The salinity of Apalachicola Bay

The Apalachicola River flows into Apalachicola Bay in Florida, located on the Gulf of Mexico coast somewhat near Tallahasee -- about 80 miles southwest, in fact.

Apalachicola Bay is famed for its oyster crop, and those oysters depend on the right salinity balance (set by the tidal flow of the ocean into the bay on one side and the flow of the Apalachicola River's fresh water on the other).

The problem is, Florida doesn't have first claim on the river or its water.  Georgia does, because the two tributaries that merge to form the Apalachicola at about the Florida state line are the Chattahoochee and the Flint, and they flow mostly in Georgia.   And Florida is upset because it thinks Georgia is using too much water from these rivers before they become the Apalachicola and their water gets down to the bay.

So now Florida is suing Georgia for more water to flow into the bay, to help out the oysters.  It's a landmark case. There's a whole lot of considerations, from drinking water in Atlanta to irrigation water for Georgia farms

Florida and Georgia taking water fight to Supreme Court

"Florida's legal fight hasn't been cheap. Since Gov. Rick Scott gave the green light in 2013 to take the case to the Supreme Court, the state has spent nearly $60 million on legal fees."

That's a lot of clams -- I mean, oysters. But oysters are not all this is about -- it's also about wetlands and mangroves and forests, including where tupelo honey comes from. 

Being who I am, I want the bay to get the water, and not only because I like tupelo honey.  But both the natural resources and the agricultural/aquacultural products of the bay deserve to get enough water to be healthy and productive.