APALACHICOLA, Fla. – The source of much of Florida's seafood is being "decimated" by a decades-long tug of war over water rights involving Georgia, Alabama and Florida, according to the state's seafood industry and conservation groups. Tuesday, representatives of both rallied at the Franklin County Court House to ask federal lawmakers to settle the competing needs for the water that feeds the Apalachicola River and Bay.
According to Preston Robertson, vice president and general counsel for the Florida Wildlife Federation, the issue must be resolved now.
"We're in a bad way," he stated. "We need some direction, and we especially need some leadership to figure out how to get adequate amounts of water at the right time, down the river, from the dam."
Tuesday, members of the U.S. Senate met in Apalachicola to hold a field hearing on the effect of water flow on the river and bay. Robertson said most of the water that would naturally feed the region is used up by Atlanta for drinking water before it can flow downstream.
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