MRC - Advisory Group wants to take north Florida's water to supply south Florida Growth from St. Petersburg Times and other sources

Developers, agriculture executives and sugar growers have been meeting at the bequest of the governor's chief fundraiser to craft new water policies for Florida. Known as the Council 100, they would like to upend state law and redirect Florida's most precious resource from water-rich North Florida to Central and South Florida high growth areas. This idea was proposed in the hope that the pace of growth in South Florida could continue unabated. North Florida receives water from outside the state, while South Florida depends on rainfall and groundwater stored in aquifers for freshwater. The most far-reaching proposal was to trade North Florida water for mid Florida money. But Florida law says water belongs to the public. Utilities can charge for the cost of delivering water to the tap, but the government protects the resource by regulating how much can be pumped. For 30 years, Florida's water has been governed by its five water management districts, which control who can pump water out of the ground and how much can be pumped. The business leaders feel the water management districts have been too concerned with protecting natural resources and not focusing on getting more water for more population growth.

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