v GA legal challenge ended in the U.S. Supreme Court recently, it does not conclude the work to be done in protecting and restoring the extraordinary Apalachicola River and Bay. We must all work steadfastly together to save this American treasure.
Georgia Ackerman is Riverkeeper and executive director at Apalachicola Riverkeeper, which remains committed to protection and restoration of the Apalachicola River, floodplain and bay. Find more information at apalachicolariverkeeper.org.
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