Senate Bill sb1214

    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1214

    By Senator Constantine





    22-162A-04

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Wekiva River Basin;

  3         creating s. 163.3247, F.S.; providing a short

  4         title; providing legislative intent with

  5         respect to protecting the Wekiva River Basin

  6         and implementing the findings and

  7         recommendations of the Wekiva River Basin

  8         Coordinating Committee; providing an effective

  9         date.

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11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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13         Section 1.  Section 163.3247, Florida Statutes, is

14  created to read:

15         163.3247  Wekiva River Basin Parkway and Protection

16  Act.--

17         (1)  SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the

18  "Wekiva River Basin Parkway and Protection Act."

19         (2)  LEGISLATIVE INTENT.--

20         (a)  The Legislature recognizes the Wekiva River and

21  its tributaries, along with the St. Johns River and associated

22  lands in central Florida, as one of the most valuable natural

23  assets of the state. The Wekiva River and its tributaries have

24  been designated an Outstanding Florida Water, a National Wild

25  and Scenic River, a Florida Wild and Scenic River, and a

26  Florida Aquatic Preserve.

27         (b)  In 1988, the Legislature enacted the Wekiva River

28  Protection Act, codified in part II of chapter 369, to protect

29  the resources of the Wekiva River Basin. The Wekiva River

30  Protection Act delineates an area comprising portions of Lake,

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1214
    22-162A-04




 1  Orange, and Seminole Counties as the Wekiva River Protection

 2  Area.

 3         (c)  The Wekiva River is a spring-fed system associated

 4  with 19 second-magnitude and third-magnitude springs and

 5  numerous smaller springs.  The Legislature recognizes that a

 6  spring is only as healthy as its groundwater recharge basin.

 7  The groundwater that feeds springs is recharged by seepage

 8  from the surface and through direct conduits, such as

 9  sinkholes. Because of this, the health of the spring system is

10  directly influenced by activities and land uses within the

11  spring recharge basin.

12         (d)  Protection of groundwater that recharges the

13  springs connected to the Wekiva River is crucial to the

14  long-term viability of the Wekiva River ecosystem and the

15  region's water supply. The volume of groundwater moving toward

16  discharge to form the Wekiva River spring system has

17  diminished over time, given withdrawals of water for

18  consumptive use and loss of recharge due to land development.

19  The Water Needs and Sources Assessment indicates that the

20  Wekiva Basin is located in a Priority Water Resource Caution

21  Area, indicating that water supply problems are projected to

22  become critical by 2010 and projected water use may result in

23  unacceptable impacts to natural systems and groundwater

24  quality, including a decline in the water table affecting

25  wetland vegetation and reduced spring flows. The St. Johns

26  Water Management District projects a 20-percent reduction in

27  spring flows by the year 2020.

28         (e)  Because the majority of the groundwater recharge

29  basin of the Wekiva River is located outside the Wekiva River

30  Protection Area as delineated in part II of chapter 369, no

31  special protection currently exists for critical groundwater

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    Florida Senate - 2004                                  SB 1214
    22-162A-04




 1  recharge lands. The Wekiva River Springs Protection Area shall

 2  consist of the study area, as determined by the Wekiva River

 3  Basin Coordinating Committee, which was created by Executive

 4  Order Number 03-112.

 5         (f)  It is the intent of the Legislature to implement

 6  those findings and recommendations of the committee.

 7         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2004.

 8  

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10                          SENATE SUMMARY

11    Creates the "Wekiva River Basin Parkway and Protection
      Act." Provides legislative intent with respect to
12    protecting the basin and implementing the findings and
      recommendations of the Wekiva River Basin Coordinating
13    Committee.

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