Soto Introduces Bill to Protect Kissimmee River

Representative Darren Soto (D-FL) is introducing legislation to designate the Kissimmee River as a recreational river, enhancing its protection as a natural resource.

Specifically, Rep. Soto's Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Act designates the waterway as a recreational river under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.

The 1968 legislation currently designates 220 rivers throughout the country as having "extraordinary natural, cultural, and recreational qualities," which means their water quality is maintained.

Pieces of Rep. Soto's legislation had previously appeared in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, directing the Secretary of the Interior to launch a three-year study of the Kissimmee to make it part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. His new bill expedites the designation.

The Kissimmee underwent a massive restoration project, managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the South Florida Water Management District, which was first approved in 1992 and fully completed in 2021. The River was once a significant habitat for dozens of fish and bird species until the USACE built a drainage canal that dried up 50,000 acres between 1961 and 1972, draining 50,000 acres. The Restoration Project has restored half, and nature is expected to correct itself over time.

"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 Soto in his press release, adding, "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."

The Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Act is Soto's latest piece of environmental legislation in recent weeks, previously teaming up with Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) twice.

In mid-February, Reps. Soto and Buchanan introduced the Manatee Protection Act of 2025, which would update the conservation status of the West Indian manatee from threatened to endangered according to the Endangered Species Act of 1973's system.

Then, at the end of March, the duo introduced the Protecting Local Communities from Harmful Algal Blooms Act, which would amend the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include red tide and other harmful algal blooms as a "major disaster," thereby requiring FEMA to assist state and local authorities in resisting outbreaks.