LEST WE FORGET! Benjamin Harrison was the President of the United States and Francis Fleming was the Governor of Florida. The year was 1891 and the horrible American tragedy of The War Between the States had been over for only about 26 years. What was Florida’s Ocklawaha River and Silver River system really like back in 1891, 127 years ago, and long before Rodman Dam (1968) and even Moss Bluff Lock and Dam (1925) was ever constructed? Silver Springs was already one of the Sunshine State’s original tourist attractions. The uniquely beautiful Ocklawaha and Silver, quite possibly the only river drainage entirely in the state of Florida that was cool-watered-enough (58-80 degrees F year-long), swift-flowing-enough (current velocity about 1 mph), and long-enough (more than 50 miles free-flowing) to allow the successful spawning of native STRIPED BASS, was famed as a "sportsman’s paradise" because of its awesome fishing and hunting opportunities. It was the steamboat era where the main channels of the Ocklawaha and the Silver were plied by boxed-in stern-wheel steamboats, naphtha launches, small row boats or canoes and downstream floating cypress-log rafts. But the numerous side-creeks of the Ocklawaha offered solitary escape for the truly adventurous outdoorsman seeking its jungle-like, sub-tropical wilderness experience. And back then in that year of 1891, a team of surveyors was tasked by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) to conduct a reconnaissance of the Ocklawaha River from its mouth at the St. Johns River upstream to Lake Griffin and Leesburg, Florida and to offer a report on it afterwards. Yes, the USACOE recorded for all-time an accurate and detailed 8-page summary of that survey of the Ocklawaha River which had been conducted from February 20, 1891 to April 23, 1891 for the purpose of proposing future projects to enhance commerce and navigation on that waterway. As ordered, “Report of the Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army” (pages 1620-1627) “Appendix O --- Report of Captain Black: Improvement of Ocklawaha River, Florida” was dutifully submitted by the USACOE about 127 years ago. Now in 2018, you can explore online this fascinating account of the 1891 expedition via pontoon upon the Ocklawaha River, Florida. OH and yes, Silver Springs and/or Silver River (a.k.a. Silver Springs Run) was back then in 1891 as it is still today -- the supreme year-round source-water of the Ocklawaha River! You can read and view this accurate and historic report, "The 1891 US Army Corps of Engineers USACOE Survey of the Ocklawaha River, Florida" at https://sites.google.com/site/ocklawahamanpaulnoscareports/1891-usacoe-survey-of-the-ocklawaha-river --------------------------------------------- THE LATEST NUMBERS: 2,363 supporters of the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition as of 1300 hrs EDT 5/15/18. Thank you to all who have signed FOR-FREE $$$! The SJRWMD "Technical Publication SJ2016-1" by John Hendrickson contains the data -- about DISSOLVED SILICA, NITROGEN, and PHOSPHORUS (and their combined effects on possible [downstream] St. Johns River harmful algal blooms) -- best supporting that the restoration of the Ocklawaha River will be beneficial for the entire St. Johns River basin. "Ocklawahaman" doesn't like this (just like many of you) BUT trust me that the St. Johns River is more important to the State of Florida and the U.S. governments than the Ocklawaha River -- that's why restoration hasn't already been done! Please let us give all of the sincere folks at SJRWMD who do support the breaching of Rodman Dam to restore a free-and-swift-flowing-again Silver Springs-Silver River-Ocklawaha River system -- AND THERE ARE MANY -- some POLITICAL COVER. There really should be 5,000 or more signatures on this "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. If you are in favor of restoring a free-and-swift-flowing-again "Source to the Sea" (from its Silver Springs supreme headwaters to its St. Johns River estuary) 56-mainstream-mile "Real-Florida-By-God" Silver Springs-Silver River-Ocklawaha River system -- then why wouldn't you SIGN FOR-FREE $$$ this petition? Let me know why? I am baffled! Maybe "Ocklawahaman" asks for too much, FOR FREE $$$? "Ocklawahaman" would like to read how any governmental entity -- Florida or U.S. -- is going to bypass getting the required Environmental Resource Permit from SJRWMD (which acts as the surrogate of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) to begin the restoration of the Ocklawaha River which empties into the St. Johns River (that is Florida's only "American Heritage River"). When you join with the "Ocklawahaman" to "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" by signing the online petition FOR-FREE $$$ it costs you NO $$$. "Ocklawahaman" has NO lawyers for you to payroll! YOU get to buy a backpack, BBQ dinner, canoe, or kayak with your own DOUGH and enjoy the remaining segments of the free-flowing Ocklawaha River and its superbly forested jungle-like corridor. IMPORTANT NOTE: "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca is a totally non-commercial & NON-NOT-FOR-PROFIT, retired, private citizen and does not seek $$$ and does not accept any $$$ contributions for the administration and promotion of his individually-created petition! The State of Florida and the United States governments -- that provide me retirement benefits (for my past services to them) -- OWN almost all of the Ocklawaha River's water and its submerged and corridor lands and collect taxes from MOST all of us. Lets FOR-FREE $$$ encourage Florida and the U.S.A. to wisely follow the principals of ecology and FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM! Job #1 is to "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" period! If "Ocklawahaman" doesn't act as a sincere catalyst to get work on that "Job #1" started in earnest -- by State of Florida and/or U.S. government entities -- then I will have cost you NO $$$ and I will owe you NO $$$ refund for failing to honestly influence an actual beginning of "Job #1" PERIOD! And know that I am in favor of a free-and-swift-flowing-again "Source to the Sea" 56-mainstream-mile "Real-Florida-By-God" Silver Springs-Silver River-Ocklawaha River system! How about YOU? Most sincerely, "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca, Administrator, "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition. Join the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" Facebook public group page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1937718656450177/. THE SONG "Ocklawaha, Set Her Free" videos at: https://vimeo.com/179479588 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIUn5Hg5ePE "There are lake fishermen, and there are river fishermen, and seldom do the twain agree!" - The original author’s name is unknown to me.