River master planning is an ongoing effort

When the Florida Legislature created the Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board and Technical Advisory Council (River Board) in 1986, the legislature first tasked the River Board with creating a River Master Plan. This was an effort to establish a unified and coordinated plan for protecting and enhancing the river among the three jurisdictions that the river runs through in Hillsborough County (i.e., Hillsborough County Government, the City of Tampa, and the City of Temple Terrace). Subsequent to the writing of the first river master plan, the legislation prescribed that the plan then be adopted by each local jurisdiction into their comprehensive plans. With that completed, ongoing tasks include keeping the master plan current as there are changing needs for the river over time. Also, science, technology, terminology, and laws also change over time. The state mandates that major updates should be considered for comprehensive plans about every seven years. When the comprehensive plan is examined and updated, the river master plan is also examined and updated. 

This recently took place for the unincorporated part of the river and is in process for the City of Tampa’s portion of the river. This is a very coordinated and public process, and a great deal of outreach is done to engage the public and the environmental community. The River Board and its Technical Advisory Council also review and comment on the update of the River Master Plan. This ongoing and regular review and update process ensures we are meeting the current needs of the Hillsborough River to maintain it as an important natural resource for our area and its residents. 

Learn about the Hillsborough River Master Plan.