Manatee County residents ask for extra protections for Myakka River

MYAKKA CITY, Fla. - Some Manatee County residents are asking for stronger protection for the Myakka River, and its flood plain. However, there are concerns that Senate Bill 180 will prevent the County Commission from adding the extra protections. 

The push comes as the rural area faces increasing development. 

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Local perspective:

From its winding turns to its slower pace of life, the Myakka River brings joy to Lindsey Leigh's life. 

"My husband and I both grew up along the river and on the water. We are raising our children on the river," Leigh told FOX 13. 

As development continues to push into Myakka City, Leigh and others are on a mission to protect the river.

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"We have so many people developing along the river. We have two huge golf courses pinching the Myakka River in Manatee County that are actively being built and all of the properties north of that are just waiting to be developed," she said. 

The backstory:

Sarasota County put extra protection on their portion of the Myakka river about 40 years ago. There have been attempts in Manatee County, but none have gone through yet. 

Standard protections in Manatee County apply to the River. 

Big picture view:

The Myakka River Management Coordinating Council filed a motion on August 8 requesting a protection zone for the Myakka River by ordinance. The boundaries of the protection zone will be determined by 50' beyond the ordinary highwater line or maximum extent of the wetlands' vegetation or the FEMA 100-year floodplain, whichever is the most protective for the river. 

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No fill would be allowed 150 feet landward of the protection zone boundary. Residential structures will be set back 150 feet from the protection zone. Dark skies regulations and noise would be implemented in a five-mile radius of the protection zone. 

"Everybody should be in agreeance with this. This is not a political thing, this is not a like ‘oh we want builders, we don’t want builders.’ It’s simply, ‘this is our river, and we should want to protect it.’ And it is unique, and it is special," said Leigh. 

Dig deeper:

There are concerns Senate Bill 180 could stop the protection from going through. The recently passed bill aims to help residents rebuilding after last year's hurricane season, but the measure includes language that favors developers. 

Senate Bill 180 bans local governments from passing land use regulations that could be considered "more restrictive or burdensome."

Manatee County commissioners just paused their plans to restore wetland buffers due to legal challenges and concerns of being suspended from office. 

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Why you should care:

Leigh and others continue to raise their voices to ensure the Manatee County portion of the Myakka River will have extra protection. 

"The protection order is so important before all of that happens, because once all of that happens, we don’t have an opportunity to go back and go just joking. We want to protect the river, because once it’s gone, it’s gone," said Leigh. 

She is hopeful others will reach out to commissioners to voice their opinions. In keeping the Myakka River with its own identity and not losing it for future generations. 

"I want my kids and my grandkids to grow up in the Florida I know and in the Florida I’ve grown to love. I think that’s the fear for everybody is we are slowly watching that being taken away from us," she said.