(WTXL) - In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court sided with Florida in a decades long fight with Georgia over a shared water system.
Florida is asking Georgia to try improving it's efforts to boost water flow into the Apalachicola River, possibly allowing the system to thrive as it once did.
In a win for Florida, the court appointed a special master to go back to the drawing board and determine if limiting Georgia's water consumption will improve the health of the Apalachicola River.
"This is Florida's attempt to get a cap put on Georgia and guarantee for them the water they believe they have a right to," said Attorney Alisa Coe with Earth Justice.
Georgia needs the water to compensate for Atlanta's growing population and billion dollar agricultural industry.
Florida needs it to preserve the health of the Apalachicola River and Bay, home to one of the world's 36 "biodiversity hotspots".
"And contributes to the health and productivity of numerous species all the way down to Tampa," said Georgia Ackerman, Apalachicola Riverkeeper and Executive Director. "The fresh water from the Apalachicola River contributes 35 percent of the fresh water into the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, supporting a commercial and recreational fishing industry valued at over $5 billion."
The special master will be looking to see how much water is needed by the system, what the demands are and what the benefits could be.
"What we're asking them to do is take a better look at the science and make sure that they have really made considerations for fish and wildlife needs and have looked at all the alternatives that are in front of them," said Coe.
The Supreme Court raises two important questions:
- Will a cap on Georgia's use of the Flint River significantly increase flow into Florida's Apalachicola River?
- And if so, will the extra water be enough to reverse the harm downstream waters have suffered?
With both states having a stake in this interconnected river system, the war over water continues.
The court is hoping the special master can come up with a recommendation that will be a beneficial solution for both Florida and Georgia.
Florida originally sued Georgia in 2013 for using too much water upstream.
In February 2017, the special master ruled Georgia's water consumption shouldn't be limited.
Now, the same special master will look at more evidence and make a new recommendation at the end of the research.
