Your April e-News from Apalachicola Riverkeeper

‌  ‌  ‌ Together, we are Apalachicola Riverkeeper! Dear Riverkeeper Friends and Members, Yesterday, the US Supreme Court delivered disheartening news in concluding the FL v GA case. Dismissing the case, the justices offered no resolution to equitable sharing of the water of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-River system. While this legal case has ended, it does not conclude the work to be done in protecting the Apalachicola River and Bay. River flow is the lifeblood of the swamps, streams, and estuary of the Apalachicola River and Bay ecosystem. Upstream water management and flow regulation have failed to address downstream realities. Fundamental changes in water management and flow regulation policies, along with strong water conservation programs throughout the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin, are urgently needed. This includes drought planning. The water of the ACF Basin can and must be shared fairly. Apalachicola Riverkeeper remains committed to the protection and restoration of the Apalachicola River, Floodplain and Bay. This includes a multi-year slough restoration project, a legal challenge to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in federal court, and participation in the Apalachicola Bay System Initiative and ACF Stakeholders collaboration. The ACF Stakeholders developed a Sustainable Water Management Plan in 2015, offering a step forward for the equitable sharing of water by Alabama, Florida and Georgia in the ACF Basin. We urge the state leadership of Alabama, Georgia and Florida to collaboratively review this plan. Additionally, we encourage everyone (in all states) to let your respective elected officials know that you care about the ecological health of the Apalachicola River and Bay and expect continued focus on solutions to the equitable management of water in the ACF Basin. With members representing nearly every U.S. state, we know you indeed care! Thank you for your continued support. Together, we are Apalachicola Riverkeeper! For the River & Bay, Georgia Ackerman Riverkeeper & Executive Director georgia@apalachicolariverkeeper.org FL v. GA Related media: SCOTUS Blog WFSU Bloomberg Law Associated Press Tallahassee Democrat Photo: Alum Bluff on Apalachicola River by Jo Pearman Earth Day April 22 We'll be picking up debris in Apalachicola on Earth Day (10-Noon) from the Mill Pond to Battery Park with refreshments at our office afterwards. Interested in helping with this clean up or a future clean up? Contact Doug Alderson . Thank you to the trash-bashing groups and individuals who continue to make a difference by keeping junk from entering our waterways and landscape. You make a difference! When Spotting Injured Wildlife Remembering Bill Moody Slough Restoration Project East Bay has long been recognized as the most productive portion of the estuarine systems and this productivity is directly related to the delivery of freshwater through these distributaries. As part of the Slough Restoration Project, we will be removing sediment from the upper reaches of East River which will return this part of the distributary system to its natural state. Learn more. Support Our Work Apalachicola Riverkeeper is located at 301 Market Street, at Scipio Creek Marina. The office is open by appointment. Thank you for keeping in touch via phone and email.

Apalachicola Riverkeeper | PO Box 8, Apalachicola, FL 32320

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