| To those of us who've spent early
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| | oystering for generations, now find that
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| evenings mesmerized by astoundingly
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| | the once large hauls of oysters are
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| beautiful purple and gold sunsets over
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| | getting smaller each year. While it's
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| Apalachicola Bay in Northwest Florida,
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| | hard work for the oystermen, or tongers,
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| the drought in Georgia and Alabama is
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| | as they're called in Apalachicola, it's a
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| becoming a personal matter. Even though
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| | very picturesque scene to see the oyster
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| I live 400 miles from this blissful bay
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| | skiffs on a mirror flat bay, bringing up
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| between Apalachicola and St. George
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| | oysters as they've done for years.
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| Island, I dream that some day I'll be a
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| | The reason for the alarm is the drought
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| resident of the area and fish to my
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| | farther north in Georgia. Television
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| heart's content! I hope the bay will
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| | news has told us that Atlanta's main
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| continue to be the wonderful place it
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| | source of water, Lake Lanier, is drying
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| now.
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| | up. Some say that they have less than 90
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| While attending the annual Oyster Spat
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| | days before the lake is emptied of
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| Festival on St. George Island in the
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| | useable water. The situation is so
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| early part of October, I learned what a
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| | desperate the Governor held a prayer
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| spat was and the trouble Apalachicola
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| | meeting for rain. Prayer! What a
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| oysters were facing due to water
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| | concept!
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| shortages in Georgia. I also learned
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| | The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, who
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| that in addition to killing my grass at
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| | control the amount of water sent down the
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| home in Alabama, the drought was
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| | river from Georgia, has recommended to
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| responsible for the Apalachicola River
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| | Washington to reduce the amount of water
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| not pouring enough fresh water into
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| | allowed to flow downstream to
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| Apalachicola Bay!
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| | Apalachicola, leaving more water for
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| After a little investigation I learned
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| | those folks in Atlanta. That's a scary
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| that a spat is actually a baby oyster; a
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| | proposition for oysters!
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| fact I never knew. I'd never really
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| | The great debate of course is whether the
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| given the subject of how oysters
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| | people of Atlanta need fresh water more
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| reproduce a lot of thought! A female
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| | than the oysters of Apalachicola Bay.
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| oyster or a male oyster, depending on the
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| | Without enough fresh water in the bay,
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| salinity and temperature of the water can
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| | grass beds also dry up, thereby
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| produce over 100,000 eggs.
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| | eliminating safe breeding grounds for all
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| The eggs that don't get eaten by small
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| | manner of fish, including grouper,
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| fish or other predators can drift up to
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| | snapper, redfish and many other
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| two weeks in a great white cloud until
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| | hatchlings. All this means less fish for
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| settling to the bottom of the bay and
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| | the region in years to come. Let's not
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| cementing themselves to any solid surface
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| | forget the mussel and sturgeon of the
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| as a tiny oyster, called spats.
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| | bay, which are on the endangered species
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| The Apalachicola River, which is fed by
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| | lists.
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| the Chattahoochee River in Georgia,
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| | The drought is severe! It not only
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| provides fresh water to the Bay, breaking
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| | affects the residents of Georgia and
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| down the salinity of the salt water. The
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| | Alabama, by allowing the reduction in
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| result is a paradise for oysters,
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| | water flow of the Apalachicola River, but
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| scallops and other marine life. Now that
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| | it could wipe out the oyster industry and
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| river is providing less fresh water each
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| | destroy a beautiful and pristine body of
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| year, with more and more oysters being
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| | water.
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| found dead in their shell.
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| | The ecology of the bay area is changing
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| Apalachicola Bay is a fertile and
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| | at an alarming rate. I like people, but
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| friendly body of water and a workplace
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| | I love oysters too! Maybe Georgia
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| for hundreds of residents of the area. An
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| | Governor Sonny Perdue is on to something!
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| estimated 10 percent of the nation's
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| | There might be something to this prayer
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| oysters are supplied by the Apalachicola
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| | thing!
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| area. Men and women, who have been
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|
