Answer: He connects them by remarking that the Chattahoochee River passes through Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, places where there are also problems with how the river's water is used and its distribution.
Explanation: Georgia, Alabama, and Florida have been in a long-time war to fight over which place gets the best water distribution. Each place wants different things, such as having enough water to grow and having high river flows, as well as avoiding the misuse of it by another place. The author connects both topics by describing that the Chattahoochee River goes through many places and connects eventually with Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, to continue later on with its course.