Roger W. Sims is a Partner in our
Orlando office.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- The House State Affairs Committee passed a comprehensive bill
on Feb. 11 with an emphasis on Florida's first and second
magnitude springs (i.e., "priority Florida
springs").
- The Florida Senate, Environmental Preservation and Conservation
Chairman Charlie Dean filed a bill on Feb. 13, providing for the
designation of "outstanding Florida springs."
2015 is being called the "Year of Water" for the
Florida Legislature. Springs have declined in flow and water
quality, aquatic habitats have become degraded, and rivers flowing
from Lake Okeechobee and the estuaries of these rivers have been
negatively impacted. In general, the state of water quantity and
quality has become a crisis. Because of this, the 2015 legislative
session is likely to adopt laws addressing these and many related
problems, and the bottom line for water users will likely be
increased expenses. Water will simply cost more.
