ACF Water War moving to congress

Florida's congressional delegation is hoping to find some success in the water war that Florida is losing in court.

On Tuesday a special master appointed by the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Florida in its ongoing legal dispute with Georgia over water usage from the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee Flint River System.

Senator Bill Nelson and Representative Neal Dunn now hope they can have better luck in congress.

On Wednesday Senator Nelson filed a bill that would require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to send more freshwater south from Georgia into Apalachicola Bay.

Seantor Nelson filed a similar bill in 2013 but it didn't go anywhere.

The oyster industry in Apalachicola collapsed in 2012 leading to a Commercial Fisheries Disaster Declaration from the U.S. Department of Commerce in 2013. 

Nelson said “The lack of freshwater flowing into Apalachicola Bay is having a devastating effect on the local oyster industry and local economy, The oystermen whose livelihood depends on having enough freshwater in the bay are relying on us to get this fixed.”

The special master said he also believes the 2012 collapse of the Apalachicola Bay oyster industry was caused by decreased flows from the river and not from mismanagement as Georgia argued.

Representative Neal Dunn, whose district includes Franklin County,  said he plans to introduce a Congressional Review Act resolution to permanently roll back the Army Corps’ of Engineers Master Water Control Manual which oversees how water in the river system is managed.

He said his plan will block the Army Corps’ rule from taking effect and allow the states to come to an equitable agreement on the management of the ACF River Basin.

He also plans to file a resolution seeking to block Corps authority to write water-control rules that could hurt Florida.

He called on the Corps to suspend the new plans until the federal agency meets with Florida officials and others to discuss the impact of the court report.

Dunn Said "At one time, the Apalachicola River and Bay were as unique as any aquatic ecosystem in Florida's history, including the Everglades. Sadly, this is no longer the case.”

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