FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM
FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM
The Issue
Happy Thanksgiving 2025: Today This Petition Ends with 4,289 Supporters
After more than 9 years of advocating for and managing this Ocklawaha River restoration-related, sign-for-free online petition that I created – “FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM” – I am ending it today with 4,289 supporters.
Within this petition I only posted information associated with the controversial Ocklawaha vs. Rodman issue that was accurate and documented by official government agencies and other credible sources or supported by my own in the field / on the water observations backed by written logs and photographs. And never did I solicit or accept any financial contributions from anyone for this cause, believing that stating your opinion in favor of Ocklawaha River restoration should be free for you just like voting in a real election.
On this day of Thanksgiving 2025 it has become evident to me that this petition does not have enough support to justify my time and effort in continuing its existence. It is apparent to me that most folks “march to the beat of a different drum” and listen only to what they want to hear when considering this contentious issue. Granted if there were hundreds of thousands of people who believed in Ocklawaha River restoration – that were registered voters – they would have a great opportunity to influence the legal real property owner of the lands and waters involved, the government of the State of Florida (in its entirety). But I haven’t seen any evidence of those kinds of numbers.
Thank you to all that signed this petition for your sincere interest in this Ocklawaha River vs. Rodman Reservoir argument and your willingness to affix your name and pro-restoration opinion to this petition.
Happy Thanksgiving 2025,
“Ocklawahaman” Paul Nosca
----------------------------------------------------------------------
On June 30, 2025, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) performed a line-item veto of the $6.25 million that the Florida Legislature in SB 2500 had approved and appropriated in the 2025-2026 FY budget that was delivered to the Governor on 6/27/25.
Then on July 11, 2025, Kevin Spear of the "Orlando Sentinel" newspaper in his editorial FLOATED THE IDEA of the Florida Legislature OVERRIDING Governor DeSantis' VETO of the $6.25 million appropriation for OCKLAWAHA RIVER RESTORATION!
SIGN-FOR-FREE-$$$ THE NEW PETITION
"OCKLAWAHA RIVER RESTORATION: Rally FL LEGISLATURE to OVERRIDE GOVERNOR DESANTIS' VETO!" at
SIGN-FOR-FREE-$$$
---------------------------------------------
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1937718656450177
https://www.facebook.com/groups/381885503129660
7/2/25 UPDATE AND ATTENTION to those sincere folks that -- like me -- support the notion of restoring to free-flowing-again the Ocklawaha River by the breaching of Kirkpatrick / Rodman Dam. On 6/30/25 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) performed a line-item veto of the $6.25 million that the Florida Legislature in SB 2500 had approved and appropriated in the 2025-2026 FY budget that was delivered to the Governor on 6/27/25. Therefore, I believe that I need to add the Honorable Governor Ron DeSantis (R) as a decision maker to this petition.
https://www.flgov.com/eog/leadership/people/ron-desantis/contact
The other four decision makers are:
State of Florida House of Representatives
Email your local Representative
State of Florida Senate
Email your local State Senator
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
Email Ombudsman: ABaggett@sjrwmd.com
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)
Email: Public.Services@FloridaDEP.gov
----------------------------------------------------------------
In April 2016 the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) headquartered in Palatka, Putnam County, Florida released on their website for dissemination to the public an official document entitled: "Technical Publication SJ2016-1: Effects on Lower St. Johns River Nutrient Supply and TMDL Target Compliance from the Restoration of a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River" authored by John Hendrickson, Environmental Scientist VI, SJRWMD.
Congratulations to John Hendrickson who was promoted in 2018 from "Environmental Scientist VI" to "Supervising Environmental Scientist" for the St. Johns River Water Management District! He has since retired from SJRWMD.
The findings of "Technical Publication SJ2016-1" reported that the potential downstream detrimental nutrient load to the St. Johns River estuary by a free-flowing Ocklawaha River will be much less than previously predicted (by old 1999 science) and at these lower levels can probably be mitigated in other sections of the St. Johns River basin using measures and procedures known to SJRWMD.
We, the undersigned persons being registered voters and/or real property owners of the state of Florida do hereby respectfully petition Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), the Florida Legislature (State of Florida House and Senate), the SJRWMD and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FL DEP) to earnestly begin, move forward with, and finally carry out the process of restoring to free-and-swift-flowing-again the Ocklawaha River -- "Source to the Sea" -- from its Silver Springs supreme headwaters to its St. Johns River estuary. This restoration process would require the breaching of the earthen Kirkpatrick (Rodman) Dam at the location where the historic Ocklawaha River channel flowed through it prior to September 30, 1968.
For this process to begin in earnest the Florida Legislature would need to approve Ocklawaha River restoration funding in the state's budget and send the approved appropriations or other type of legislative bill on to the Governor and thence Governor Ron DeSantis (R) would need to approve or at least not line-item veto this Ocklawaha River Restoration paragraph.
In addition, SJRWMD would soon need to approve and issue to the FDEP the Ocklawaha River restoration Environmental Resource Permit that was originally submitted in 1997; and the FDEP would soon need to inform and request that SJRWMD no longer hold this Ocklawaha River restoration permit application in abeyance because FDEP does earnestly intend to move forward with the process that would ultimately involve the breaching of Kirkpatrick (Rodman) Dam to allow the Ocklawaha River to be free-flowing again -- "Source to the Sea" -- from Silver Springs to the St. Johns River.
"FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" sincerely requests that only registered voters and/or real property owners of the state of Florida respond to and sign-on to this petition.
Saturday 6/24/17 was the 1-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 2,112 supporters and more than 550 favorable comments as of that date.
Sunday 6/24/18 was the 2-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 2,404 supporters as of that date.
Monday 6/24/19 was the 3-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 2,534 supporters as of that date.
Wednesday 6/24/20 was the 4-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 3,517 supporters as of that date.
Saturday 1/1/22 this petition was reopened to accept new signatures.
Friday 6/24/22 was the 6-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 4,154 supporters as of that date.
Saturday 6/24/23 was the 7-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 4,226 supporters as of that date.
Monday 6/24/24 was the 8-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 4,269 supporters as of that date.
Tuesday 6/24/25 was the 9-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 4,282 supporters as of that date.
----------------------------------------------------------------
The SJRWMD "Technical Publication SJ2016-1" by John Hendrickson contains the data -- about DISSOLVED SILICA, NITROGEN, and PHOSPHORUS (and their combined effects on possible [downstream] St. Johns River harmful algal blooms) -- best supporting that the restoration of the Ocklawaha River will be beneficial for the entire St. Johns River (Florida's ONLY "American Heritage River") basin.
Hendrickson, John. 2016. Effects on Lower St. Johns River Nutrient Supply and TMDL Target Compliance from the Restoration of a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River. Technical Publication SJ2016-1. 107 pages. St. Johns River Water Management District, Palatka, Florida is available at:
https://static.sjrwmd.com/sjrwmd/secure/technicalreports/TP/SJ2016-1.pdf
----------------------------------------------------------------
OCKLAWAHA RIVER HISTORY: Former Governor Lawton Chiles on 6/16/95 announced the following, "After a careful review of the Ocklawaha River/Rodman Reservoir issue, I am hereby directing the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, in cooperation with the St Johns River Water Management District, to proceed immediately in applying for permits to restore the Ocklawaha River and in moving forward with a plan to begin an orderly and phased drawdown of the Rodman Reservoir."
Quite often "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" has been asked this same general question by sincere people:
WHY HASN'T THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER ALREADY BEEN RESTORED SINCE GOVERNOR CHILES AND THE FLORIDA CABINET ORDERED IT TO BE DONE BACK IN THE 1990's?
The official answer to that question is as documented in these following three quoted paragraphs from Technical Publication SJ2016-1 by the SJRWMD's John Hendrickson:
(1) "In 1991, federal de-authorization of the Cross Florida Barge Canal Project resulted in the transfer of canal lands to the state of Florida. An ad hoc Canal Lands Advisory Committee (CLAC) was formed to provide recommendations to the Governor and Cabinet on the disposition of the barge canal lands and structures. After deliberating on the recommendations of the CLAC, the 1993 Legislature passed Chapter 92-213, Laws of Florida, which directed the Department of Natural Resources (now the Florida Department of Environmental Protection [FDEP]) to ' . . . study the efficacy, both environmental and economic, of complete restoration of the Ocklawaha River, partial restoration of the river, total retention of Rodman Reservoir, and partial retention of the reservoir . . ..' Funds were provided for the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to undertake the study of these four alternatives. As part of the comprehensive assessment performed by SJRWMD, Volume 11 of the Environmental Studies Concerning Four Alternatives for Rodman Reservoir and the Lower Ocklawaha River, Surface Water Quality and Alternatives Analysis for Rodman Reservoir (ECT, 1994) predicted a post-restoration increase in nitrogen (in the form of nitrate+nitrite-N) and phosphorus (as orthophosphate) loads of 878 and 30 metric tons/yr to the LSJR.
(2) "Despite the predicted increase in downstream nutrient load, the positive aspects related to the restoration of floodplain functions, increased unique habitat and migratory fish passage appeared to provide overall net environmental gain. At the directive of then-Gov. Lawton Chiles and the Florida Cabinet, FDEP in 1997 submitted a permit application to SJRWMD for the removal of Rodman Reservoir to restore a free-flowing lower Ocklawaha River.
(3) "But in 1999, once the permit application package was complete, the case for the restoration was deemed insufficient to meet the environmental resource permit (ERP) and consumptive use permit (CUP) public interest tests, and SJRWMD staff informed FDEP that they could not recommend approval to their Governing Board. The most prominent concern contributing to the recommendation of denial centered on the potential adverse impacts of increased nutrient load to the lower St. Johns River. Adding to this concern was the fact that the lower St. Johns at the time was one of the most prominent water bodies included on the 1999 consent decree between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Earthjustice to establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for impaired Florida waters. FDEP requested that SJRWMD not take agency action and to hold the permit in abeyance indefinitely, a status which has continued until this day."
----------------------------------------------------------------
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE FLORIDA CONSERVATIONISTS THAT HAVE SUPPORTED THIS PETITION WITH THEIR NAMES OVER THE YEARS (by order of signing): Whitey Markle, Steven Knoll, Roy Lewis, Linda Duever, Archie Carr III, Lars Andersen, Jill Lingard, Mary Alford, Sam Carr, Steve Robitaille, Joe Little, Ryan Smart, Katie Tripp, Jim Gross, James Clugston, Karen Ahlers, Sandra Kokernoot, Matt Keene, Karen Chadwick, Chris Spontak, Rick Perry, Michael Stallings, Jim Stevenson, Bob Patterson, Margaret Tolbert, Mike Sizemore, John Moran, Lisa Rinaman, Robert Knight, Bill Ray, James Barkuloo, Joy Hill, Jacqueline Sulek, Eva Teuton, Harley Means, John Thomas, Brigitte Smith, Jack Stackman, David Moritz, Jane West, Bruce Cain, Jenny Carr, Margaret Spontak, David Bottomley, David Guest, Mark Rinaman, Paul Plourde, Ken Rumberger, Jeffrey Greenberg, and many other sincere folks who admire the "Real Florida" and its natural environs.
DISSAPOINTING: Although this petition has the support of over 4,200 folks worldwide, only about 2,600 of them can be identified as residing in Florida and possibly being able to legally vote in Sunshine State elections.
SEARCH FOR YOUR NAME IN THE PETITION IF YOU ARE A FLORIDA RESIDENT AT: https://www.facebook.com/groups/381885503129660/posts/1421124165872450
When you join with "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" in our quest to advocate for the restoration of the 56-mile length Ocklawaha River-Silver River system to free-flowing again -- Silver Springs to the St. Johns River estuary -- by signing the online petition FOR-FREE $$$, it costs you NO $$$!
Most sincerely, "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca, the original creator of the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition.
The Issue
Happy Thanksgiving 2025: Today This Petition Ends with 4,289 Supporters
After more than 9 years of advocating for and managing this Ocklawaha River restoration-related, sign-for-free online petition that I created – “FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM” – I am ending it today with 4,289 supporters.
Within this petition I only posted information associated with the controversial Ocklawaha vs. Rodman issue that was accurate and documented by official government agencies and other credible sources or supported by my own in the field / on the water observations backed by written logs and photographs. And never did I solicit or accept any financial contributions from anyone for this cause, believing that stating your opinion in favor of Ocklawaha River restoration should be free for you just like voting in a real election.
On this day of Thanksgiving 2025 it has become evident to me that this petition does not have enough support to justify my time and effort in continuing its existence. It is apparent to me that most folks “march to the beat of a different drum” and listen only to what they want to hear when considering this contentious issue. Granted if there were hundreds of thousands of people who believed in Ocklawaha River restoration – that were registered voters – they would have a great opportunity to influence the legal real property owner of the lands and waters involved, the government of the State of Florida (in its entirety). But I haven’t seen any evidence of those kinds of numbers.
Thank you to all that signed this petition for your sincere interest in this Ocklawaha River vs. Rodman Reservoir argument and your willingness to affix your name and pro-restoration opinion to this petition.
Happy Thanksgiving 2025,
“Ocklawahaman” Paul Nosca
----------------------------------------------------------------------
On June 30, 2025, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) performed a line-item veto of the $6.25 million that the Florida Legislature in SB 2500 had approved and appropriated in the 2025-2026 FY budget that was delivered to the Governor on 6/27/25.
Then on July 11, 2025, Kevin Spear of the "Orlando Sentinel" newspaper in his editorial FLOATED THE IDEA of the Florida Legislature OVERRIDING Governor DeSantis' VETO of the $6.25 million appropriation for OCKLAWAHA RIVER RESTORATION!
SIGN-FOR-FREE-$$$ THE NEW PETITION
"OCKLAWAHA RIVER RESTORATION: Rally FL LEGISLATURE to OVERRIDE GOVERNOR DESANTIS' VETO!" at
SIGN-FOR-FREE-$$$
---------------------------------------------
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1937718656450177
https://www.facebook.com/groups/381885503129660
7/2/25 UPDATE AND ATTENTION to those sincere folks that -- like me -- support the notion of restoring to free-flowing-again the Ocklawaha River by the breaching of Kirkpatrick / Rodman Dam. On 6/30/25 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) performed a line-item veto of the $6.25 million that the Florida Legislature in SB 2500 had approved and appropriated in the 2025-2026 FY budget that was delivered to the Governor on 6/27/25. Therefore, I believe that I need to add the Honorable Governor Ron DeSantis (R) as a decision maker to this petition.
https://www.flgov.com/eog/leadership/people/ron-desantis/contact
The other four decision makers are:
State of Florida House of Representatives
Email your local Representative
State of Florida Senate
Email your local State Senator
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
Email Ombudsman: ABaggett@sjrwmd.com
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)
Email: Public.Services@FloridaDEP.gov
----------------------------------------------------------------
In April 2016 the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) headquartered in Palatka, Putnam County, Florida released on their website for dissemination to the public an official document entitled: "Technical Publication SJ2016-1: Effects on Lower St. Johns River Nutrient Supply and TMDL Target Compliance from the Restoration of a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River" authored by John Hendrickson, Environmental Scientist VI, SJRWMD.
Congratulations to John Hendrickson who was promoted in 2018 from "Environmental Scientist VI" to "Supervising Environmental Scientist" for the St. Johns River Water Management District! He has since retired from SJRWMD.
The findings of "Technical Publication SJ2016-1" reported that the potential downstream detrimental nutrient load to the St. Johns River estuary by a free-flowing Ocklawaha River will be much less than previously predicted (by old 1999 science) and at these lower levels can probably be mitigated in other sections of the St. Johns River basin using measures and procedures known to SJRWMD.
We, the undersigned persons being registered voters and/or real property owners of the state of Florida do hereby respectfully petition Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), the Florida Legislature (State of Florida House and Senate), the SJRWMD and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FL DEP) to earnestly begin, move forward with, and finally carry out the process of restoring to free-and-swift-flowing-again the Ocklawaha River -- "Source to the Sea" -- from its Silver Springs supreme headwaters to its St. Johns River estuary. This restoration process would require the breaching of the earthen Kirkpatrick (Rodman) Dam at the location where the historic Ocklawaha River channel flowed through it prior to September 30, 1968.
For this process to begin in earnest the Florida Legislature would need to approve Ocklawaha River restoration funding in the state's budget and send the approved appropriations or other type of legislative bill on to the Governor and thence Governor Ron DeSantis (R) would need to approve or at least not line-item veto this Ocklawaha River Restoration paragraph.
In addition, SJRWMD would soon need to approve and issue to the FDEP the Ocklawaha River restoration Environmental Resource Permit that was originally submitted in 1997; and the FDEP would soon need to inform and request that SJRWMD no longer hold this Ocklawaha River restoration permit application in abeyance because FDEP does earnestly intend to move forward with the process that would ultimately involve the breaching of Kirkpatrick (Rodman) Dam to allow the Ocklawaha River to be free-flowing again -- "Source to the Sea" -- from Silver Springs to the St. Johns River.
"FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" sincerely requests that only registered voters and/or real property owners of the state of Florida respond to and sign-on to this petition.
Saturday 6/24/17 was the 1-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 2,112 supporters and more than 550 favorable comments as of that date.
Sunday 6/24/18 was the 2-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 2,404 supporters as of that date.
Monday 6/24/19 was the 3-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 2,534 supporters as of that date.
Wednesday 6/24/20 was the 4-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 3,517 supporters as of that date.
Saturday 1/1/22 this petition was reopened to accept new signatures.
Friday 6/24/22 was the 6-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 4,154 supporters as of that date.
Saturday 6/24/23 was the 7-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 4,226 supporters as of that date.
Monday 6/24/24 was the 8-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 4,269 supporters as of that date.
Tuesday 6/24/25 was the 9-Year Anniversary of the creation of this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. This SIGN-FOR-FREE $$$ petition had 4,282 supporters as of that date.
----------------------------------------------------------------
The SJRWMD "Technical Publication SJ2016-1" by John Hendrickson contains the data -- about DISSOLVED SILICA, NITROGEN, and PHOSPHORUS (and their combined effects on possible [downstream] St. Johns River harmful algal blooms) -- best supporting that the restoration of the Ocklawaha River will be beneficial for the entire St. Johns River (Florida's ONLY "American Heritage River") basin.
Hendrickson, John. 2016. Effects on Lower St. Johns River Nutrient Supply and TMDL Target Compliance from the Restoration of a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River. Technical Publication SJ2016-1. 107 pages. St. Johns River Water Management District, Palatka, Florida is available at:
https://static.sjrwmd.com/sjrwmd/secure/technicalreports/TP/SJ2016-1.pdf
----------------------------------------------------------------
OCKLAWAHA RIVER HISTORY: Former Governor Lawton Chiles on 6/16/95 announced the following, "After a careful review of the Ocklawaha River/Rodman Reservoir issue, I am hereby directing the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, in cooperation with the St Johns River Water Management District, to proceed immediately in applying for permits to restore the Ocklawaha River and in moving forward with a plan to begin an orderly and phased drawdown of the Rodman Reservoir."
Quite often "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" has been asked this same general question by sincere people:
WHY HASN'T THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER ALREADY BEEN RESTORED SINCE GOVERNOR CHILES AND THE FLORIDA CABINET ORDERED IT TO BE DONE BACK IN THE 1990's?
The official answer to that question is as documented in these following three quoted paragraphs from Technical Publication SJ2016-1 by the SJRWMD's John Hendrickson:
(1) "In 1991, federal de-authorization of the Cross Florida Barge Canal Project resulted in the transfer of canal lands to the state of Florida. An ad hoc Canal Lands Advisory Committee (CLAC) was formed to provide recommendations to the Governor and Cabinet on the disposition of the barge canal lands and structures. After deliberating on the recommendations of the CLAC, the 1993 Legislature passed Chapter 92-213, Laws of Florida, which directed the Department of Natural Resources (now the Florida Department of Environmental Protection [FDEP]) to ' . . . study the efficacy, both environmental and economic, of complete restoration of the Ocklawaha River, partial restoration of the river, total retention of Rodman Reservoir, and partial retention of the reservoir . . ..' Funds were provided for the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to undertake the study of these four alternatives. As part of the comprehensive assessment performed by SJRWMD, Volume 11 of the Environmental Studies Concerning Four Alternatives for Rodman Reservoir and the Lower Ocklawaha River, Surface Water Quality and Alternatives Analysis for Rodman Reservoir (ECT, 1994) predicted a post-restoration increase in nitrogen (in the form of nitrate+nitrite-N) and phosphorus (as orthophosphate) loads of 878 and 30 metric tons/yr to the LSJR.
(2) "Despite the predicted increase in downstream nutrient load, the positive aspects related to the restoration of floodplain functions, increased unique habitat and migratory fish passage appeared to provide overall net environmental gain. At the directive of then-Gov. Lawton Chiles and the Florida Cabinet, FDEP in 1997 submitted a permit application to SJRWMD for the removal of Rodman Reservoir to restore a free-flowing lower Ocklawaha River.
(3) "But in 1999, once the permit application package was complete, the case for the restoration was deemed insufficient to meet the environmental resource permit (ERP) and consumptive use permit (CUP) public interest tests, and SJRWMD staff informed FDEP that they could not recommend approval to their Governing Board. The most prominent concern contributing to the recommendation of denial centered on the potential adverse impacts of increased nutrient load to the lower St. Johns River. Adding to this concern was the fact that the lower St. Johns at the time was one of the most prominent water bodies included on the 1999 consent decree between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Earthjustice to establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for impaired Florida waters. FDEP requested that SJRWMD not take agency action and to hold the permit in abeyance indefinitely, a status which has continued until this day."
----------------------------------------------------------------
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE FLORIDA CONSERVATIONISTS THAT HAVE SUPPORTED THIS PETITION WITH THEIR NAMES OVER THE YEARS (by order of signing): Whitey Markle, Steven Knoll, Roy Lewis, Linda Duever, Archie Carr III, Lars Andersen, Jill Lingard, Mary Alford, Sam Carr, Steve Robitaille, Joe Little, Ryan Smart, Katie Tripp, Jim Gross, James Clugston, Karen Ahlers, Sandra Kokernoot, Matt Keene, Karen Chadwick, Chris Spontak, Rick Perry, Michael Stallings, Jim Stevenson, Bob Patterson, Margaret Tolbert, Mike Sizemore, John Moran, Lisa Rinaman, Robert Knight, Bill Ray, James Barkuloo, Joy Hill, Jacqueline Sulek, Eva Teuton, Harley Means, John Thomas, Brigitte Smith, Jack Stackman, David Moritz, Jane West, Bruce Cain, Jenny Carr, Margaret Spontak, David Bottomley, David Guest, Mark Rinaman, Paul Plourde, Ken Rumberger, Jeffrey Greenberg, and many other sincere folks who admire the "Real Florida" and its natural environs.
DISSAPOINTING: Although this petition has the support of over 4,200 folks worldwide, only about 2,600 of them can be identified as residing in Florida and possibly being able to legally vote in Sunshine State elections.
SEARCH FOR YOUR NAME IN THE PETITION IF YOU ARE A FLORIDA RESIDENT AT: https://www.facebook.com/groups/381885503129660/posts/1421124165872450
When you join with "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" in our quest to advocate for the restoration of the 56-mile length Ocklawaha River-Silver River system to free-flowing again -- Silver Springs to the St. Johns River estuary -- by signing the online petition FOR-FREE $$$, it costs you NO $$$!
Most sincerely, "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca, the original creator of the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition.
Petition Closed
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Petition created on June 24, 2016