aquifers, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Though some water management agencies did proceed

with the development of regulatory flows and levels, it was not until 1997 that legislation was

enacted which propelled MFLs from a stand-alone statute to an integral part of water resource

management and regulation.

 The obj ectives of this chapter include providing a brief review of the history of water

management in Florida with an emphasis on decisions culminating in the 1997 legislation

requiring the development of minimum flows and levels. Attention is paid to water quantity

issues and policies and the natural and anthropogenic factors influencing them. Also examined

are the effects of the 1997 law on water management and the efforts that have been made to

comply with the legislative mandates.

 History of Water Management in Florida (1824-1972)

 In the early years of Florida's governance, there was little activity that could be said to

constitute a statewide water policy. With respect to water management and use, local

communities and landowners were free to do as they chose with little interference. Water was

abundant, often too much so for most settlers, and prior to statehood in 1845, only minor concern

seems to have been given to regional or statewide water management issues. Although not

enacted, an 1824 proposal by the legislative council calling for the construction of a canal across

Florida for ship passage represents one exception to the dearth of early large-scale water

management and planning (Purdum et al. 1998).

 Florida was granted statehood in 1845 and was given 202,344 ha of land by the federal

government for "internal improvements". In 1850, the U.S. Congress additionally conveyed all

swamps and inundated lands, over 8 million ha in total, to state ownership through the Swamp

Lands Act (U. S. Congress 1911). In subsequent years, public lands granted to the state by

Congress were sold and the resulting funds were funneled through the state's Internal