The St. Johns River Accord

In the summer of 2006, Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD), JEA, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Water Sewer Expansion Authority (WSEA) responded to the nutrient pollution crisis by entering into an agreement that commits $700 million over 10 years toward the restoration of the lower section of the St. Johns River.

JEA will commit $200 million, City of Jacksonville $150 million, SJRWMD up to $150 million, and $200 will be sought by various federal and state sources.

To learn more about the St. Johns River Accord, click here.

The Accord is important and historic in terms of the amount of money committed to the restoration of the river. However, there are no guarantees that those commitments will be fulfilled. The City of Jacksonville is facing shortfalls in revenue, and there is no dedicated source of state or federal funding. Funding from the state must be appropriated on an annual basis by the Florida Legislature and the Governor and is at the mercy of changes in the political climate or budgetary constraints. At this time, there is no significant federal funding to support this effort.

In addition, the Accord only applies to the Lower Basin of the St. Johns River and does not address all of the upstream problems that are impacting the health of the river. Many estimate that a comprehensive restoration of the St. Johns River will cost in the billions and take much longer than 10 years to accomplish. The Accord is a good start, a down payment if you will. However, the Accord is only part of the story. Here is some of the rest of the story that you may not have heard.