REGULATORY UPDATE

May 2009

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Central Florida Water Wars: Florida Water Agency Approves Surface Water Withdrawal

Seminole County has won an important victory in Florida’s most recent water war, which pits central Florida against northeast Florida in a battle for the St. Johns River. On April 13, 2009, in a 5-4 vote, the Governing Board of the Saint Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) approved a permit allowing Seminole County to withdraw 5.5 million gallons per day (mgd) from the St. Johns River. The permit was contested by the St. Johns Riverkeeper and the City of Jacksonville, among others, who view it as the thin end of a wedge that could lead to withdrawals exceeding 266 mgd from the St. Johns and its largest tributary, the Ocklawaha.