LLA Says It's Disappointed with Florida Legal Threat

Joanna Cloud, executive director of the Lake Lanier Association, said today that Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s intention to file a lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court is a major disappointment to the Lake Lanier Association, which has been a significant voice in the water wars between the states of Georgia, Florida and Alabama for the past 20 years. 

Earlier this month, Scott announced Florida will take "historic legal action" to "stop Georgia’s unchecked and growing consumption of water, which is threatening the economic future of Apalachicola," the governor said in a news release. 

"Historically low water levels brought about by Georgia’s excessive consumption have caused oysters to die because of higher salinity in the Bay and increased disease and predator intrusion," the release continued. "Oysters in the Bay account for 90 percent of Florida’s oyster supply and 10 percent of the nation’s oyster supply."

Now the LLA has published a report—available on its website lakelanier.org under the Resources/Libraby tab—regarding its position on the issue, dated Aug. 21, 2013. In a press release, LLA officials said:

The LLA has empathy for the Florida oyster industry, having experienced the direct impact of a major drought on a North Georgia economy. Lake Lanier area losses exceed $100 million annually when Lake Lanier is drawn down to 1060 feet or below for prolonged periods of time. 

The LLA is convinced that Gov. Scott has misdirected his resources by blaming the oyster problems on Georgia and Lake Lanier. There are several study efforts reviewing the oyster industry problems. Some have indicated that allowing too much salt water into the Bay from Sikes Cut, overharvesting the oysters, and poor seeding of the oyster beds are some of the causes. 

The governor’s statement focuses on water consumption by metro Atlanta citizens and businesses as being the primary cause of the oyster industry collapse. But there are numerous issues beyond just fresh water flows into the Bay that determine the health and productivity of the oysters, and the ultimate oyster harvest economy. Atlanta’s water consumption, even in a drought, is only 2 to 3 percent of the flow of water into the Apalachicola River. Metro Atlanta has only 6 percent of the watershed from which to draw water for 5 million people. Fourteen percent of the ACF Basin is below Woodruff Dam on the Georgia-Florida border with even higher average rainfall than occurs in the metro area. 

The LLA’s recommendation would be for Florida to invest in the several groups that are looking into this issue. One group, the ACF Stakeholders, has worked for the past four years analyzing and modeling the flows on the system. Included in that work is significant modeling of the Apalachicola Bay with focus on the factors affecting oyster productivity. Initial results of their work are expected by the end of 2013. The LLA encourages a collaborative working relationship between the state governors to establish a fair and equitable water sharing agreement without the delay and expense that would be incurred from legal proceedings. 

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