LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- Florida lawmakers are taking a major step to begin cleaning South Florida's waterways, including our beaches.
We've seen just how badly discharges from Lake Okeechobee can pollute Southwest Florida’s waterways, like Fort Myers Beach and along the Caloosahatchee River.
Tuesday, the Florida House and Senate agreed to pay for a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee to curb future discharges to the east and west.
Senate president and Republican Joe Negron is responsible for the plan, which would deepen a reservoir already planned on 14,000 acres of state-owned land.
The cleanliness of our water is incredibly important. Governor Rick Scott said previously this year that 112 million tourists came to our state in 2016 and spent $109 billion.
The House still needs pass the bill but most feel it will pass.
The project wouldn't start for several years, and would cost about $1.5 billion.
