Supreme Court ruling provides opportunity to seek solutions to water conflict
American Rivers statement on Florida v. Georgia case
Contact:
Ben Emanuel, 706-340-8868
Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145
Atlanta – The ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case concerning water management in Alabama, Georgia and Florida’s Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin provides an opportunity for a new chapter of collaborative, sustainable solutions, American Rivers said today.
With the eight-year litigation in the Florida v. Georgia lawsuit now concluded, stakeholders throughout the basin can move forward toward solutions that will benefit the environment and communities upstream and down.
American Rivers named the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin America’s Most Endangered River in 2016 because outdated water management and rising demand put the basin at a breaking point.
Tom Kiernan, President of American Rivers, made the following statement:
“We understand the sense of loss that might be felt in communities around Apalachicola Bay with today’s ruling. The health of the waters that have supported these communities for generations has been damaged and degraded, and now they have lost an important legal pathway toward regaining ecosystem health.”
“Yet today’s ruling can and should usher in a new era of collaboration to sustain the basin’s rivers and the communities that depend on them. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners for a prosperous future throughout this vital river basin.”
Learn more about the 2016 America’s Most Endangered River listing
About American Rivers
American Rivers believes a future of clean water and healthy rivers for everyone, everywhere is essential. Since 1973, we have protected wild rivers, restored damaged rivers and conserved clean water for people and nature. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 300,000 supporters, members and volunteers across the country, we are the most trusted and influential river conservation organization in the United States, delivering solutions for a better future. Because life needs rivers.