Wanted: Study of downstream impact of fewer releases from Lanier

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Florida) and U.S. Congressman Allen Boyd (D-North Florida) Thursday introduced legislation calling for a comprehensive study of the water management, needs and conservation along the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River System.

It's the latest fallout from efforts to keep more water in Lake Lanier and other Georgia reservoirs.

The legislation introduced in the Senate and the House of Representatives would require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to enter into an agreement with the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies to conduct a basin-wide assessment of the ACF system.

"We cannot sit back and watch as the river and bay decline," Nelson said. "The Apalachicola River is suffering under the current way of doing business. We need a solution that takes into account the environmental sensitivities and real water needs of the citizens of the three surrounding states. This study is a first step toward reaching that goal."

"It is clear from talking with Florida's stakeholders, the Corps and the Fish & Wildlife Service that more information about the ACF system, specifically the impact of freshwater flows on the Apalachicola Bay, is desperately needed," Boyd said. "This study will show the real impact that low water flows have had on our river and bay. The National Research Council has a long history of providing policy makers and the public with expert advice based on sound scientific evidence and research. A study by the NRC will allow the three states and the Corps to develop a more successful, long term water management solution that recognizes the needs of all the users along the ACF system."

Similar to the legislation, Nelson and Boyd also are circulating a letter amongst the members of the Florida Congressional Delegation that asks the Corps to enter into a contract with the NRC to complete the comprehensive study of water management in the ACF river basin.

Both the legislation and the letter call for the NRC study to include:

*Scientific information on the Apalachicola River and Bay and the impact of freshwater flow on the ecology of the river and the bay.
*An assessment of water availability, supply options, demand-management alternatives, and socioeconomic factors that influence uses in the ACF River System.
*Recommendations for an approach to determine water limits that recognize the needs of all users along the ACF River System.
*Suggestions for any additional measures to address the long term watershed management needs of the ACF River System.