Bill Nelson

We passed in 1972 the Water Management Districts Act in Florida.

And this bay is going to come back someway. We are not giving up.

Do you consider lost income of anybody else along the river system?

When we get into the questions, we want to get past the process and we want to get into some of the solutions.

I brought the deputy for the Programs and Project Management Division within the Mobile District, Mr. Pete Taylor, to assist in answering the questions.

It is past time that Georgia begin to engage in similar conservation measures, and I would urge the Corps to mandate that Georgia implement such practices in their draft water control plan.

We can send him on a vacation for $110 million, but we can't save an ecosystem in a community, a livelihood, a lifestyle?

What is the eligibility for the use of funds? For example, an economic loss to a number of these fishermen, is that a permitted use?

If it is going to get solved, you all are going to have to do it, or else we have to amend the law.

Anything that needs to be expedited can be expedited.

Georgia needs to responsibly reduce and manage its continuously growing consumption of water.

Thank you for holding this timely hearing on the impact of low water flows from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint, the ACF, river system on the Apalachicola Bay.

I am hopeful that we can work together with the Army Corps in the interim to create a management system that appropriately accounts for the freshwater flows necessary for the ecosystem and for the fisheries in the bay.

Perhaps once the judge in Federal court in New Orleans decides on the fine on BP and the money starts to flow through the RESTORE Act, then perhaps that would be another source of funding.

Sometimes you would be surprised at some of the Senators from the same state that don't necessarily get along.

Senator Rubio and I collaborate almost every day that we are in session in Washington.

We need to ensure that our waters are protected for future generations.

But as it has been stated here very eloquently by these two, that is just a drop in the bucket.

Our future lies in Representative Southerland overcoming the politics and including the Freshwater Flows language in the House WRDA bill.

The freshwater flows provision in S. 601, developed and filed by you, Senator Nelson, would provide clear direction

I hope the money comes, and we are going to work hard to make that happen. But beyond that, what I want to make clear is it is not enough; we can't stop there.

This is the kind of stuff that we have been hearing for years as we have been trying to solve this problem.

So give us an example, then, where you say that you have to consider that, then the fact that there is less freshwater flowing south, what do you do about that if this species is threatened?

I look forward to working with Florida's Congressional delegation, Senators, and all relevant parties to find a long-term solution to this issue.

We have to get it funded. And, as you know, that hasn't been an easy task on appropriations on anything.