CLIPPING SERVICE
P.O. BOX 10278 "
TAMPA, FLORIDA 33609

HioHen.lerr
p .iM- C,~c3 S-5,000
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DEC -1 6-76 .


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The ige s icued in established. The area has been part of the interim
the Peace River Drainage Basin of the According to Bob Atchison, public Ridge and Lower Gulf Coast Water
Southwest Florida Water iLanagement information officer for th-: d-i4rict, the Management District, which is to be
District as of January 1, but a public SWFVWMD's d strict governing board phased out December 31. The Florida
hearing is expected to beI s-h.duled in voted earlier this month to include the Legislature in last minute action last
the near future to determine if a Ridge pIrtions of Polk and Highlands session voted to assign the area to the
separate water basin should be Counties in the Peace River Basin. Southwest District, rather than the
:..:.:.:.:.:.:. .. ...... .... Centrap and Sojuthern Florida Flcud
Control District, following a request by a'
number of Lake Wales area-
businessmen.
Florida Citrus Mutual, the Lake Wales
city commission, area citrus and others

| have requested that the Ridge be made a
separate basin district, claiming the

JAN 5 1977 area does not share the same water
problems as the Peace River basin. The

.'.- .; .. J group has also conceded that the
residents living on the Ridge should not
be required to pay for drainage
problems in other sections of the Peace
River Basin.
Atchison said that since Polk County is
already represented by two men on
SWFWMD's board, there will be no one
appointed from the Lake Wales area to
serve on that board. However, Gov.
Reubin Askew is expected to appoint a
Highlands County resident to the board.
Polk County is represented by Chairman
N. Brooks Johns and W. E. IMcCarter,
both of Lakeland.