Please come to the WFNF ratification meeting of the Florida Senate Rules Committee, at 9 AM, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. That’s at the Pat Thomas Committee Room, 412 Knott Building, 404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/Show/RC/

If we’re lucky, they’ll be done by lunchtime. There is no way to predict when they will take up SB 7034.

All of you who in meetings and online have opposed the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project to pipe treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin: here’s a chance to stop it.

Call to stop WFNF bill 2026-03-03, Florida Senate Rules Committee, No JAX wastewater into Suwannee Basin

If you can’t come in person, please call or write your Florida state Senator.

Either way, please be polite but firm.

Two Suwannee River Basin Florida State Senators are on the Rules Committee:

• Senator Jennifer Bradley (R), (850) 487-5006, bradley.jennifer.web@flsenate.gov
  https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/S6
  She represents Gilchrist, Columbia, Baker, Union, Bradford, Clay, and the north half of Alachua Counties, which is all of the most directly affected area.

  
  Sen. Jennifer Bradley

• Senator Corey Simon (R), (850) 487-5003, (850) 487-5003, simon.corey.web@flsenate.gov
  https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/S3
  He represents Hamilton, Madison, Suwannee, Lafayette, and Dixie Counties, all of which are above the same Floridan Aquifer, as well as more counties to the west.

  
  Sen. Corey Simon

If you live somewhere else, you can find your legislator by typing in your ZIP code here:

http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

Talk to your Florida House members, as well. Especially

• Rep. Jason Shoaf, 850-717-5007, jason.shoaf@flhouse.gov
  He represents Hamilton, Suwannee, Lafayette, and Dixie Counties and some others to the west.
• Rep. Chuck Brannan, 850-717-5010, 386-400-1980, chuck.brannan@flhouse.gov
  He represents Baker, Union, Bradford, Columbia, and part of Alachua County.
• Rep. Chad Johnson, (850) 717-5022, (352) 496-3700, chad.johnson@flhouse.gov
  He represents Gilchrist, Levy, and part of Alachua County.
• Rep. Allison Tant, 850-717-5009, allison.tant@flhouse.gov
  She represents Madison County and some others.

You can also keep contacting Governor Ron DeSantis, 850-717-9337.

And don’t forget the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) Board, 386.362.1001

• Virginia Johns (Chair), Virginia.Johns@SRWMD.org
• Richard Schwab (Vice Chair), Richard.Schwab@SRWMD.org
• Charles Keith (Secretary/Treasurer), Charles.Keith@SRWMD.org
• William Lloyd, William.Lloyd@SRWMD.org
• Larry Sessions, Larry.Sessions@SRWMD.org
• Harry Smith, Harry.Smith@SRWMD.org
• Larry Thompson, Larry.Thompson@SRWMD.org
• George Wheeler, George.Wheeler@SRWMD.org

Talk to your county commissioners and city council members.

If you need questions to ask, here are some.

https://wwals.net/?p=69143

And there’s a petition you can sign:

https://c.org/8CgGBpLv7r

WFNF Petition QR Code

It’s probably not obvious what SB 7034 has to do with WFNF.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/7034

The bill ratifies an FDEP minimum flow level Rule “and recovery strategy”.

The Rule includes “associated Implementation Strategy” and says “The rules will become effective upon ratification in the North Florida Regional Water Supply Partnership Area without the need for further rulemaking by the water management districts.”

Well, back in November 2025, SJRWMD and SRWMD rolled WFNF into NFRWSP.

So, if the Florida legislature approves SB 7034, it authorizes the Districts to do WFNF.

This Committee meeting is a good place to try to stop that.

Also, reducing minimum flows and levels is a bad idea anyway, since that just puts off limiting water withdrawal permits, which is going to happen sooner or later.

So please come oppose this bill. Or call or write your Florida statehouse members.

SB 7034 refers to Rules 62-42.200 and 62-42.300, F.A.C., establishing minimum flows for the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers and Priority Springs and associated Implementation Strategy.

https://floridadep.gov/owper/water-policy/content/lower-santa-fe-and-ichetucknee-rivers-lsfir-and-priority-springs-minimum

The rules will become effective upon ratification in the North Florida Regional Water Supply Partnership Area without the need for further rulemaking by the water management districts. The rules and incorporated materials can be found in the table below and in the Florida Administrative Code: Chapter 62-42, Florida Administrative Code.

Those rules reduce the minimum flows and levels for the Lower Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers as discussed in the various meetings over the past year. https://flrules.org/gateway/ChapterHome.asp?Chapter=62-42

They include this clause:

(2) The Department recognizes that recovery and prevention strategies may contain both regulatory and non-regulatory provisions. The non-regulatory provisions are not included in this rule, and will be included in the applicable regional water supply plans approved by the appropriate districts pursuant to Sections 373.0421(2) and 373.709, F.S.

As we’ve been advocating since at least 2016, the Districts need a water budget, to limit water withdrawals, and to do better aquifer recharge than their big-bucks pipeline projects.

https://wwals.net/?p=60931

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

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