Arguments In Florida-Georgia Water War Case Get Moved Up

Florida claims Georgia uses too much water and leaves too little for its southern neighbor.

David Goldman / Associated Press file

This story was updated at 1:35 p.m. Sept. 6

Legal arguments in a decades-long fight over water between Georgia and Florida have been rescheduled. The states had been expected in court in mid-December. Now, they’re scheduled for mid-October.

It’s a fight over the water flowing down the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers that’s gone on for years. Florida says Georgia uses too much of it, and not enough flows down to the Apalachicola River in the Florida panhandle.

That’s had disastrous effects on the environment and fisheries, Florida says.

The case in the U.S. Supreme Court has come to focus more on the Flint River, used by South Georgia farmers, and not as much on Atlanta’s use of the Chattahoochee.

The states argued in front of the Supreme Court last year, but instead of making a decision, the high court asked for more information.

This new round of arguments will be in front of a court-appointed Special Master in Albuquerque on Oct. 17.

UPDATE: Florida has requested to move the arguments to a date in November because one of its attorneys has a scheduling conflict with another case. In a motion to reschedule, Florida said it had checked with Georgia, which did not oppose the request.