When the Ocklawaha River drawdown happens every three to four years, people come from far and wide to see what the Rodman Reservoir from Eureka to the Kirkpatrick Dam near Palatka looks like closer to natural river water level.

During the drawdown, the water is drawn down from 18 to 11 feet above mean sea level for approximately three months to manage invasive aquatic vegetation and sediments. The current drawdown is scheduled to continue through March 2026…