Posted on January 9, 2026
A bill filed Monday could lead to the restoration of North Florida’s Ocklawaha River.
Lawmakers behind the bill are calling it “their region’s Everglades restoration.”
The Senate version of the bill (SB 1066) was filed by Republican Senator Jason Brodeur and the House version (HB 981) by Republican Representative Wyman Duggan.
The bills would require the Department of Environmental Protection to develop a plan for restoring the Ocklawaha River, which is a tributary of the St. Johns River, to a “natural, free-flowing state” by 2032.
It would provide grants and establish a local advisory council to focus on an outdoor recreation plan, economic development, and transition needs for property owners and businesses affected by the restoration project.
Margaret Spontak is the executive director of the Great Florida Riverway Trust.
She says the reason this bill is different from past efforts is that it not only focuses on restoration, but also on people.
“People have now looked at well, let’s look at how this is going to affect the people aspect of things, the users that currently use the reservoir, landowners, recreators in the area.” Spontak told WMNF.
The legislative session starts January 13th.
