By the early 1970s, public demands for environmental protection were again gaining

momentum and the state was committed to implementing more comprehensive forms of water

management. Florida had been struggling with a need for statewide water management and

several divisions and boards were established as a result of committees established by various

governors. The state's executive office made environmental issues a major policy platform.

Under greater state scrutiny, the number of approved dredge-and-Hill proj ects decreased from

2,000 to 200 a year (Blake 1980, Derr 1989, Kallina 1993). Several environmental laws were

passed in 1971, including the Environmental Protection Act, which allowed Florida citizens to

sue the state when environmental laws are not enforced. However, it wasn't until 1972 that the

state Einally developed a coherent water policy through passage of the Florida Water Resources

Act.

 Water Resources Act of 1972

 The Florida Water Resources Act of 1972 was an important step forward for state water

policy. Previously, water had been managed regionally in a disjointed manner. Agencies had

often been created in response to recent weather events or local economies, and their policies

were so narrowly focused on one issue that other problems were often exacerbated by their

activities. However, the task of creating centralized agencies and passing the laws that would

empower them to conduct more comprehensive planning for water resources, was daunting. To

this end, Florida lawmakers turned to A M~odel Water Code (Maloney et al. 1972).

 Prior to the adoption of the code, Florida adhered predominately to eastern water law.

Eastern water law is a common law riparian system, which largely restricts water rights to

landowners whose property is directly adj acent to water bodies. Further, water rights are subj ect

to reasonable use. Historically, there was a lack of administrative guidance on reasonable use,

leaving litigation, and it' s uncertain outcomes, as the only means of determining reasonableness.