freetheocklawaha.com – Ocklawaha River Partial Restoration Project

A Dangerous Dam Past Its Life Expectancy

The disaster at Piney Point and the collapse of the Surfside condos in South Florida should give us reason to review aging infrastructure throughout Florida such as the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam near Palatka, Florida. The dam completed in 1968 is now past its 50-year life expectancy. Is retaining a man-made bass fishing pool, an outcome of the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam, worth putting 539 homeowner’s properties valued at approximately $57 million and possible lives at risk? Does it make sense, especially when the reservoir recreation sites have been on a downward trend since 2010, declining by an average of 3,627 visitor parties per year?

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Imagine New Outdoor Recreation Along the Ocklawaha River

What is your favorite outdoor adventure? Maybe you like fishing along the edges of a wild and scenic river or long-distance paddling in Florida’s wilderness. Or perhaps you prefer a tamer option, such as hopping on a miniature steamboat reliving a historic travel route or booking a driving tour down the backwoods trails of the Ocklawaha. Want to master your hunting and fishing skills with best-in-class guides? If wildlife is your passion, you could opt for a birding or manatee viewing experience. Fourteen University of Florida students from the Department of Landscape Architecture envisioned how to create new and exciting opportunities along the Ocklawaha River.

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