Florida legislators introduce bill to save the Apalachicola River
American Rivers praised Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL), Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Rep. Allen Boyd (D-FL) for introducing legislation today to stop Army Corps of Engineers dredging of the Apalachicola River, and to require the agency to prepare a plan to restore the river's health. In April of this year, American Rivers placed the river on its America's Most Endangered Rivers list, citing the severe ecological damage caused by the dredging operations and calling on Congress to deauthorize this destructive activity.
(PRWEB) July 18, 2002
Florida legislators introduce bill to save the Apalachicola River
(Washington, DC) American Rivers praised Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL), Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Rep. Allen Boyd (D-FL) for introducing legislation on July 16 to stop Army Corps of Engineers dredging of the Apalachicola River, and to require the agency to prepare a plan to restore the river's health. In April of this year, American Rivers placed the river on its America's Most Endangered Rivers list, citing the severe ecological damage caused by the dredging operations and calling on Congress to deauthorize this destructive activity.
"Dredging the Apalachicola River for commercial navigation has been a perpetual source of work for the Corps, but a disaster for the river and the taxpayers." said Melissa Samet, senior director of water resources at American Rivers. "We urge the House and Senate to act on this bill without delay."
Despite the Army Corps' aggressive dredging and flow manipulation, use of the river by commercial barges has dwindled to almost nothing. The last company to operate barges on the river ceased operation earlier this year. The Corps has dumped mountains of sand dredged from the river bottom along the river's banks, choking sloughs that supply water to surrounding habitat and threatening local Tupelo honey production. The CorpsÂ’ dam operations that create so-called "navigation windows" -- during which barges can move up and down the river -- also has devastated the river's ecological health, causing populations of sport and bait fish to crash.
American Rivers was joined in its support for the bill by Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Northwest Florida Water Management District, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Taxpayers for Common Sense, Audubon Society, Florida Wildlife Federation, the Apalachicola Bay and River Keepers, Help Save the Apalachicola River, the Nature Conservancy, the Apalachee Ecological Conservancy, the Chipola River Economic and Environmental Council, the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, Florida PIRG, the Florida Fishermen Federation, and 1000 Friends of Florida.
For the America's Most Endangered Rivers report and photos of the Apalachicola River: http://www. americanrivers. org/mostendangered/apalachicola2002.htm (http://www. americanrivers. org/mostendangered/apalachicola2002.htm)
For more information about American Rivers' efforts to secure fundamental reforms to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to prevent future wasteful projects: http://www. americanrivers. org/armycorpsreform/default. htm (http://www. americanrivers. org/armycorpsreform/default. htm)
