The PROTECT Florida Act directs the Army Corps of Engineers to revise how it manages Florida's Central and Southern Florida water system to prioritize public health, particularly preventing toxic cyanobacteria and harmful algal blooms from contaminating drinking water and recreation areas. Currently, the system operates to serve multiple purposes including flood control, navigation, water supply, and wildlife habitat, but the bill makes public health an overlay requirement that guides all these existing functions. The legislation requires the Secretary of the Army to update a Master Operational Manual in coordination with Florida state officials and mandates a study with the National Academies of Sciences examining pollution and nutrient loading impacts on the Everglades. The bill does not alter agreements with Native American tribes, existing water quality standards, or timelines for other authorized restoration projects, and it explicitly prohibits using restoration funds for deep well injection of excess water. The legislation authorizes whatever funding is necessary to implement these changes, though no specific dollar amount is specified.
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