ACF River Basin

The ACF River Basin is the watershed of the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flint River Basin, in the United States, that begins in northern Georgia and flows into the Gulf of Mexico at Apalachicola Bay, near Apalachicola, Florida. The basin drains an area of more than 19,300 square miles (50,000 km²).cite journal | first = Brian D. | last = Richter | coauthors = Mathews, Ruth Harrison, David L. and Wigington, Robert | year = 2003 | month = Feb | title = Ecologically Sustainable Water Management: Managing River Flows For Ecological Integrity | journal = Ecological Applications | volume = 13 | issue = 1 | pages = 206–224 | url = http://www.nature.org/summit/files/eswm.pdf | accessdate = 2007-02-14 | doi = 10.1890/1051-0761(2003)013 [0206:ESWMMR] 2.0.CO;2]

These states and Alabama have been involved in a water-use dispute for two decades. [cite journal | first = Jefferson G | last = Edgens | year = 2001 | month = Spring | title = Thirst for growth | journal = Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy | volume = 16 | issue = 1 | pages = 14–8 | accessdate = 2007-02-14] Georgia has also lobbied the United States Congress to end navigation on the Appalachicola and lower Chattahoochee, to conserve more water during droughts. Keeping the two rivers at a navigable depth during these times requires large releases from dams upstream, sending potential drinking water dowstream for shipping, and often dropping lakes to levels dangerous to boaters.

Other concerns include harvests of oysters in Apalachicola Bay, which require a large enough flow of fresh water to prevent excessive saltwater intrusion from the Gulf. [cite journal | first = DH | last = Wilber | year = 1992 | month = August | title = Association Between Freshwater Inflows and Oyster Productivity in Apalachicola Bay, Florida | journal = Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science | volume =35 | issue = 2 | pages = 179–190 | accessdate = 2007-02-14 | doi = 10.1016/S0272-7714(05)80112-X] The cost of dredging silt, much of it from uncontrolled growth across metro Atlanta's fine red clay soil, has also been called wasteful to float so little ship traffic. [cite press release | publisher= Florida Department of Environmental Protection | date=2003-07-30 | title=Florida Reaffirms Commitment to Protect Apalachicola River: Officials call for end to dredging | url=http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2003/july/0730.htm | accessdate=2007-02-14]

References

External links

* [http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/acfframe.htm U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: ACF Basin]