1513

Fountain of Youth

Ponce de Leon reaches Florida in search of the Fountain of Youth

1845

The 27th State

Florida becomes a state

1847

Exploring the Wetlands

St. Augustine lawyer Buckingham Smith sent by the government to investigate the marsh in Florida

1845

Gold in the Water

The California gold rush lowers the already low value for Florida land

1856

Draining the Wetlands

Swamp Overflowed Lands Act turns wetlands over to states to drain for development.

1860

Slow and Steady

Florida's population is 140,423

1883-1912

Intracoastal Waterway

The waterway was created from Jacksonville to Miami for easier transportation and travel.

1872

Florida to Floridians

“From what I have observed, I should think Florida was nine-tenths water, and the other tenth swamp,” journal entry

1893

Drain Baby, Drain

Ditch-and-Drain Law - The first water law for Florida. It allowed counties to drain or build water courses so the land could be developed for landowners to use.

1903

Let the Refugees Begin

President Theodore Roosevelt establishes the first U.S. wildlife refugee in Florida, Pelican Island in Indian River Lagoon.

1925

Population Boom

Population grows to 2.5 million with easier access to trains and cars.

1926

Bursting Bubbles

Real estate collapse

1941

Head Above Water

Economic growth and recovery

1947

Florida's Mermaids

The first mermaid show at Weeki Wachee Springs, the only spring fed water park in Florida, takes place. The "mermaids" performed synchronized dances underwater while using custom made air hoses so they could stay under water for long periods of time.

1947

Florida's Mermaids

Narrated feature on the mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs in 1961.

1948-1960

Flocking to the Wetlands

Florida's population grows about 558 people a day during this time period.

1948-1960

Come to Florida

A Chevrolet commercial promoting tourism in Florida (1950s)

1955

The Seven Seas to Miami

Miami Seaquarium opens as the largest marine-life attraction in the world. The 38-acre park cost $2.3 million.

1957

Bulkhead Act

"Local governments now had to issue dredge-and-‹ll permits and establish “bulkhead lines” to de‹ne the outer limits of waterfront development. "

1960

Clean Water?

By 1960, only one sewage-treatment plant had been built in the entire state of Florida.

1964

House of Mouse

Walt Disney buys 27,500 acres of land in central Florida for $200 an acre

1964

Dredge-and-Fill

Deltona Corporation, a Florida development company, turns Marco Island, a then natural sanctuary, into 5,700 waterfront lots for potential homeowners.

1967

Power to the Mouse

Florida legislation gives Disney governmental power over its own land.

1967

Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Act of 1967

It created a board and permitting process to oversee air and water pollution discharges

December 1970

Cleaner Water

The Clean Water Act of 1972 makes it illegal to pollute water in the U.S. unless the polluter has a permit to do so by the government.

1970

Nixon Cleans Up

The United States Environmental Protection Agency is created.

1971

Mouse Opens his Doors

The Magic Kingdom opens to the public with blue waters surrounding Walt Disney's dream

1972

Dividing Water in Florida

Florida's Water Resources Act of 1972 establishes water management districts across the state. The state was split up into five water districts: Northwest Florida, Suwannee River, St. Johns River, Southwest Florida and South Florida

1974

Preserving the Wetlands

The Everglades National Park is established. Today it is the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S.

1974

Noticing a Change

Journalist Luther J. Carter reports that more than 60,000 acres of fish and shellfish habitat had been dredged and filled.

1980

Dropping Levels

In the Fort Walton Beach area, Floridan aquifer levels dropped to as low as 100 feet below sea level. Source

1981

Water Shortage Declaration

The St. Johns River Water Management District released an emergency water shortage declaration.

1987

SWIM Act

Surface Water Improvement and Management Act passed.

1988

Polluting Mouse

Disney World gets into dumping and polluting trouble.

1991

Minimal Flow Levels

The St. Johns Water Management District develops a method to protect water levels.

1992

Rocked by a Hurricane

Category 5 Hurricane Andrew hits South Florida killing 15 people directly, 25 indirectly and causing more than $30 billion in property damage. At the time, it was the costliest disaster in the U.S. history. In comparison, Hurricane Katrina cost $81 billion in 2005.

2001

Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Passes

2002

Everglades Restoration

President George W. Bush works with brother, and Florida Governor, Jeb Bush on $7.8 billion restoration project.

2008

Saltwater to Drinking Water

Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant is operational after a five-year delay because of bankruptcy. When functionally fully, the plant is the largest in the United States producing 25 million gallons of drinking water per day. Though with years of problems, it hasn't been able to produce that much.