Ocklawaha River restoration FACT SHEET Florida Defenders of the Environment, Inc.

Summary: The earthen Kirkpatrick Dam the river in 1968. Creating the pool destroyed holds water within the 9,200 acre Rodman 9,200 acres of floodplain and forest, some of it Pool. owned by the United States Forest Service. Florida Defenders of the Environment seeks In 1971, largely spurred by the advocacy and restoration of the Ocklawaha River by removing scientific research of the Florida Defenders of a portion of the dam and closing and sealing the the Environment, the Environmental Defense Buckman Lock, which lies on a canal connecting Fund and Audubon Florida, President Nixon the Rodman Pool to the St. Johns River. halted construction of the barge canal. The estimated cost for removing the portion of However, stopping the canal did not end its the dam blocking the Ocklawaha is $5,000,000. status as a congressionally authorized project or An additional $2,000,000 increment would permit restoration of the now impounded “Working to protect freshwater resources, allow construction of a new bridge over the Ocklawaha River. river at the location of the dam. conserve public lands, and provide quality Background and history: The majestic Now is the time to remove a portion of environmental education since 1969.” Ocklawaha River is unlike any other river in the the dam to reclaim thousands of acres United States. It originates from the swamps and lakes of central Florida, winds north of forest lands and restore natural through the Ocala National Forest, joins the St. river flows for fish, wildlife and people. Johns River and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The Ocklawaha drains 2,800 square miles of Physical address: Postal address: wetlands and plant and animal habitat. Because Deauthorization and greenway: When serving in the U.S. House, Buddy MacKay 309 State Road 26 PO Box 357086 of its unique environmental significance, some call the St. Johns and Ocklawaha River Basin championed congressional deauthorization of Melrose, Florida 32666 Gainesville, Florida 32635 the Everglades of north Florida. the canal project. In 1990, the Florida legislative delegation unanimously supported a bill co- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began sponsored in the Senate by Bob Graham and constructing the Cross Florida Barge Canal in (352) 475-1119 Connie Mack that provided for a 300-yard wide 1964. Since its inception, Florida Defenders of greenway along the land that had been www.fladefenders.org the Environment, Inc. opposed construction of proposed for the canal route. facebook.com/Floridadefenders the canal because it would have destroyed much of the Ocklawaha River and badly damaged When President George Bush signed the central Florida’s springs. legislation into law, the purpose of the land previously intended for the canal project The canal project was to comprise a series of changed to recreation and conservation. In canals and pools across central Florida. Several 1991, Governor Lawton Chiles and the Florida of these pools would be flooded portions of the Cabinet issued a resolution agreeing to the For further information contact: Ocklawaha River. The Rodman Pool is the only terms of the federal deauthorization. one of these artificial water bodies to have been Thomas Hawkins John Hankinson created on the Ocklwaha. It has existed since Today, the canal route is the Marjorie Harris Executive Director Trustee the The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Carr Cross Florida Greenway, named for constructed the Kirkpatrick Dam to impound Florida Defenders of the Environment founder (352) 377-3141 (904) 471-0855 Marjorie Harris Carr. The Kirkpatrick Dam impounds the Ocklawaha The Rodman Pool sits on the northern border of River where Putnam and Marion Counties meet in the Ocala National Forest, a boundary which the north central Florida. free flowing Ocklawaha River formerly delineated. The Kirkpatrick Dam.

Forest Service role: With the floodwaters Therefore, the Florida legislature has never In fact, during periodic drawdowns of water in • Removing the dam would restore habitat remaining in place after deauthorization, allocated funds for removing the dam. the Rodman Pool, seedlings quickly take root in and migration routes for fish and mammals maintaining the dam caused a trespass on the Proposal: Today, the earthen Kirkpatrick Dam the exposed floodplain. A large swath of land including: restoration of the migration route Ocala National Forest, United States Forest is 7,200 feet long, is partially located on United cleared adjacent to the river for equipment of fish including American eels, American Service land. States Forest Service land, and holds water access had grown a forty foot high tree canopy shad, channel catfish, white catfish, Atlantic To legally facilitate the State of Florida within the Rodman Pool. The pool inundates within twenty years of clearing. sturgeon and endangered shortnose determining how to best resolve this trespass, twenty springs, drowns 9,200 acres of forest Now is the time to remove a portion of the dam sturgeon; restoration of access by the the forest service issue a special use permit to and covers twenty-four miles of the Ocklawaha to reclaim thousands of acres of forest lands Florida-strain striped bass to their primary the state in 1997. This special use permit River. Annual pool, dam and lock operating and restore natural river flows for fish, wildlife spawning habitat—the Ocklawaha River and temporarily permitted the pool’s occupation of costs exceed one million dollars. The lock and and people. Silver River (now the only stripers in the entire St. Johns system are non- federal land. That permit expired in 2002. The dam structures are forty-seven years old and Benefits of restoration: Restoring the Rodman Pool now illegally occupies forest future maintenance will require additional reproducing, northern-strain hatchery fish); Ocklawaha River has environmental, economic, and removing the threat to manatee who are service land. funding. Removing the dam is cost-effective recreational and water supply benefits. over the long-term. currently blocked, injured and occasionally A History of bipartisan support: The • Eliminating the pool would add an killed in the lock so that they may safely deauthorization of the canal and the greenway Florida Defenders of the Environment seeks estimated 185 million gallons of water a day access the Ocklawaha River, Silver River designation had bipartisan support from former restoration of the Ocklawaha River by removing to the Ocklawaha and St. Johns Rivers. and Silver Springs which are warm water Congressman Buddy MacKay, Senators Connie a portion of the dam and closing and sealing the Currently, the pool suppresses spring flow winter habitats. Mack, and Bob Graham, President George Buckman Lock, which lies on a canal connecting from twenty inundated springs, preventing Bush, and Governor Lawton Chiles. the Rodman Pool to the St. Johns River. • Removing the dam would add to the about 150 million gallons of water a day Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida All unbiased scientific assessments of the The estimated cost for removing the portion of from entering the Ocklawaha River. Greenway—a popular recreational and Rodman Pool—including two environmental the dam blocking the Ocklawaha is $5,000,000. Additionally, the 9,200 acre surface area of environmental amenity—and would restore impact statements—have supported restoring An additional $2,000,000 increment would the pool leads to a loss of about 35 million thousands of acres of forested ecosystem. the river. No serious disagreement as to the allow construction of a new bridge over the gallons of water a day through evaporation. • The one-time cost of dam removal would ecological and water supply benefits of river at the location of the dam. • The waterway is the largest tributary to the removing the Rodman Pool exists. eliminate the at least one million dollar The relatively low cost of this restoration St. Johns River and has a rich history of annual operating costs of the pool, dam and Nonetheless, members of the Florida project is possible because little to no earth steamboat tourism and commerce. lock and would obviate the need for Legislature representing areas around the pool moving or other construction is required. The Removing the dam would once again make structural upgrades to the dam, now nearly have successfully blocked funding for removing bed of the Ocklawaha River remains intact the spectacular first magnitude Silver fifty years old. the dam. The pool is used for recreational bass beneath the pool. Springs—now a state park—accessible as it fishing and has some staunch supporters. was to William Bartram and others.