Central Florida Congressman Darren Soto introduced the Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Act to direct the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and designate a restored segment of the Kissimmee River as a Recreational River.
During the 117th Congress, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (page #1141) included parts of the Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Act to direct the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to complete a study of the Kissimmee River within three years to make it part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The Central Florida Democrat said the legislation will keep up the pressure to ensure timely designation.
“It is critical for us to preserve the historic Kissimmee River as it is home to many of Florida’s endangered species, key for recreation, and protects the Everglades from harmful nutrients,” said Democratic Representative Darren Soto. “As we continue working on initiatives to protect our environment for future generations, we must ensure that this natural treasure can sustain the growth around it. We saw parts of our bill to complete a study passed in FY23, and it will soon be time to designate the Kissimmee River as Recreational River under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.”
In 1968, Congress created the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System to “preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations.”
If passed, the Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Act will ensure that restored segments of the river are preserved for future generations to enjoy according to Democratic Representative Soto.
The Kissimmee River Restoration Project was a partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District to help wildlife species return to the river after efforts to prevent flooding destroyed habitats. The project was completed in 2021 and restored more than 40 square miles of the river floodplain ecosystem, 20,000 acres of wetlands, and 44 miles of the historic river channel. It was the largest river restoration in the world and cost nearly $1 billion to complete.
According to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, designated river segments are defined as:
- Wild River Areas: Those rivers, or sections of rivers, that are free of impoundments and generally inaccessible except by trail, with watersheds or shorelines essentially primitive and waters unpolluted. These represent vestiges of primitive America.
- Scenic River Areas: Those rivers, or sections of rivers, that are free of impoundments with shorelines or watersheds still largely primitive and shorelines largely undeveloped, but accessible in places by roads.
- Recreational River Areas: Those rivers or sections of rivers that are readily accessible by road or railroad, that may have some development along their shoreline and that may have undergone some impoundment or diversion in the past.
View the full text of the Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Act online.
