Florida Gov. Rick Scott disclosed Tuesday that his state is going to sue the state of Georgia because its increased consumption of shared water resources is pushing Florida's multi-million-dollar oyster industry to the brink of collapse -- the latest step in escalating litigation that has failed to negotiate a settlement on how to allocate limited water resources between Florida, Georgia and Alabama.
"Because Georgia has not negotiated in good faith to fairly share the waters that flow between our two states, we are announcing today that 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," Scott said.
Scott argues that Georgia's increasing water consumption is limiting flows to the Apalachicola River, which feeds Apalachicola Bay -- located on the Gulf coast in northwest Florida. Reduced water flow to the bay has created a fishery disaster for those who harvest oysters out of the Gulf of Mexico.
"This lawsuit will be targeted toward one thing -- fighting for the future of Apalachicola," Scott said. "This is a bold, historic legal action for our state. But this is our only way forward after 20 years of failed negotiations with Georgia. We must fight for the people of this region. The economic future of Apalachicola Bay and Northwest Florida is at stake."
In the past, Florida has sued the Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system. But a recent ruling went against Florida in its push to limit Georgia's withdrawals.
Much of the problem can be traced to the metro Atlanta region, which draws water from Lake Lanier, a major reservoir on the Chattahoochee River. Florida's oyster industry has seen a near collapse in the last two years because of reduced water flow and drought.
Earlier in the day, Florida Sens. Marco Rubio (R) and Bill Nelson (D) held a Senate field hearing where they heard about the impact that drought and reduced water flows have had on Apalachicola Bay.
The federal government a day earlier declared a fishery disaster for those who harvest oysters out of the Gulf of Mexico. A federal official testified that would make oystermen eligible for aid should Congress agree to such relief.
Oystermen told the senators that people are leaving the area because the huge drop-off in oyster harvests. They complained that Georgia is taking more than its "fair share" of freshwater from the river system that feeds the bay.
More than 1,000 people are employed by the multi-million-dollar industry -- in 2004, approximately $2.7 million dollars worth of oysters were processed from Apalachicola Bay,
according to the Apalachicola Bay chamber of commerce website.
Ninety percent of Florida’s oysters are harvested in Apalachicola Bay, and ten percent of the nation's supply,
according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website.
It also added that oysters play a critical role in Florida's ecosystems, filtering and cleaning the water, helping to stabilize the coastline, and providing habitat for fish, shrimp, crabs, and other animals. When feeding, mostly on single-celled plants, a single oyster can pump and filter 25 gallons of water in 24 hours.
Al Jazeera and wire services
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