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The Great Northeast Florida Blueway
Silver Springs—Ocklawaha—St. Johns
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As part of Earth Week, we would like to introduce you to one of Northeast Florida’s most critical waterways. A portion of it, The Ocklawaha River, was recently designated as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® by American Rivers. Click here to learn more.
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This 217-mile blueway, fed by the great Green Swamp, begins at Lake Apopka and rambles through the Harris Chain of Lakes as part of the Ocklawaha River.
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It joins the cool, clear waters of Silver Springs near Ocala, providing more than 60 percent of the Ocklawaha’s flow.
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The historic, winding, canopied Ocklawaha is Poet Sidney Lanier’s “sweetest water lane in the world.”
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The natural connection of this historic blueway is blocked at the Rodman Dam — creating sluggish, warm, weed-clogged waters and obstructing natural access for the manatee and native fish, such as the striped bass.
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If the dam were breached, more than 150 million gallons of water per day would flow naturally from the Ocklawaha to the 100-mile St. Johns River Estuary - feeding a critical fish and shellfish nursery connected to the Atlantic.
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Reconnect this historic northeast blueway for people, fish and manatees.
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For more information go to Freetheocklawaha.com.
To see more of the River click here.
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Film courtesy of Paddle Florida.
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Free The Ocklawaha River Coalition. For a list of our members click here .
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