THE PHOTO shows what a completed Cross Florida Barge Canal would have looked like. Even though I spend a great deal of time in Eureka, Marion County, Florida (and/or along the middle Ocklawaha River), I had my "EUREKA" moment as I was reading: 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. http://www.sjrwmd.com/technicalreports/tpubs1.html http://www.sjrwmd.com/technicalreports/pdfs/TP/SJ2016-1.pdf "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca -- while highly recommending that SJ2016-1 should be reviewed in its entirety -- especially considers these selected parts of Mr. John Hendrickson's EXCELLENT research paper to be VERY IMPORTANT reading for all those who would favor the restoration to free-flowing again "Source to the Sea" of the 56-mile Ocklawaha River-Silver River-Silver Springs mainstream system of north-central Florida which would only be made possible by the breaching of Rodman (Kilpatrick) Dam. The following "text" is excerpted -- copied exactly -- from various paragraphs and sections of "Technical Publication SJ2016-1": "This report details the results of analyses performed by the St. Johns River Water Management District about the possible downstream effects of restoring of the lower Ocklawaha River to a free-flowing condition by removing the Rodman Reservoir. The analysis represents the most comprehensive reassessment to date focusing on the changes in nitrogen and phosphorus export from a free-flowing Ocklawaha River. The original assessment, conducted in 1994 as part of the Environmental Studies Concerning Four Alternatives for Rodman Reservoir and the Lower Ocklawaha River (ECT, 1994) predicted that the removal of Rodman Reservoir would significantly increase nutrients, in particular, nitrate-nitrogen, delivered to the lower St. Johns River Estuary. With the application of additional data and improved modeling capabilities, this report yields more accurate findings intended to inform interested parties about likely outcomes of restoration." "New information about the role of nitrogen in worsening eutrophication in the lower St. Johns River that was not known at the time [1997-1999] of the restoration permit submittal has greatly influenced the findings of this study. Monitoring data indicate that the availability of nitrogen alone (i.e., without the addition of phosphorus) does not encourage algal bloom growth in the freshwater reach of the lower St. Johns River and therefore does not constitute an adverse environmental impact from restoration. In addition, while phosphorus remains the controlling nutrient for algal blooms in this reach, this analysis suggests that on average just eight additional tons of phosphorus would be added annually from restoration efforts. While phosphorus reduction elsewhere would presumably be necessary to mitigate the effects of that increase, the offset of a load of this magnitude should be attainable through the use of current technology in several nearby water bodies, including the middle St. Johns River, Lake George, or the freshwater portion of the lower St. Johns." "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." "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." "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." "This analysis estimates that a free-flowing Ocklawaha River will increase the average TP load to the lower St. Johns River by 11.5 metric tons (MT)/yr in reservoir-full years, and by 0.1 MT/yr in drawdown years. If drawdowns are conducted once every three years (the 2012 and upcoming 2015 drawdowns were both postponed a year hence will have been conducted on 4-year cycles), then the long-term median discharge condition phosphorus load increase under a free-flowing Ocklawaha River will be 7.7 MT/yr. To put this load in context, the allocated domestic wastewater phosphorus load to the freshwater lower St. Johns River is 12.4 MT/yr, and the annual load from the Georgia Pacific Palatka Mill was estimated in 2011 to be 11.5 MT/yr (LSJR BMAP, 2011). The Tri-County Agricultural Area (TCAA) [Putnam, St. Johns, and Flagler counties] delivers an average annual estimated phosphorus load of 84 MT/yr (FDEP, 2008). Two of the SJRWMD-designed and built regional stormwater treatment systems in the TCAA together removed an annual average of 4.5 MT/yr (2009–2014; Livingston-Way, 2014 Draft BMAP). And, since 2012, SJRWMD has conducted a gizzard shad harvest program on Lake George which has annually removed approximately 4.6 MT/yr. So the predicted phosphorus load increase from a free-flowing lower Ocklawaha, while not insignificant, is in the range of other permitted phosphorus loads to the LSJR, and within the realm of reduction achieved by projects currently functioning elsewhere in the basin. Should FDEP choose to pursue this restoration, and if a mitigation were deemed appropriate to offset potential harm based on the predicted phosphorus load increase, it would likely be achievable through a combination of treatment project options directed elsewhere in the middle St. Johns, Lake George, or the freshwater LSJR. This fact, combined with the understanding of adverse impacts that accompany reservoir drawdowns, a necessary management action for the maintenance of the reservoir (Hendrickson et al., 2016), appears sufficient such that a recommendation of denial, on the grounds of the detrimental impacts to downstream water quality, is no longer a certainty for this restoration permit." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- More excerpts are available at: https://sites.google.com/site/ocklawahamanpaulnoscareports/important-excerpts-from-sj2016-1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to all that have already signed this petition FOR-FREE 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! Be aware that many active public employees of the Federal or State (of Florida) governments who agree with this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" petition will be very reluctant to sign it publicly because of social media policies that may apply to them -- they have their careers, retirements, and families to consider! "Ocklawahaman" understands because I was a U.S. and Florida employee before retirement. Thanks for your support! Sincerely, "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca.