I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2773
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate the Wekiva River
and its tributaries of Rock Springs Run and Black Water Creek in
the State of Florida as components of the national wild and scenic
rivers system.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 5, 1999
Mr. MCCOLLUM introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Resources
A BILL
To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate
the Wekiva River and its tributaries of Rock Springs
Run and Black Water Creek in the State of Florida
as components of the national wild and scenic rivers
system.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wekiva Wild and Sce-
nic River Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Public Law 104–311 (110 Stat. 3818)
amended section 5 of the Wild and Scenic Rivers
Act (16 U.S.C. 1276) to require the study of the
Wekiva River and its tributaries of Rock Springs
Run and Seminole Creek, including Wekiwa Springs
Run and the tributary of Black Water Creek that
connects Seminole Creek to the Wekiva River, for
potential inclusion in the national wild and scenic
rivers system.
(2) The study determined that the Wekiva
River, Rock Springs Run, and Black Water Creek
are eligible for inclusion in the national wild and sce-
nic rivers system.
(3) The State of Florida has demonstrated its
commitment to protecting these rivers and streams
by the enactment of the Wekiva River Protection
Act (Florida Statute chapter 369), by the establish-
ment of a riparian wildlife protection zone and water
quality protection zone by the St. Johns River Water
Management District, and by the acquisition of
lands adjacent to these rivers and streams for con-
servation purposes.
(4) The Florida counties of Lake, Seminole,
and Orange have demonstrated their commitment to
protect these rivers and streams in their comprehen-
sive land use plans and land development regula-
tions.
(5) The desire for designation of these rivers
and streams as components of the national wild and
scenic rivers system has been demonstrated through
strong public support, State and local agency sup-
port, and the endorsement of designation by the
Wekiva River Basin Ecosystem Working Group,
which represents a broad cross section of State and
local agencies, landowners, environmentalists, non-
profit organizations, and recreational users.
(6) The entire lengths of the Wekiva River,
Rock Springs Run, and Black Water Creek are held
in public ownership or conservation easements or are
defined as waters of the State of Florida.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF WEKIVA RIVER AND TRIBU-
TARIES, FLORIDA, AS COMPONENTS OF NA-
TIONAL WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS SYSTEM.
(a) DESIGNATION.—Section 3(a) of the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new paragraph:
‘‘(161) WEKIVA RIVER, ROCK SPRINGS RUN, AND
BLACK WATER CREEK, FLORIDA.—Subject to section 3A,
a total of 41.6 miles of the river segments referred to in
this paragraph, to be administered by the Secretary of the
Interior:
‘‘(A) WEKIVA RIVER.—The 14.9 miles of the
Wekiva River from its confluence with the St. Johns
River to Wekiwa Springs, to be administered in the
following classifications:
‘‘(i) From the confluence with the St.
Johns River to the southern boundary of the
Lower Wekiva River State Preserve, approxi-
mately 4.4 miles, as a wild river.
‘‘(ii) From the southern boundary of the
Lower Wekiva River State Preserve to the
northern boundary of Rock Springs State Re-
serve at the Wekiva River, approximately 3.4
miles, as a recreational river.
‘‘(iii) From the northern boundary of Rock
Springs State Reserve at the Wekiva River to
the southern boundary of Rock Springs State
Reserve at the Wekiva River, approximately 5.9
miles, as a wild river.
‘‘(iv) From the southern boundary of Rock
Springs State Reserve at the Wekiva River up-
stream along Wekiwa Springs Run to Wekiwa
Springs, approximately 1.2 miles, as a rec-
reational river.
‘‘(B) ROCK SPRINGS RUN.—The 8.8 miles from
the confluence of Rock Springs Run with the
Wekiwa Springs Run forming the Wekiva River to
its headwaters at Rock Springs, to be administered
in the following classifications:
‘‘(i) From the confluence with Wekiwa
Springs Run to the western boundary of Rock
Springs Run State Reserve at Rock Springs
Run, approximately 6.9 miles, as a wild river.
‘‘(ii) From the western boundary of Rock
Springs Run State Reserve at Rock Springs
Run to Rock Springs, approximately 1.9 miles,
as a recreational river.
‘‘(C) BLACK WATER CREEK.—The 17.9 miles
from the confluence of Black Water Creek with the
Wekiva River to outflow from Lake Norris, to be ad-
ministered in the following classifications:
‘‘(i) From the confluence with the Wekiva
River to approximately .25 mile downstream of
the Seminole State Forest road crossing, ap-
proximately 4.1 miles, as a wild river.
‘‘(ii) From approximately .25 mile down-
stream of the Seminole State Forest road to ap-
proximately .25 mile upstream of the Seminole
State Forest road crossing, approximately .5
mile, as a scenic river.
‘‘(iii) From approximately .25 mile up-
stream of the Seminole State Forest road cross-
ing to approximately .25 mile downstream of
the old railroad grade crossing (approximately
River Mile 9), approximately 4.4 miles, as a
wild river.
‘‘(iv) From approximately .25 mile down-
stream of the old railroad grade crossing (ap-
proximately River Mile 9), upstream to the
boundary of Seminole State Forest (approxi-
mately River Mile 10.6), approximately 1.6
miles, as a scenic river.
‘‘(v) From the boundary of Seminole State
Forest (approximately River Mile 10.6) to ap-
proximately .25 mile downstream of the State
Road 44 crossing, approximately .9 mile, as a
wild river.
‘‘(vi) From approximately .25 mile down-
stream of State Road 44 to approximately .25
mile upstream of the State Road 44A crossing,
approximately .6 mile, as a recreational river.
‘‘(vii) From approximately .25 mile up-
stream of the State Road 44A crossing to ap-
proximately .25 mile downstream of the Lake
Norris Road crossing, approximately 4.7 miles,
as a wild river.
‘‘(viii) From approximately .25 mile down-
stream of the Lake Norris Road crossing to the
outflow from Lake Norris, approximately 1.1
miles, as a recreational river.’’.
(b) SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS.—The Wild and Scenic
Rivers Act is amended by inserting after section 3 (16
U.S.C. 1274) the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 
3A. 
SPECIAL 
REQUIREMENTS 
APPLICABLE 
TO
WEKIVA RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES, FLORIDA.
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
‘‘(1) 
WEKIVA
RIVER
SYSTEM.—The 
term
‘Wekiva river system’ means the segments of the
Wekiva River, Rock Springs Run, and Black Water
Creek in the State of Florida designated as compo-
nents of the national wild and scenic rivers system
by section 3(a)(161).
‘‘(2) 
COMMITTEE.—The 
term 
‘Committee’
means the Wekiva River System Advisory Manage-
ment Committee.
‘‘(3) COMPREHENSIVE
MANAGEMENT
PLAN.—
The terms ‘comprehensive management plan’ and
‘plan’ mean the comprehensive management plan to
be developed pursuant to section 3(d).
‘‘(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means
the Secretary of the Interior.
‘‘(b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—
‘‘(1) USE AUTHORIZED.—In order to provide
for the long-term protection, preservation, and en-
hancement of the Wekiva river system, the Secretary
shall offer to enter into cooperative agreements pur-
suant to sections 10(e) and 11(b)(1) with the State
of Florida, appropriate local political jurisdictions of
the State, namely the counties of Lake, Orange, and
Seminole, and appropriate local planning and envi-
ronmental organizations.
‘‘(2) EFFECT OF AGREEMENT.—Use of a coop-
erative agreement under paragraph (1) shall not
constitute National Park Service administration of
the Wekiva river system for purposes of section
10(c) and shall not cause the Wekiva river system
to be considered as being a unit of the National
Park System. Publicly owned lands within the
boundaries of the Wekiva river system shall continue
to be managed by the agency having jurisdiction
over the lands.
‘‘(c) COMMITTEE.—
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish an advisory committee, to be known as the
Wekiva River System Advisory Management Com-
mittee, to assist in the development of the com-
prehensive management plan for the Wekiva river
system. The Committee shall be composed of a rep-
resentative of each of the following agencies and or-
ganizations:
‘‘(A) The Department of the Interior, rep-
resented by the Director of the National Park
Service or the Director’s designee.
‘‘(B) The East Central Florida Regional
Planning Council.
‘‘(C) The Florida Department of Environ-
mental Protection, Division of Recreation and
Parks, Wekiva River GEOPark.
‘‘(D) The Florida Department of Environ-
mental Protection, Wekiva River Aquatic Pre-
serve.
‘‘(E) The Florida Department of Environ-
mental Protection, Office of Ecosystem Plan-
ning and Coordination.
‘‘(F) The Florida Department of Agri-
culture and Community Affairs, Division of
Forestry, Seminole State Forest.
‘‘(G) The Florida Audubon Society.
‘‘(H) The nonprofit organization known as
the Friends of the Wekiva.
‘‘(I) The Lake County Water Authority.
‘‘(J) The Lake County Planning Depart-
ment.
‘‘(K) The Orange County Parks and
Recreation Department, Kelly Park.
‘‘(L) The Seminole County Planning De-
partment.
‘‘(M) The St. Johns River Water Manage-
ment District.
‘‘(N) The Florida Fish and Wildlife Con-
servation Commission.
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.—Other interested
parties may be added to the Committee by request
to the Secretary and unanimous consent of the exist-
ing members.
‘‘(3) APPOINTMENT.—Representatives and al-
ternates to the Committee shall be appointed as fol-
lows:
‘‘(A) State agency representatives, by the
Governor.
‘‘(B) 
County 
representatives, 
by 
the
Boards of County Commissioners.
‘‘(C) Water management district, by the
Governing Board.
‘‘(D) Department of the Interior represent-
ative, by the Southeast Regional Director, Na-
tional Park Service.
‘‘(E) East Central Florida Regional Plan-
ning Council, by Governing Board.
‘‘(F) Other organizations, by the Southeast
Regional Director, National Park Service.
‘‘(4) VOTING AND COMMITTEE PROCEDURES.—
Each member agency, agency division, or organiza-
tion referred to in paragraph (1) shall have 1 vote
and provide 1 member and 1 alternate. Committee
decisions and actions will be made with consent of
3⁄4 of all voting members. Additional necessary Com-
mittee procedures shall be developed as part of the
comprehensive management plan.
‘‘(5) ROLE
OF
COMMITTEE.—The Committee
shall serve as an advisory group to the Secretary in
determining whether a proposed water resources
project for the Wekiva river system would have a di-
rect and adverse effect on the values for which the
Wekiva river system was designated as a component
of the national wild and scenic rivers system. The