SCOTUS Rules in Favor of Georgia in Water War

In a unanimous opinion authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Georgia over Florida in the water war. Florida had exceptions to the Special Master’s recommendations. The Court shot down those exceptions.

“In short, Florida has not met the exacting standard necessary to warrant the exercise of this Court’s extraordinary
authority to control the conduct of a coequal sovereign. We emphasize that Georgia has an obligation to make reasonable use of Basin waters in order to help conserve that increasingly scarce resource,” writes Justice Barrett. “But in light of the record before us, we must overrule Florida’s exceptions to the Special Master’s Report and dismiss the case.”

Georgia Public Policy Foundation President Kyle Wingfield said that the ruling “validates” the Special Master recommendations and “vindicates” Georgia. “Throughout this costly, lengthy dispute, Georgians have exercised responsible stewardship of this resource. As the state’s population continues to grow, especially in the metro area, this court victory is a somber reminder: Water is an increasingly precious resource that our neighbors believe is worth fighting over,” Wingfield said. “Policymakers must continue to demonstrate leadership that preserves and protects this victory and ensures best practices for Georgia’s future success.”

Sorry not sorry, Florida.