Sweeping New Water Policies May Hit Florida

Florida lawmakers are closer to finalizing sweeping new water policy legislation after the debate on this measure stalled for months.

Legislation addressing water concerns failed to move earlier in the year due to unresolved policy differences, according to WLRN. That proposal, approved in the state House and pushed by agriculture and business interests, never made it out of the state senate.

The new bills cover such issues as advanced stormwater management, erosion checks, and fertilizing protocols. “The measures seek to establish water flow levels for the state’s natural springs and define the Central Florida Water Initiative. The bills also include further management action plans for Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee Estuary, and the St. Lucie River and Estuary, the inland portion of the Caloosahatchee River watershed,” the report said.

“The proposals (SB 552, PCB SAC 16-01) also would require the Office of Economic and Demographic Research to provide an annual assessment of the state’s water resources and conservation lands, something that was not included in the House’s plan this spring,” it continued.

The question remains of whether environmental interests will get on board this time. Bob Palmer, the legislative committee chairman for the Gainesville-based Florida Springs Council, had an optimistic take on the new legislation. “[He] said the bills do more to protect the springs and aquifer than last session's House bill,” The Gainesville Sun reported.

California’s water difficulties during its protracted drought are one reason Florida policymakers want new policies in place. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam “drew upon near-apocalyptic images of drought-plagued California and Florida’s growing population — which could potentially create a one billion gallon-per-day shortfall by 2030 — as reasons lawmakers need to close their remaining ‘minor’ differences over water policy,” the Palm Beach Post reported.

In Putnam’s words, per the Herald-Tribune:

“The House, the Senate have worked very hard throughout the last year to close a big gap between their two ideas, and we’re on the goal line. We need your help to punch it across the goal line this year. This session. Not to monkey with it. Not to go back and litigate fights that were resolved last session. Pigs get fat, and hogs get slaughtered. Let’s pass the bill we have this year, this session so that we can move on to all the other economic-development issues that our state faces.”