The story

Florida backed away on Friday from a temporary truce brokered by the Bush administration in a long-standing water war, aggravated by drought, among Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

In a letter to federal officials, Florida's environmental protection chief said the state opposes an arrangement announced last week under which the Army Corps of Engineers would cut river flows into Florida and Alabama in order to capture more water for Georgia. The letter says the plan would irreversibly damage Florida's environment and its fisheries.

The plan would "starve the Apalachicola River and Bay of freshwater flows needed to keep the ecosystems, species and economy alive," wrote Michael Sole, secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Learn more about the states' water dispute Read full article »

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All About Drought • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers