Federal Government Claims Water Rights in Okefenokee Refuge Amid Controversy Over Proposed Titanium Mine.

The federal government is asserting its “reserved water rights” in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, a rare move that could escalate a legal dispute over a proposed mine. The Fish and Wildlife Service has written to Georgia regulators stating that it has “reserve water rights”. This comes as Georgia regulators are close to finalizing permits for Twin Pines Minerals to mine for titanium near the swamp. The agency has warned that the proposed mine could undermine these rights if developers pump out too much groundwater and threaten the water needed to support the swamp, which is currently one of the planet’s largest hydrologically intact freshwater ecosystems.