To amend existing consumptive use permitting criteria to protect water made available by the Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project (LRWRP), a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The ....

 

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS

South Florida Water Management District

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

40E-2.091Publications Incorporated by Reference

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: To amend existing consumptive use permitting criteria to protect water made available by the Loxahatchee River Watershed Restoration Project (LRWRP), a component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The proposed rule development involves amending the Applicant’s Handbook for Water Use Permit Applications within the South Florida Water Management District (Applicant’s Handbook) to expand the Lower East Coast Regional Water Availability criteria’s definition of North Palm Beach County/Loxahatchee River Watershed Waterbodies to include several LWRWP project components. The rulemaking effort will also adopt rules to protect the groundwater associated with the project’s aquifer storage and recovery wells that will be located at the C-18W Reservoir site. The need for rulemaking is twofold: 1) the Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River MFL [Rule 40E-8.421(6)(a), F.A.C.] identifies the Lower East Coast Regional Water Availability criteria as part of the MFL recovery strategy; and 2) the LRWRP is a CERP effort that requires project water be protected. The existing Lower East Coast Regional Water Availability restricted allocation area boundary includes most, but not all, the areas in the LRWRP.

SUBJECT AREA TO BE ADDRESSED: Amending existing rules to provide water resource protection for the LRWRP.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 373.044, 373.113, 373.118, 373.171, 373.216 FS.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 373.042, 373.0421, 373.083, 373.109, 373.196, 373.219, 373.223, 373.224, 373.229, 373.232, 373.233, 373.236, 373.239, 373.250 FS

A RULE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:

DATE AND TIME: January 25, 2022, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

PLACE: In response to COVID-19, the session will only be held via the Zoom application. Pre-registration is required at https://sfwmd-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tNfBQccVQACLu2n64WMxCg.

DATE AND TIME: February 22, 2022, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

PLACE: In response to COVID-19, the session will only be held via the Zoom application. Pre-registration is required at https://sfwmd-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oEWdW8XYT-2DqfBSBhLxoQ.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 5 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: South Florida Water Management District Clerk, [phone]. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT AND A COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT, IF AVAILABLE, IS: Natalie Kraft, Lead Scientist, South Florida Water Management District, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33401; telephone: [phone]; email: [e-mail].

THE PRELIMINARY TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT IS: Preliminary rule text will be available on January 11, 2022 at https://www.sfwmd.gov/doing-business-with-us/rules.