Environment, News

The U.S. Supreme Court Hears Georgia And Florida Years-Long Dispute Over Water

Lisa Rayam •
With Apalachicola River’s oyster fishery suffering in recent years, Florida said it’s because not enough water flows out of Georgia. Georgia has said the problems are due to Florida’s own mismanagement following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
With Apalachicola River’s oyster fishery suffering in recent years, Florida said it’s because not enough water flows out of Georgia. Georgia has said the problems are due to Florida’s own mismanagement following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Credit Mark Wallheiser / Associated Press file
Audio version of this story here.

This morning attorneys for Georgia appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court in a long-running fight over water between states.

WABE environment reporter Molly Samuel has been covering this case of water wars, and she joined WABE’s “Morning Edition” host, Lisa Rayam, to explain.

Rayam began the conversation by asking Samuel about the case and how it dates back to almost ten years ago when Florida first sued Georgia. Rayam then asked, “What is Florida’s complaint?”

Samuel replied, “This case first started in 2013, but this fight actually goes back to decades. Both Florida and Alabama have complained for years that Georgia uses too much of the water in the rivers that the states share — and in this particular case, the rivers at issue are the Chattahoochee — which supplies most of metro Atlanta’s water. The Flint River starts near the Atlanta airport and is really important for agriculture in southwest Georgia.”

Samuel is following this U.S. Supreme Court court case closely and will share the latest developments as they become available.

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