Decades ago, 7,500 acres of pristine cypress forest were destroyed by the Rodman Dam creating a cypress graveyard still seen today. In addition to the original forest destruction, thousands of forested wetlands are stressed and dying upstream because of high water levels and downstream due to reduced water flow.
A free-flowing Ocklawaha, reconnecting the Ocklawaha to Silver Springs and the St. Johns River, would restore these valuable forested wetlands providing water quality filtering, natural flood protection, diverse wildlife habitat and carbon capture.
See executive summary at: www.freetheocklawaha.com/project-at-a-glance/