The Florida Springs Council has sent out the following information. OSFR has long supported the restoration of the Ocklawaha River, constrained by the useless and costly Rodman Dam. Please contact our governor to request his assistance.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Florida has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restore the Ocklawaha River at last.
Restoration would revive 20 lost springs, enhance Silver Springs and the St. Johns River, open up critical manatee habitat, and provide increased recreational opportunities for fishing and paddling.
It has been a 50-year effort to reverse the damage created when the Ocklawaha was dammed for the abandoned Cross-Florida Barge Canal project, drowning forests and over 20 springs and severing the natural flow of the Ocklawaha.
We need your help to get what I believe is the most important and cost-effective environmental project in Florida across the finish line.
Click here to send an email to Gov. DeSantis
Restoration is in the budget
The Florida Legislature has included $6.25 million in the 2025-26 budget for Ocklawaha River restoration. All that’s left is for Governor DeSantis to approve the funding when he signs the budget later this month.
But it is at Risk
Unfortunately, anti-restoration groups are working hard to urge Gov. DeSantis to use his line-item veto power to remove this critical funding from the budget. They are asking people from across the nation, many of whom have never fished, paddled, or even set foot near the Ocklawaha, to write and call the Governor opposing Ocklawaha restoration. We need to counter their opposition by showing Governor DeSantis that real Floridians overwhelmingly support restoring this vital ecosystem, which will benefit local communities, businesses, and the environment across Northeast Florida.
Let’s Make it Happen
Use the link to contact Governor DeSantis today and ask him to approve Ocklawaha River restoration funding in the 2025-26 Florida budget. We recommend personalizing your message. Then, multiply your impact by forwarding this email to a friend, posting on social media and sharing this link: https://floridaspringscouncil.good.do/restoretheocklawaha/
Send your email to the governor NOW
Thank you for taking action with us,
Florida Springs Council
