A proposal to restore the natural flow of water between the Ocklawaha and St. Johns Rivers cleared its final committee in the Florida House Tuesday.
Companion legislation currently moving through the Florida Senate still has two more committee stops ahead, including one scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. Together, both bills are known as the proposed Northeast Florida Rivers, Springs, and Community Investment Act.
No one spoke against the bill at Tuesday's committee meeting.
The proposal seeks to kickstart into motion a project that's long been debated in Florida: the restoration of the Ocklawaha River's natural hydrologic conditions before 1968, when a dam was installed there as part of the failed Cross-Florida Barge Canal.
Built as the Rodman Dam and later renamed the Kirkpatrick Dam, the water control structure blocks the Ocklawaha's natural flow of water to the St. Johns River, creating a reservoir just south of Palatka.
Anglers now know the Rodman Reservoir as a premier bass fishery, with some of the largest catches often reported right near the dam. Removing the dam would drain the reservoir, returning it to a flowing river.
Right now, the reservoir created by the Kirkpatrick Dam covers up about 7,500 acres of natural floodplain, plus 20 freshwater springs. Environmental advocates with the "Reunite the Rivers" coalition say freeing up those "lost" springs and letting the floodplain return to its natural state would bring big ecosystem benefits for the region.
"What happens to the river will affect all of those in the watershed," said coalition chair Jessica Finch, who works for the nonprofit St. Johns Riverkeeper. "A free-flowing Ocklawaha would increase (bio)diversity. It would allow the fish to natively spawn."
Restoring the Ocklawaha's natural flow could enhance the diversity and abundance of native fish species in the area, according to one scientific report published last year.
According to the advocacy group Florida Springs Council, restoring the Ocklawaha River would be "the most cost-effective springs protection project in Florida."
Besides allowing 20 hidden springs to return to their natural state, removing the dam would also make it easier for manatees to access warmer waters in other freshwater springs during the wintertime. As of now, to swim upstream from the Ocklawaha to Silver River and Silver Springs, manatees must travel through the dam's floodgate system.
The floodgate system in itself can cause problems for manatees, said Jessica Finch, who works for the St. Johns Riverkeeper and also chairs the "Reunite the Rivers" coalition. "A manatee is not necessarily going to be looking for a gate to go through."
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission tracks manatee deaths each year, including those caused by floodgates and dam locks. In 2025, FWC data show nine manatees likely died as a result of floodgates and dam locks, including three in the Ocklawaha River in Marion County.
Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed funds lawmakers had approved for restoring the Ocklawaha River. The proposal currently moving through the Legislature calls for the restoration project to be finished by the year 2032.
As written, the proposal would create a new advisory council to focus on economic development and enhancing recreational opportunities along the Ocklawaha, Silver and St. Johns rivers. Part of that work would involve improving nearby boating and fishing access on the lower St. Johns, to accommodate anglers and boaters who currently use the Rodman Reservoir, according to The Great Florida Riverway Trust.
After years of debate over the issue, Finch said, momentum is moving in what she feels is the right direction: to allow the rivers to flow naturally. She said she thinks that's partly due to recent movements like the public's response to secret plans for golf courses and hotels on state park land.
"I think, as a whole, Floridians are kind of moving more into that direction because of what we've seen we've almost lost," Finch said. "There has been a greater push in Florida to recognize the natural resources that we have, and that they need to be protected."
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