FAQ from the Public
Image courtesy of Doug Engle
The following frequently asked questions and answers are provided to address feedback received by local stakeholders and decision makers.
1) Do Putnam County communities oppose restoration?
An online public survey conducted by the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) from September 23 through October 22, 2021, captured 10,482 responses, of which 9,793, or 93.4% of submittals, indicated a restoration of the Ocklawaha River as the preferred option for the future of the Rodman Reservoir and Kirkpatrick Dam. A later phone survey conducted by Barcelo & Company in December 2021 and January 2022 with 604 total responses indicated initial support of 77% for Ocklawaha River restoration and only 6% against, with general approval for restoration rising to 81% and those opposed to restoration decreasing to 4% in followup questioning.
2) What will the restoration area look like when it is brought down to the natural river?
The pool created by the Rodman/Kirkpatrick dam that currently covers about 7,500 acres will be restored to natural river and mature floodplain hardwood forest. This process will be aided by vegetation management and plantings of desirable plants.
Banks along the historic river channel will quickly form compacted areas for shore fishing and camping, as evidenced by the current drawdown. The restored forest and river will attract an abundance of wildlife and fish and offer expanded recreational opportunities like hiking, primitive camping, wildlife viewing and the potential for managed hunting areas. Returning the natural free-flowing Ocklawaha River would also restore 20 natural springs of varying sizes that have been hidden for over 50 years. Restoration and associated investments in outdoor recreation infrastructure is projected to generate a net economic benefit of approximately $200 million and hundreds of local jobs.
Banks along the historic river channel will quickly form compacted areas for shore fishing and camping, as evidenced by the current drawdown. The restored forest and river will attract an abundance of wildlife and fish and offer expanded recreational opportunities like hiking, primitive camping, wildlife viewing and the potential for managed hunting areas. Returning the natural free-flowing Ocklawaha River would also restore 20 natural springs of varying sizes that have been hidden for over 50 years. Restoration and associated investments in outdoor recreation infrastructure is projected to generate a net economic benefit of approximately $200 million and hundreds of local jobs.
3) Will nearby wells and lakes be impacted if the Ocklawaha is restored?
Wells immediately adjacent to the reservoir could experience minor water level declines of up to 10’ or so. No lakes in the area should experience any effects. These findings are based on the hydrologic work undertaken by SJRWMD as published in their Technical Fact Sheet SJ2017-FS2.
4) Would the Rodman reservoir make a good drinking water supply source?
No. There are no plans to use the Rodman pool for drinking water now or in the future. The St. Johns River Water Management District and the Withlacoochee River Water Supply Authority have concluded that production, treatment, and transmission costs would likely be cost prohibitive at two to four times more expensive than utilizing the traditional source, the Floridan aquifer. Water from Rodman Reservoir would cost significantly more to treat and transport than traditional groundwater sources. In addition, the St. Johns River Water Management District has also noted that the shallow, expansive pool also evaporates approximately 25% of inflows during certain months, thereby decreasing the amount of freshwater available for public use and the St. Johns River.
5) What will happen to the natural water flow after removing a section of the Kirkpatrick Dam to allow the Ocklawaha River to flow naturally?
Natural water flow from a restored Ocklawaha River will provide many downstream benefits. Restoration will significantly increase downstream flows from the Ocklawaha by eliminating Rodman pool surface evaporation and restoring flow from 20 springs that are currently suppressed under the pool. Increased, natural freshwater flow from the Ocklawaha will improve water quality and deliver vital nutrients that will promote habitat for fish and wildlife, such as eelgrass, oyster reefs and salt marsh, from Welaka to north to Jacksonville. Restoring this natural flow will also help mitigate harmful saltwater intrusion up the St. Johns River, which is exacerbated by reservoir drawdown events.
6) Don’t the other dams on the Ocklawaha need to be removed too?
In addition to the 7,500 ft. long Kirkpatrick Dam and 600 ft. long Buckman Lock, there are no known active water control structures in the lower Ocklawaha River restoration project area. The Eureka Lock and Dam was never put into service. The proposed partial restoration project scope for the lower Ocklawaha River included in the current bill draft, Department of Environmental Protection’s environmental 1997 resource permit application for the Ocklawaha River Restoration Project, and the USDA Forest Service 2001 Environmental Impact Statement is targeted at restoring the lower Ocklawaha River and its inundated floodplain forests. Water control structures upstream of the Kirkpatrick Dam are actively managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District and Lake County for flood control and/or navigation . Importantly, benefits of lower Ocklawaha River restoration detailed in in the restoration Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), SJRWMD Permit and the recent Ocklawaha River Science and Economic Study are not contingent on removal of these structures in the upper Ocklawaha River Basin.
7) Shouldn’t the state of Florida keep Rodman reservoir? After all, it is building giant water reservoirs and treatment areas in South Florida to protect the Everglades.
No, the huge reservoirs and wetland treatment areas being built in South Florida serve completely different purposes than Rodman pool. The Cross Florida Barge Canal was built to float barges and was halted by President Nixon due to environmental concerns, including potential damage to the Floridan aquifer. In contrast, the reservoirs built in South Florida are located in “recharge” areas that help fill up the Biscayne Aquifer, while shallow vegetated reservoirs are designed to remove nutrient pollution (primarily phosphorus) before water flows into the Everglades. Rodman pool is located in an aquifer “discharge” area as evidenced by the springs located under the reservoir and was not designed for water treatment.
8) Does the Rodman Dam and Reservoir filter out pollutants that would otherwise pollute the St. Johns River?
No. The amount of nutrient pollution (phosphorus) coming from upstream – Lake Apopka and the Harris Chain of Lakes – that would reach the St. Johns River would be minimal. The SJRWMD has spent decades and invested well over $100 million to dramatically reduce the phosphorus coming downstream by acquiring over 25,000 acres of farmlands and restoring them to wetlands. The increased nutrient pollution (nitrate) emerging from Silver Springs is naturally absorbed by the vegetation in the Silver River long before it even reaches the Ocklawaha River, much less the St. Johns. The Ocklawaha River has clearer water, with lower concentrations of total nitrogen and phosphorus than the St. Johns River it feeds. Ongoing floodplain restoration efforts by the SJRWMD and restoration of the Ocklawaha’s 7,500 acres floodplain forest would contribute to further water quality improvements. Unfortunately, the reservoir and dam impairs the delivery of key compounds, such as silica, that are essential for healthy recreational and commercial fisheries in the Lower St. Johns River. Additionally, the Rodman Reservoir system requires costly, ongoing maintenance activities, including herbicide spraying to control invasive aquatic plants and drawdown events, that introduce pollution into the Ocklawaha River and cause harmful fluctuations in freshwater flow impacting the St. Johns River.
9) How will breaching the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam impact fishing?
Breaching the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam will drain Rodman pool and return it to a flowing river with a 7500 acre floodplain and twenty springs. As such, the Rodman fishing experience – primarily for Florida/largemouth bass in the pool – will change. Florida/largemouth bass fishing will continue along the entire restored river and many migratory fish will provide additional fishing opportunities, such as striped bass, channel and white catfish and American shad.
Breaching the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam would also impact the “tailwater” fishery – the area just below the spillway where blocked migratory species currently congregate trying to get upstream and are easily targeted by bank fisherman. Overall fish abundance throughout the entire Ocklawaha River system will significantly increase since these migratory fish would be able to move upstream and disperse throughout the river and springs. The increased numbers and types of fish species would actually result in improved fishing experiences.
Breaching the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam would also impact the “tailwater” fishery – the area just below the spillway where blocked migratory species currently congregate trying to get upstream and are easily targeted by bank fisherman. Overall fish abundance throughout the entire Ocklawaha River system will significantly increase since these migratory fish would be able to move upstream and disperse throughout the river and springs. The increased numbers and types of fish species would actually result in improved fishing experiences.
10) Would restoration eliminate or decrease bank fishing?
Bank fishing opportunities will actually increase as miles of riverbanks along the natural stretch of the Ocklawaha River dramatically increase. During drawdowns some of these banks at Kenwood, Paynes Landing and Orange Springs are open and very popular. Additional sites will open with full restoration and an important aspect of our work is to ensure that those opportunities are realized.
Restoration is expected to bring an abundance of many sought-after species such as striped bass, redbreast sunfish, spotted sunfish, channel catfish, white catfish, and brown bullhead to the system. It is true that the “tailwater fishing” that is currently popular just below the dam will no longer exist. However, there will remain a shallow pool in that location and the existing boat ramp and recreational facilities are expected to be improved. These amenities would promote shore-based anglers new access to the Ocklawaha River channel within close proximity to where the existing tailwater fishery is located within the Rodman Recreation Area.
Restoration is expected to bring an abundance of many sought-after species such as striped bass, redbreast sunfish, spotted sunfish, channel catfish, white catfish, and brown bullhead to the system. It is true that the “tailwater fishing” that is currently popular just below the dam will no longer exist. However, there will remain a shallow pool in that location and the existing boat ramp and recreational facilities are expected to be improved. These amenities would promote shore-based anglers new access to the Ocklawaha River channel within close proximity to where the existing tailwater fishery is located within the Rodman Recreation Area.
11) Will restoration negatively impact boaters transiting the Ocklawaha River?
Restoration will provide boaters the ability to navigate from the St. Johns River to Silver River without the need to transit the existing Buckman Locks, which require ongoing maintenance and were non-operational for the majority of last year. The restoration Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and SJRWMD Permit do not identify negative impacts to boaters transiting a restored Ocklawaha River.
12) Will reestablishing the river channel and reflooding the floodplain cause downed logs to float into the St. Johns River causing navigation hazards?
No, the existing restoration plan calls for dredging the old river channel multiple times during the three-phase drawdown period, so any logs in the channel would be removed. Any logs located in the restored floodplain areas will remain there just like in a natural floodplain forest. If someone is interested in “harvesting” these “deadhead logs” from the floodplain, they could apply to do so through the Department of Environmental Regulation.
13) Will migratory species that used to populate the Silver Springs return after restoration?
Yes. Removing the dam would allow fish species such as striped mullet and channel catfish that were historically observed in great numbers in Silver Springs renewed access to the springs and upper reaches of the river. Mullet are one of the few species that eat algae that now covers the once bright green eel grass in Silver Springs. Overall, fish species diversity and abundance would increase significantly upstream of the dam, including in Silver Springs. Currently the native fish are only half of what they once were, and the exotic blue tilapia population has exploded. Bringing back large native fish predators, such as catfish and striped bass, may promote natural predation and competition of this large tilapia population.
14) Will restoration be good or bad for manatees?
Restoration will be good for manatees by providing unimpeded access to a number of newly uncovered springs and to Silver River and Springs. This is critically important since manatees need warm freshwater sources in the winter. A 2007 study by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and US Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that these “lost springs” of the Ocklawaha would provide habitat “for many hundreds of manatees.” It is further estimated that Silver Springs would accommodate hundreds more. Rodman pool is not suitable as a winter habitat because its waters can drop below 68°F, and that can cause manatees to develop cold stress and become sick or die. Since manatees statewide have lost over 10% of their population over the past few years, breaching of the dam to provide access to these critical warm water habitats is more important than ever.