Vigilance, please!

Yesterday, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, we heard from Florida State Senator Corey Simon that “the Water First North Florida project is being canceled in its current form.”

That’s good news, as far as it goes. And it wouldn’t have happened without all of you who have opposed it.

But it ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings, and the SRWMD Governing Board said nothing about this that same morning. I was there and spoke against WFNF along with about half a dozen other people.

Nor have any of SRWMD, SJRWMD, or JEA said anything since that I’ve seen. And what happened yesterday did nothing to repeal huge financial support for WFNF by JEA and SJRWMD.

So please don’t stop now. Keep on speaking to cities, counties, the state, members of Congress, and the unelected boards that are pushing WFNF: SRWMD, SJRWMD, JEA, plus the Jacksonville City Council.

For much more about WFNF, see:

https://wwals.net/issues/wfnf

More about WFNF funding in how it got ratified by sleight of bill, SB 7034 into HB 1417

We also heard yesterday from Florida State Representative Chuck Brannan that:

I don’t fight my political battles on Facebook. However, today I am proud to announce that because of my hard fought efforts in the Florida House and with the help of other House Leaders over the past couple months I have been able to keep funding for the North Florida Water First Project (treated wastewater from Jacksonville to the Suwannee Basin) out of the Florida House Budget. It has always been at $0 in the Florida House and remains so as of today. With that being said I am proud to also announce that the Florida Senate today has joined the House and removed $20 Million Dollars from their Budget for the North Florida Water First Project from their side to match up with us. This effectively kills this project this year. No matter what anybody tells you, this was a proposal from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the St. John’s River Water Management District, and the Suwannee River Water Management District. Never the Florida House of Representatives. Once again putting my nose to the grindstone, keeping my head down and just plain doing my job as I always have for my constituents pays off when it really matters!!! Remember to Thank God that the Legislature, not the Bureaucrats controls the purse strings!!! #BrannanDelivers

Yet the WFNF ratification bill HB 1417 passed unanimously in the Florida House. Brannan, along with all the other Florida State Representatives, voted for it on March 4 and March 12, 2026.

Maybe Rep. Brannan was referring to the budget conference yesterday. In the resulting House of Representatives Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee/Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government Conference Spreadsheet, line 152, labeled “G/A-Water First Nfl”, got zeroed out.

House of Representatives Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee/, 2026-05-12 Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government Conference Spreadsheet
PDF

According to David Tuthill and Rick Davis, that line previously had $20 million in it. Which means that amount won’t go to WFNF this year from the legislature.

But that’s a trivial amount compared to the $400 million approved for WFNF by the JEA Board back on November 2025.

Or the $125 million dedicated for WFNF by SJRWMD (see below).

That’s $525 million, from their existing budgets. That’s almost half the $1.1 billion estimated cost of the WFNF project. It’s not clear the legislature has any control over those amounts from JEA and SJRWMD.

Wait, what’s this about HB 1417? Wasn’t SB 7034 the ratification bill for WFNF?

You may recall that on March 3, 3026, the Florida Senate Rules Committee voted 21 to 0 for SB 7034, the ratification bill for Water First North Florida (WFNF) and the Suwannee Basin Minimum Flows and Levels (MFLs).

But SB 7034 never passed the full Senate:

Last Event: 03/13/26 S Died on Calendar on Friday, March 13, 2026 3:14 PM

The week before that Senate Rules Committee meeting, On February 25, 2026, the Florida House State Affairs Committee (SAC) adopted an addition to HB 1417 that is almost identical to the WFNF provisions of SB 2037.

With a couple more additions, HB 1417 passed the House unanimously on March 4 and again on March 12. Maybe you’d like to ask your state representative why, also anybody running for the statehouse.

In between, on March 9, HB 1417 passed the Senate by 34 to 3. The 3 voting Nay were:

• Jennifer Bradley, District 6, Gilchrist, Columbia, Baker, Union, Bradford, Clay, and the north part of Alachua County.
• Corey Simon, District 3, Hamilton, Suwannee, Lafayette, Madison, Taylor, and other counties.
  He was not present at the Rules Committee meeting due to attending to his elderly mother.
• Carlos Guillermo Smith, District 17, part of Orange County.

Bradley and Simon represent almost all of the Suwannee River Basin in Florida.

You can see the March 3 Rules Committee meeting on the Florida Channel video: https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/3-3-26-senate-committee-on-rules/

Senator Bradley used the term ratification at least three times. She said what the bill would ratify was mostly levels and flows, irrigation, and such, and “ratification is not a blessing and funding of this one particular solution.”

She also spoke in debate at 03:06:58:

If we fail to approve this ratification, it is potentially crippling for ag. across north Florida. We’re going to continue to monitor every project, make sure it reaches the highest safety and water standards. This is a critical ratification. I’d ask for everyone’s support.

Yet she voted against WFNF in HB 1417 on the Senate floor.

Did she decide it did not reach the highest safety and water standards?

The WFNF addition to HB 1417 was proposed by Chip LaMarca, who represents District 100, part of Broward County, from Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale. Why is southeast Florida interested in WFNF? What sort of deal was made?

Here is the text added to HB 1417 on February 25:

Section 25. (1) The following rules are ratified for the
917 sole and exclusive purpose of satisfying any condition on the
918 effectiveness imposed under s. 120.541(3), Florida Statutes:
919 Rules 62-42.200 and 62-42.300, Florida Administrative Code,
920 titled “Definitions” and “The Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee
921 Rivers and Priority Springs,” respectively, as filed for
922 adoption with the Department of State pursuant to the
923 certification package dated December 31, 2025.

924 (2) This section serves no other purpose and may not be
925 codified in the Florida Statutes. After this act becomes a law,
926 the enactment and effective dates of this section must be noted
927 in the Florida Administrative Code, the Florida Administrative
928 Register, or both, as appropriate. This section does not alter
929 rulemaking authority delegated by prior law, does not constitute
930 legislative preemption of or exception to any provision of law
931 governing adoption or enforcement of the rule cited, and is
932 intended to preserve the status of any cited rule as a rule
933 under chapter 120, Florida Statutes. This section does not cure
934 any rulemaking defect or preempt any challenge based on a lack
935 of authority or a violation of the legal requirements governing
936 the adoption of any rule cited.

937 Section 26. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.

The SAC provided a Bill Analysis.

HB 1417, 2026-05-12 –FL House Bill SAC Analysis
PDF

That Analysis mentions WFNF deep down.

Rule Ratification for the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers and Priority Springs Minimum Flows and Levels, 2026-05-12 –FL House Bill SAC Analysis
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The cost of the proposed rule’s offset requirements are estimated to be $142 million within the first five years of the rule’s implementation, which includes completion of a large-scale regional water recharge project (Water First North Florida) over an estimated 13-year period.¹⁹¹ While other projects may be implemented at the election of individual permittees, DEP included the Water First North Florida project cost as the sole offset cost as the project is anticipated to address the impacts associated with all water uses.¹⁹²

Regulatory Cost to Agencies

The proposed rule will require SJRWMD and SRWMD to incorporate the proposed regulatory requirements into all water use permits issued in the NFRWSP area.¹⁹³ SJRWMD and SRWMD will provide financial assistance for projects and measures identified in the implementation strategy.¹⁹⁴ SJRWMD is required to provide at least 25 percent of total project costs unless other funding sources provide more than 75 percent.¹⁹⁵ SRWMD is not subject to this requirement.¹⁹⁶

SJRWMD intends to implement the proposed rule with existing staff and meet its statutory requirements through participation in the Black Creek Water Resource Development Project, the Water First North Florida project, and the Florida Water Star Silver Plus water conservation project.¹⁹⁷ SJRWMD’s financial contribution to Water First North Florida will be limited to the share of impacts to the MFL compliance points resulting from water withdrawals in the SJRWMD region, estimated at $100-125 million.¹⁹⁸

SRWMD has identified the potential need to expand their workforce by one full-time equivalent position for the first five years of the proposed rule’s implementation.¹⁹⁹ Additionally, SRWMD’s existing cost-share programs are anticipated to assist agricultural producers in implementing monitoring cost. The funding for these programs comes from state grant programs. The total estimated indirect cost to SRWMD for the new position and cost-share programs is between $1,975,050 and $11,712,476.200

Regulatory Cost to Agencies, 2026-05-12 –FL House Bill SAC Analysis
PDF

Regulatory Costs to Small Cities, Small Counties, and Small Businesses

Small cities are estimated to incur total costs between $1,545,415 and $1,608,996 within the first five years of rule implementation.²⁰¹ These estimates are based on a review of existing permits and 2020 Census population data identifying small city permittees in the NFRWSP planning area.²⁰² Costs to the small cities will vary based on the permit allocation and type, and include the cost to implement the conservation requirements, including achieving per capita goals (for Public Supply permittees), implementing specific elements required in their water conservation plans, and reporting on the effectiveness of their water conservation plans.²⁰³ Most costs are

¹⁹¹ Id. at 33. Water First North Florida is a planned 40 mgd project that will treat reclaimed water from JEA’s Buckman and Southwest water reclamation facilities through wetland systems, provide regional recharge to the Floridan aquifer, and, when fully implemented, has the potential to increase flows to the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee rivers. The project is in the planning phase, with wetland treatment and recharge site investigations underway. Total estimated construction costs are…. approximately $1.1 billion, excluding land acquisition, permitting, and operation and maintenance costs. Id. at 32-33.

¹⁹² Id. at 33.

¹⁹³ Id.

¹⁹⁴ Id.

¹⁹⁵ Id.

¹⁹⁶ Id.

¹⁹⁷ Id. at 33-34. Regarding Water First North Florida, SJRWMD intends to participate by contributing to the planning, design, construction and/or operation and maintenance of the project. In addition to direct cost-share, SJRWMD may meet the financial assistance requirement through land acquisition or in-kind services. Id.

¹⁹⁸ Id.

¹⁹⁹ Id.

²⁰⁰ Id.

²⁰¹ Id. at 37. “Small city” means any municipality that has an unincarcerated population of 10,000 or less according to the most recent decennial census. Id. at 35; Section 120.52(18), F.S.

²⁰² DEP, Statement of Estimated Regulatory Costs-Summary of SERC Economic Assessment: Rule 62-42.300, F.A.C.: Attachment A (Oct. 2, 2025), available at https://floridadep.gov/owper/water-policy/documents/attachment-lsfir-serc-summary-serceconomic-assessment at 36-37.

²⁰³ Id. at 37.

Small counties are estimated to incur total costs between $191,746 and $234,134 within the first five years, 2026-05-12 –FL House Bill SAC Analysis
PDF

Other costs that could be incurred by small businesses, small cities, and small counties, 2026-05-12 –FL House Bill SAC Analysis
PDF

Oh, by the way, according to the SAC Bill Analysis, the ERC bit the dust:

The Environmental Regulation Commission

The bill repeals the Environmental Regulation Commission (ERC) and removes reference to the ERC throughout statute. (Multiple Sections)

The Environmental Regulation Commission, 2026-05-12 –FL House Bill SAC Analysis
PDF

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

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https://wwals.net/donations/

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