Florida Senate - 2018                                     SB 992
       
       
        
       By Senator Book
       
       
       
       
       
       32-00203B-18                                           2018992__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the C-51 reservoir project;
    3         amending s. 373.4598, F.S.; revising requirements
    4         related to the operation of water storage and use for
    5         Phase I and Phase II of the C-51 reservoir project if
    6         state funds are appropriated for such phases;
    7         authorizing the South Florida Water Management
    8         District to enter into certain capacity allocation
    9         agreements and to request a waiver for repayment of
   10         certain loans; authorizing the Department of
   11         Environmental Protection to waive such loan repayment
   12         under certain conditions; providing an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (9) of section
   17  373.4598, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (f) is
   18  added to that subsection, to read:
   19         373.4598 Water storage reservoirs.—
   20         (9) C-51 RESERVOIR PROJECT.—
   21         (d) If state funds are appropriated for Phase I or Phase II
   22  of the C-51 reservoir project:
   23         1. The district, to the extent practicable, shall operate
   24  either Phase I or Phase II of the reservoir project to maximize
   25  the reduction of high-volume Lake Okeechobee regulatory releases
   26  to the St. Lucie or Caloosahatchee estuaries, in addition to
   27  maximizing the reduction of harmful discharges providing relief
   28  to the Lake Worth Lagoon. However, the operation of Phase I of
   29  the C-51 reservoir project must be in accordance with any
   30  operation and maintenance agreement adopted by the district;
   31         2. Water made available by Phase I or Phase II of the
   32  reservoir shall be used for natural systems in addition to any
   33  permitted allocated amounts for water supply issued in
   34  accordance with executed capacity allocation agreements; and
   35         3. Any Water received from Lake Okeechobee may only not be
   36  available to support consumptive use permits if such use is in
   37  accordance with the rules for the applicable restricted
   38  allocation area as defined in s. 373.037(1).
   39         (f) The South Florida Water Management District may enter
   40  into a capacity allocation agreement with a water supply entity
   41  for a pro rata share of unreserved capacity in the water storage
   42  facility and may request the department to waive repayment of
   43  all or a portion of the loan issued pursuant to s. 373.475. The
   44  department may authorize such waiver if, at its determination,
   45  it has received reasonable value for such waiver.
   46         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.