Boyd Decries Corps' Extension of Minimum Water Flows From Lake Lanier

Press Release

Congressman Allen Boyd (D-North Florida) today decried the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' decision to extend water flow reductions from 750 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 650 cfs from Lake Lanier beyond April 30 through May 31, 2008. The Corps' approval of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division's (EPD) irresponsible request comes as the state of Georgia continues to allow lax water restrictions in metropolitan Atlanta with little to no thought of its downstream neighbors.

In February, Georgia requested that the Corps reduce the releases from Lake Lanier to meet water quality requirements below the point of Atlanta's waste water discharges to the Chattahoochee River. Georgia asked the Corps to reduce water releases from 750 cfs to 550 cfs through April 30. The Corps approved a reduction to 650 cfs until April 30. On April 25, Georgia requested that the Corps extend the reduction through the end of May.

"The Corps' decision to permit reduced water flows from Lake Lanier for months on end during spawning season is neither temporary nor responsible," said Congressman Boyd. "In recent months, the Apalachicola River and the Apalachicola Bay have suffered considerably under the Corps' Extraordinary Drought Operations plan, and additional, reduced water flows will further exacerbate the situation. The Corps has said that these reduced flows will have ‘no long term significant environmental impacts,' but the Corps failed to analyze the effects on downstream reservoirs or endangered species in the Apalachicola River."

Wildlife and fish spawning is currently underway on the Apalachicola River. Gulf sturgeon require a stable flow to ensure spawning success. Operations that rapidly reduce flows over spawning grounds during the spawn strand eggs and kill larval fish, critical to the ecosystem of the Apalachicola River.

"Instead of these ‘interim' plans, ‘temporary' reductions, and ‘expedited' assessments, the Corps should be working toward the orderly and comprehensive process of updating the water control plans for the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint-river system," Boyd said. "I will continue working with Florida's stakeholders to fight this violation of our resources and push for a reasonable and long term water management solution."

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