They are appealing. Tweet; Pin It; Updated: January 14, 2015. it's a well known lake in Florida known for giant bass. Submit your questions, comments or memories to FloridaTime@Gatehousemedia.com. Sorry, no personal replies. 1976 Florida Department of Natural Resources on behalf of Florida Governor Rueben Askew and the Florida Cabinet recommends restoration of the Ocklawaha River and designation as a wild and scenic river You must log in or register to reply here. It’s primarily for vegetation control on the Reservoir without the use of chemicals. To deny future generations such a precious resource would be, to me at least, unconscionable. As the population of Florida continues to increase, the Ocklawaha River will become ever more valuable as a recreational and ecological resource. Fishing Florida's Rodman Reservoir By Jim Hammond. For … The response and motion to dismiss a federal lawsuit may dash some environmentalists' hopes that the federal agency would join them in forcing the state to drain the Rodman Reservoir. Even healthy trees are scarred with a water mark several feet up their trunk. President Lyndon Johnson pushed the button for the first dynamite charge. Just 22 miles had been dug, with a third of the locks and dams and one-sixth of the total project completed. Draining Rodman will do more than ruin fishing, Nickol said. It is located south of Palatka off Hwy 19. But they do know that it means…”the fishing will be off the hook.” Don't know if the plug will be pulled but if it does the area will loose alot of revenue. Even healthy trees are scarred with a water mark several feet up their trunk. [1] It is also a premier … In the 1960s, the federal government embarked on a plan to create a 107-mile-long shortcut across the north end of the Florida peninsula. Here’s more (much of it from our sister newspapers, the Florida Times-Union and Daytona Beach News-Journal). JavaScript is disabled. If the Rodman is to be emptied out for good, the one person the anti-dam people need in their corner is Gov. Let me see if I have this straight, if we get NUKED, it will be by Missiles built by technology given to China by Bill Clinton, funded by Iran with money $$$ given to them by Obama, with warheads developed by Uranium sold to Russia by Hillary. Bass Fishing a DRAINED LAKE - Rodman Reservoir - SMC Episode 12:13 - Duration: 22:31. Rodman Dam Spillway Report - 8/15/18 - Duration: 10:35. It was to be the miracle waterway, allowing ships to cut days off a trip around the peninsula via a route from the St. Johns River at Palatka to Yankeetown, north of Tampa on the Gulf Coast. Rodman Reservoir at Risk…Again. Florida Time is a product of Gannett Media. Last winter, the state performed a drawdown on the Rodman Reservoir — every three or four years, the DEP drains the reservoir and dumps the old water in the St. Johns River. Counties who had poured millions into its construction, hoping to share a financial gain, ate their losses. They say the dam blocks the river’s natural flow into the St. Johns River and encourages aquatic weeds. A 1992 University of Florida study prepared for the state proposed natural regrowth as a viable option if draining of the Rodman Reservoir happened. But as people questioned the economic and ecological soundness of the dam, President Richard Nixon, considered by many the first environmental president, halted the project in 1971 and Congress officially killed it in 1990. The fact that Rodman can be drained, and the lake rejuvenated every few years is a huge water management asset of the impoundment. It allows the cold weather and associated frosts to help kill the overabundant, sometimes invasive plant species. Once again, the talking-points eco-crowd is fast waving their green flag of draining Rodman Reservoir – as they do every few years over the past several decades. Rodman Reservoir Drawdown…if haven’t heard of it, you will. They describe the Rodman Reservoir as home to many species of wildlife. The next Crappie Masters Florida Crappie Trail tournament is Nov. 21 on Rodman Reservoir out of the Kenwood Boat Ramp. Rodman Reservoir Drawdown. Scott Martin 479,764 views. Work began again in 1964. Eventually, straight canals were dug at either end. Numerous state and federal studies of the restoration issue have been conducted and all support restoring the Ocklawaha River by draining Rodman Reservoir. Again, the shortcut. Governor Lawton Chiles directs Florida Department of Environment Protection in cooperation with St. Johns River Water Management District to begin a phased drawdown of the Rodman Reservoir and to move forward with the partial restoration option to restore the Ocklawaha River. Bass and ducks attract hundreds of thousands of sportsmen each year, pumping millions into the area’s economy. The groups say the plan would mostly preserve that. Entry fee is $100. It is in fact home to eagles, black bears, turkeys, turtles, alligators, and a healthy, diverse fish population. The good news is that, compared with most environmental restoration projects, fixing the Rodman Reservoir mistake isn’t that complicated. While it is known for catches of trophy bass and will certainly produce some monster fish this year, it is the number of two to five pounders that should get the anglers attention. But by stages, during the 21 winding river miles from Rodman Reservoir to Eureka, the landscape grows greener and fuller. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The resulting conflict between those who want to drain the reservoir and “free the Ocklawaha” and those who want to preserve the reservoir (mainly for I've heard mixed things from various fisherman about the strong possibility that Rodman Reservoir will be drained. Beneath Rodman Reservoir, the original river channel still exists and will quickly adjust when the reservoir is drained. What remains is a shallow, wood-choked impoundment - Rodman Reservoir. I've seen the pictures - must be one heck of a fishery. The Rodman Dam was built at the east end of the canal connecting the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers, and the 9,200-acre Rodman Reservoir backed up behind that. Readers: What to do about the Cross-Florida Barge Canal? Environmentally, what could possibly go wrong? RODMAN RESERVOIR “Where would it end?” The recent conversation about deepening the St. Johns River and draining the Rodman Reservoir has certainly caught the attention of both the ecological extremist and those who simply have good reasoning. Canal never was finished but Rodman became a fishing paradise. And it would eliminate one of the best fisheries in Florida. But Trump is the traitor. Eugene Stinson caught a ten plus there last year. DeSantis has a mixed reputation on environmental issues — steering millions to the Everglades, for instance, while also approving an expensive toll road that will pave over the heart of Florida panther habitat. Concerns about saltwater intrusion into aquifers ended that. Rodman Reservoir, or Lake Ocklawaha, is a reservoir located on the Oklawaha River in Putnam County and Marion County in north central Florida.The lake, located about 15 miles southwest of Palatka, is between State Road 19 on the east and State Road 315 on the west.The lake was created in 1968 when the United States Army Corps of Engineers constructed the Rodman … Ever since, environmentalists have called for part of the Rodman Dam to be removed and the reservoir drained to restore 16 miles of the Ocklawaha and 7,500 acres of … Every 3 to 4 years the lake gets scheduled for what they refer to as a drawdown, most anglers could not begin to tell you what it ready is or does. Anyone care to weigh in and catch me up on all the competing interests and what's likely to happen. Fortunately, the Ocklawaha River can be restored - and at a savings to taxpayers. Upper Ocklawaha River Basin But by stages, during the 21 winding river miles from Rodman Reservoir to Eureka, the landscape grows greener and fuller. In a future war, they still would be vulnerable. At the west end, the Inglis Dam backed up the Withlacoochee River. By Nate Monroe, www.jacksonville.com. Include your full name and hometown. The reservoir was created in 1968 when an earthen dam was built across the Ocklawaha River. Ever since, environmentalists have called for part of the Rodman Dam to be removed and the reservoir drained to restore 16 miles of the Ocklawaha and 7,500 acres of … The Corp of Engineers, in there infinite wisdom, put a dam in the Oklawaha river as part of the cross Florida barge canal. Restoring the Ocklawaha can be relatively quick and straightforward. Lifetime Black Bass: 18 over 8 lbs,10 over 9lbs, 8 over 10 lbs, 1 over 12 lbs, PB- 12 lbs 4 oz. Many were coming from places such as Houston, New Orleans or Pensacola. alterations were the Rodman Reservoir and the adjacent Buckman Lock, constructed to join the Ocklawaha and St. Johns rivers. Anyone care to weigh in and catch me up on all the competing interests and what's likely to happen. The Lock was constructed during the mid to late 1960s as part of the former Cross Florida Barge Canal project. Ideas for it date back at least to 1824 when Florida still was just a U.S. territory. “The drawdown of the Rodman Reservoir only happens every 3-4 years. Land that had been accumulated was turned over to the state and became recreation and conservation areas. They also state that draining the Rodman Reservoir would (sic)“displace many endangered or threatened species of wildlife in Florida. 22:31. Ever since, environmentalists have called for part of the Rodman Dam to be removed and the reservoir drained to restore 16 miles of the Ocklawaha and 7,500 acres of habitat. "There's eagles, bear, foxes, all kinds of fish, otters and the osprey have nests all along there. The 7,200-foot-long earthen dam has a four-gate spillway designed to discharge up to 36,000 cubic feet per second of water from the Rodman Reservoir, which is located on the upstream side of the dam and spillway. http://www.bbcboards.net/bbc-lounge...wanting-drain-please-call-904-256-7591-a.html. The federal government bought land and sent crews to camps near Ocala to begin digging. By Admin. I've heard mixed things from various fisherman about the strong possibility that Rodman Reservoir will be drained. Rodman Reservoir, or Lake Ocklawaha, is an artificial reservoir located on the Ocklawaha River in Putnam County and Marion County in north central Florida.The reservoir, located about 15 miles southwest of Palatka, is approximately 15 miles in length, covers 9,500 acres and is located between State Road 19 on the east and State Road 315 on the west. In doing so, the Reservoir is drained by 9 ft, on average. It will be missed. Ever since, environmentalists have called for part of the Rodman Dam to be removed and the reservoir drained to restore 16 miles of the Ocklawaha and 7,500 acres of habitat. My sons and I have spent many days on Rodman and the Ocklawaha. Off the St. Johns basically between Palatka and Lake George. The canal would go on to become one of America’s greatest white elephants, and its remnants are still a source of debate. In the months just after Pearl Harbor, German U-Boats, with impunity, sank one freighter after another off the Florida coast. It's been a 50 year battle over whether or not to keep the Rodman Reservoir and Dam operational, and due to a recent failed lawsuit, it seems that the dam will remain in the Ocklawaha River. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I had another opportunity to travel southwest of Palatka, Florida to a place called Rodman, this past week. This project was deauthorized in 1992 by the U.S. government and the state of Florida when it was approximately one-third complete. Eliot Kleinberg has been a staff writer for the past three decades at The Palm Beach Post, and is the author of 10 books about Florida (www.ekfla.com). The tree huggers want to pull the plug and return the river to its original flow. Rodman Reservoir will offer some great fishing trips for bass anglers this spring. In October 2019, a judge threw out a 2017 lawsuit by environmentalists to remove the dam. 1971 Florida Game & Freshwater Fish Commission recommends that the Rodman reservoir be drained, and the dam be breached to restore the river. Fishermen love the dam. Rodman Reservoir is in Putnam County and considered a premier largemouth bass fishery located in north Northeast Florida, covers 9,500 acres, and is about 15 miles long. 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