(1)(a) When it is found to be in the public interest and for the public convenience and welfare, and for the public benefit, and necessary for carrying out the works or improvement of any water management district referred to in this chapter for the protection of property and the inhabitants in the district against the effects of water, either from its surplus or deficiency, and for assisting the district in acquiring land for the purposes of the district at least public expense, any state agency, any county, any drainage district, any municipality, or any governmental agency or public corporation in this state holding title to land is hereby authorized, in the discretion of the proper officer or officers, the county commissioners of any county, or the governing board of any agency referred to in this section, to convey the title to or to dedicate land, title to which is in such agency, including tax-reverted land, or to grant use rights therein to any water management district.

(b) The land to which this section applies shall be located within the boundaries of the water management district.

(2) Land granted or conveyed to the district or dedicated to the purposes thereof, or use rights in such land granted thereto, shall be for the public purposes of the district, and may be made subject to the condition that in the event such land is not so used, or if used and subsequently its use for such purpose is abandoned, that granted shall cease as to the district and shall automatically revert to the granting agency.

(3) Any county, municipality, drainage district, or other taxing agency holding title to land through tax reversion, foreclosure, or forfeiture, or through other procedure by which tax title vested in such agency, may, pending the determination of needs of such district, withhold from sale or other disposition from time to time such land as in the judgment of such agency may be needed or helpful in facilitating the purposes of this chapter. In the event more than one taxing agency holds tax title to the same land, resulting in multiple reversion, each of the agencies may grant to such district such right, title, or interest as it may have in such land.

(4) Any water management district within this chapter shall have authority to convey or lease to any governmental entity, other agency described herein or to the United States Government, including its agencies, land or rights in land owned by such district not required for its purposes under such terms and conditions as the governing board of such district may determine. In addition to other general law authorizing the grant of utility easements, any water management district may grant utility easements on land owned by such district to any private or public utility for the limited purpose of obtaining utility service to district property under such terms and conditions as the governing board of such district may determine.

(5) Any land granted or conveyed to such district, or dedicated to the purposes thereof, or the use right of which has been granted thereto shall not be subject to the district taxes or other taxes or special assessments so long as such title or such rights remain in such district.

(6) All rights-of-way of a water management district which are within the boundaries of a drainage district shall not be liable for maintenance taxes of the drainage district.

History.—ss. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ch. 25213, 1949; s. 6, ch. 61-497; s. 25, ch. 73-190; s. 3, ch. 86-22; s. 10, ch. 2001-256.

Note.—Former s. 378.46.