Water management district suing owners of dig site criticized by Nikki Fried
Frank Stanfield
TAVARES The St. Johns River Water Management District has filed suit against the owners of an 80-acre dig site in Sorrento in an operation first criticized by Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in November.
Kirk and Stephen Leiffer, as trustees of the C & K Family Trust, are violating an administrative order to stop collecting dirt on the 80-acre White Water Farms, the circuit civil suit filed Wednesday claims.
White Water leases the land from the Leiffers and the trust.
The Leiffers signed a $2.2 million contract with SEMA Construction for 700,000 cubic yards of fill dirt. About 200,000 cubic yards has been excavated so far, according to the water district. Digging began in April.