“I feel like the restoration of the Ocklawaha River is the resiliency story that Florida needs.” – Jennifer Carr 

What is it? 

The Ocklawaha River is one of the most ecologically significant bodies of water in the state of Florida, but also one of the most altered and threatened. Flowing through Marion and Putnam County, the upper portion of the river is largely channelized, or modified for flood control, navigation, drainage improvement, and reduction of channel migration, though it remains in a mostly natural condition for much of its length. This natural flow is interrupted by the Rodman Reservoir, a 16-mile confinement between Highway 316 near Ft. McCoy, to Highway 19 near Palatka, that drowns out more than 21 springs and surrounding forest area. Below the Kirkpatrick Dam, previously called the Rodman Dam, the river returns to a more natural state as it continues towards its junction with the St. Johns River near Welaka.  

There has been human activity in this area dating back to 7500 B.C. with both ancient and modern civilizations using the waterway for travel, fishing, hunting, and foraging. As one of the most scenic and wild rivers in the state of Florida, it has a large floodplain of mixed hardwoods, hydric hammock, and a variety of emergent vegetation along the shoreline. Two of the most common native species in the area are spatterdock (Nuphar advena) and pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata), which form dense beds along the bank and provide refuge to the fish and other wildlife in the area.  

Many species depend on the Ocklawaha to survive, including many that are rare, endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Some birds that call the area home include the little blue heron (Egretta caerula), Florida sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pratensis), wood stork (Mycteria americana), tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor), and anhinga (Anhinga anhinga). 

The Ocklawaha River is also formally recognized for its ecological importance. A 20-mile stretch of the river, including much of the Silver River, is designated as the Oklawaha River Aquatic Preserve, and no, that’s not a typo! The preserve was established to maintain the system in an almost completely natural condition. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the preserve contains spring-run streams, blackwater streams, and floodplain swamp communities, all of which support rich biodiversity of plant and animal life.  

The river is also classified as one of the FDEP’s Outstanding Florida Water, a designation that provides the highest level of state water quality protection due to its exceptional biological and ecological value. Functioning as an ecological corridor, also known as a wildlife corridor, the Ocklawaha links upland sandhills and scrub habitats to the freshwater wetlands and floodplain forests of the area. The river’s dark tannin-stained waters contrast with the clear spring-fed flows from the Silver River, creating a habitat that can support both temperate and subtropical species in the same watershed. 

What happened?  

The Ocklawaha River was confined as part of the abandoned Cross Florida Bridge Canal. The confinement was not originally framed as an ecological decision; it was a federally approved effort intended to create a shipping route between the Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean. Construction began in the 1960s and included the Kirkpatrick Dam, which blocked the river to create what is now known as the Rodman Reservoir. 

The ecological repercussions of the blockage were immediate. The once free-flowing river was changed into a reservoir system, submerging the forested floodplains, drowning the springs, and completely changing the hydrology of the area. More than 10,000 acres of forest were inundated along with over 21 natural springs that once fed the river. Forests that depended on the natural flow of the water were replaced with species who favored the new standing water conditions. 

The Cross Florida Bridge Canal was terminated in 1971 after growing public opposition and environmental concerns, but the Kirkpatrick Dam remained. The canal project fragmented wildlife habitat and disrupted the natural flow between the Silver River, the Ocklawaha, and the St. Johns River. Migratory fish species such as the American shad (Alosa sapidissima) and Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) lost access to the system they had historically used to reach upstream spawning grounds. A river’s health depends on uninterrupted flow from headwater to mouth, which the Ocklawaha no longer had. The floodplain forest, once shaped by the natural pulse of water, became a permanently flooded reservoir. 

 Where is it now? 

Today, the Ocklawaha River has two states: a free-flowing river downstream of the Kirkpatrick Dam, and a reservoir upstream that continues to submerge thousands of acres of historic floodplain forest. During periodic drawdowns of Rodman Reservoir, remnants of the original channel appear once more, revealing intact forest soils, spring vents, and the historic riverbed. Drawdown projects allow us to see what future restoration projects could look like for the river. 

Water quality remains a concern for the river system as of right now. The blockage slows the flow of water, which can increase nutrient accumulation and contribute to algal growth and reduced dissolved oxygen levels. The Oklawaha River Aquatic Preserve management plan continues to target invasive species, nutrient loading, and habitat fragmentation that degrade the quality of life for wildlife and humans who depend on the river.  

Organizations such as the Reunite the Rivers Coalition advocate for the removal of the Rodman Dam to reconnect the Silver River, Ocklawaha River, and St. Johns River. Advocates say that removal would restore the natural flow, improve fish passage, and allow thousands of acres of drowned floodplain forest to recover.  

Save the Rodman, a group of supporters who want to keep the dam in place, are fighting against legislative efforts to remove the dam. “Why do representatives who do not live in our area file a bill that impacts the local population, water quality and environmental resources,” wrote Doug Munch, according to the Leesburg Daily Commercial. SB 1066 and HB 981 have passed the house and will now continue through the legislative process before they are considered by the Senate and ultimately sent to the governor for final approval or veto. 

 

Information from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Thompson Earth Systems Institute, Reunite the Rivers Coalition, and the Leesburg Daily Commercial.