Captain Erika Ritter and I cruised up to the headsprings of Silver Springs yesterday Friday July 8, 2016. The water was beautiful and clear but the fish species diversity suffers because of the blockage of Rodman Dam. There should be many, many channel catfish and white catfish in the "Catfish Hotel" -- we saw zero native catfish in the whole 5-stream-miles from the Ray Wayside Landing near SR-40. We happened-up on zero Atlantic-race striped bass and maybe less than a hundred striped mullet. But we observed many hundreds -- perhaps up to thousand -- gizzard shad ("stink shad") and exotic blue tilapia in the crystal waters. Fish species that we viewed in lesser numbers included: bluegill (and some other bream species), bowfin, chain pickerel, gar (Florida and longnose), lake chubsucker, largemouth bass, and a couple of exotic sailfin ("armored" or "pleco") catfish. Gizzard shad -- because of the way they feed -- are a major cause of nutrient overload problems in Florida's waterways. Lots of BIG STRIPED BASS, BIG LARGEMOUTH BASS, and BIG CHANNEL CATFISH are the most desirable way to control gizzard shad populations -- black bass and stripers are highly sought-after game fish. And BIG CHANNEL CATFISH are certainly a "game" food fish, indeed! Big bowfin and longnose gar eat "stink" shad also but are considered by most to be "roughfish" although they are at least native. Show your support for the free migration -- St. Johns River to Silver Springs -- of the Florida manatee, channel catfish, and Atlantic-race STRIPED BASS. Note that the native Atlantic-race STRIPED BASS lost its only suitable spawning habitat of the entire St. Johns River basin (and the most southern in the U.S.) when Rodman (Kirkpatrick) Dam was closed across the Ocklawaha River on September 30, 1968. Riverine LARGEMOUTH BASS have been native to the Ocklawaha River for thousands of years -- they don't need Rodman Dam or Rodman Reservoir for their survival! Thank you to all that have already signed this petition and desire a free-flowing "Source to the Sea" 56-mainstream-mile "Real-Florida-By-God" Ocklawaha River - Silver River - Silver Springs system! Encourage others & spouses &/or significant others to do the same! Thanks for your support! Sincerely, Paul.