TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida environmentalists are divided on a proposal to set aside $400 million for a reservoir in central Florida, disagreeing on the impact it could have on water quality and the flow in the St. Johns River.
The $400 million was inserted into the 2024-25 budget proposal during the conference committee process, with support from Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.
Some environmentalists support the project, saying it will help protect the Indian River Lagoon by diverting water that historically never flowed into the troubled water body. But representatives of St. Johns Riverkeeper and the Florida Springs Council say the proposed project on former citrus grove land poses a threat to the St. Johns River and should have received more scrutiny.
“It’s simply bad policy,” Lisa Rinaman of the St. Johns Riverkeeper said last week during a webinar. “There was never a committee hearing. There was no public discussion. And this is something even the agencies working on this were surprised.”
