ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY by "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca

1968-09-30 (50 YEARS AGO today [2018-09-30]):
September 30, 1968: An INFAMOUS Date for the Ocklawaha River

SPECIAL NOTE AS OF 30 SEPTEMBER 2018:
It is now 50 years since RODMAN DAM was closed across Florida's OCKLAWAHA RIVER.

The featured 30 September 1968 "Ocala Star-Banner" newspaper clipping was discovered on 25 August 2013 by Captain Erika S. Ritter. "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca & Capt. Erika S. Ritter soon posted the photo for all to see FOR-FREE $$$.

For many years "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca has diligently and extensively searched for and collected Ocklawaha River related information from available governmental and private archives of documents or photos, both online and/or "hardcopy." The photograph (shown above) by Mr. Ray Price from the Monday, September 30, 1968 Ocala Star-Banner newspaper clipping is -- as far as "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca knows -- ONE of the only TWO known pictures of the Ocklawaha River mainstream channel still free-flowing (under a roadway bridge) through the [reportedly at least 200-foot-wide] gap in the earthen dike just before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) closed Rodman Dam on 30 September 1968. It is a downstream-looking snapshot of the Ocklawaha River taken just upstream of Rodman’s earthen dam. Off to the left (but out of sight in this photo) would have been Rodman's familiar spillway structure built of concrete and metal. Beyond the right edge of this scene would have been the uplands of the Ocala National Forest. The Ocklawaha River's crooked course has officially marked the northern (and western) boundaries of the Ocala National Forest properties since 1938.

OCALA STAR-BANNER
Ocala, Florida, Monday, September 30, 1968
(Photo by Ray Price)

"Last View Of The Old Channel"

"The above view shows the old channel of the Ocklawaha River at the Rodman Pool. The U.S. Corps of Engineers said that the river will be filled today closing the Ocklawaha to boat traffic for a period of time. Note the mound of dirt at the right of picture. It will be bulldozed into the channel."

"Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca NOTE: Neither of the TWO known photographs of the Ocklawaha River at Rodman Dam on September 29 &/or September 30, 1968 were included in the 2009 book, "DITCH OF DREAMS: THE CROSS FLORIDA BARGE CANAL AND THE STRUGGLE FOR FLORIDA'S FUTURE" by STEVEN NOLL AND DAVID TEGEDER. But "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca & Capt. Erika S. Ritter soon posted BOTH of the photos for all to see FOR-FREE $$$.

Read more at: https://sites.google.com/site/ocklawahamanpaulnoscareports/september-30-1968-an-infamous-date-for-the-ocklawaha-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 or staff 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!

For Florida and U.S. government employees that aren't allowed to sign the petition publicly, "Ocklawahaman" has created a SECRET VOTE "Do You Favor the Breaching of Rodman Dam to Restore a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River?" online poll at http://www.poll-maker.com/poll790342x4Bd4496B-32 As of 1500 hrs EDT on 9/30/18 the results of this SECRET VOTE online poll are 233 "Yes" for breaching Rodman Dam and only 021 "No" (against breaching Rodman Dam).

You are invited to join the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" group page on "Facebook" -- OK, fellow "restorationists" (i.e., folks that desire a free-and-swift-flowing-again "Source to the Sea" 56-mainstream-mile "Real-Florida-By-God" Silver Springs-Silver River-Ocklawaha River system by the breaching of Rodman Dam) YOU can post your somehow Ocklawaha-related experiences, information, and thoughts on this page now FOR-FREE $$$. If you already are on "Facebook" It should be easy for you to become a member -- just visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/1937718656450177/

"Ocklawahaman" is a U.S. Army veteran and has experienced the Florida outdoors since 1962. Before I even started mowing grass for my parents, I was paid (in nickels, dimes, or quarters) for feeding chickens and mullet to an alligator at an Inverness tourist stop along US-41. My bass fishing in Florida began in 1965 some 53 years ago. I'm enrolled in Medicare now, ha, ha.

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!
ACTUAL EXPERIENCE FISHING & HUNTING in the Florida outdoors (and that of our sister Southern states) and Florida government, politics, and the US military MATTERS!

UNLIKE ALMOST EVERYBODY ELSE INVOLVED WITH THIS ISSUE, more of my life's outdoor time -- fishing, exploring, and hunting -- has actually been spent in the Ocklawaha River basin (canoeing its waters and swamp-stomping or hammock-humping its jungle-like swamps and hammocks) than anywhere else. "Ocklawahaman" has NO BASS FISHING "IMAGE" PROBLEM which is quite the opposite from all the other restoration personalities. And "Ocklawahaman" has actively advocated for Ocklawaha River restoration since 2006.

Thank you very much to all of you for your time reading this update post and for any positive consideration that you might have towards signing FOR-FREE $$$ the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" petition and/or encouraging others to do so!

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 of the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition.

And if there is a better & more accurate FOR-FREE $$$ song about the Ocklawaha River than this one -- let me know about it plus the link to it! 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIUn5Hg5ePE