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    Free the River or Save the Reservoir? A Natural Controversy

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    Free the River or Save the Reservoir? A Natural Controversy

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    Free the River or Save the Reservoir? A Natural Controversy

Free the River or Save the Reservoir?

A Natural Controversy

The Ocklawaha River is a major north-flowing river that feeds into the St. Johns River. It was damed as part of the Cross-Florida Barge Canal Project, but the project was ultimately deauthorized. The dam, Kirkpatrick Dam, did stay, though, and controversy continues as some want the river restored and others want the dam and the reservoir it created maintained.

This is the web site of the short documentary of the story. Available here are additional information, materials and resources.

Map: Cross Florida Barge Canal

The Cross Florida Barge Canal was intended to connect the west coast of the state with the east coast, thereby allowing merchant vessels to move from one side to the other without having to circle around South Florida. This map shows where the canal was planned, and the parts that were actually constructed. Courtesy: Florida Memory

A Trip on Rodman Reservoir and to Kirkpatrick Dam

We traveled on the Rodman Reservoir to Kirkpatrick Dam, which is on the Ocklawaha River, on an airboat with the state Department of Environmental Protection. Above is a slideshow of what we saw.

Living Along the Ocklawaha

Captain Erika Ritter gives tours along the Ocklawaha River on a pontoon boat, in large part because of her unique attachment to the river. She grew up along it, and it was as she was growing up that the Cross-Florida Barge Canal was planned and partly constructed. It was ultimately stopped, in – as she […]

A Tour of the Ocklawaha River

As part of our project, we went on a tour of the Ocklawaha River with Captain Erika Ritter. Captain Erika gives tours of the river on a pontoon boats. Above is a slideshow of what we saw.