water wars threaten popular rodman lake

Few places in Florida have endured such a lasting and bitter environmental battle as a lake midway between Orlando and Jacksonville.

[Sue Every]

The River should be restored.

[Keith McIntyre]

I can't believe anyone has ever taken seriously that you can undo that which has been done. The decision was made to create a reservoir. A reservoir was created. That was the decision and it should be final, in this case. No do-overs! Go find another cause.

[Robert Jones]

Whatever action results in continued recreational opportunities and provides the most drinking water for Florida should be the course of action. The proponets and opponents of the dam must prove to the people what course is right i.e., the folks who want to restore that beeautiful awesome river or the folks who want to preserve the reservoir. What does the peer-reviewed science say?

[bass pro]

Sue Every wrote:

The River should be restored.

no way, rodman has some of the best fishing and nature in the state.

[Larry Harris]

Both Keith McIntyre and Robt Jones fall into really simplistic notions;
McIntyre can not see the Natl. and Intl. embarassment that GA water mgrs. have brought upon themselves; let alone impacts on their downstream
neighbors. Jones falls for the old ruse, always need more science. The science was done 30 years ago; U.S. Americans choose to live dumb; and apparently blind.

[Keith McIntyre]

As if Florida has done any better with the Everglades situation. Migratory waterfowl patterns on the east coast have been permanently disrupted and altered. No one is handling the water situation well.

[FL Native]

Restore the river! This was such a stupid idea when this monstrosity was created years ago for the now defunct barge canal. The fish and the wildlife have always been a part of the Ocala National Forest and will still be there after they blow the dam! Putnam County was known as the Bass Capital long before Rodman was created. Fish the river like a true angler!

As far as a water supply, that "reservoir" is full of cancer causing pollutants created by the organic materials in it. The cost of treating it for it to become drinkable far outways the cost of restoring the Oklawaha River to its natural state.

The Corp of Engineers has created so many environmental disasters to this once beautiful state. This one is just one of many.

[flguy]

I think the potable water they are referring to comes from a couple of springs that were flooded over when the damn was created. If they drained to dam, the springs could also be enjoyed by people too. Right now they are under water and their beauty has been hidden from view. What's wrong with resotring this system to its natural state?

[bassman]

Sue Every wrote:

The River should be restored.

get a life u loser

[avianluvr]

Free The Ocklawaha River Already! Bassman, you get a life! There are too many other nearby locations for you to do some premo bass fishing. The benefits of restoring the river far outweigh your self serving sport fishing motives. This is a rare opportunity for mankind to reverse a very huge ugly ecological disaster that he caused. Go find another fishing hole, you live in the land of plenty. The disturbed unbalanced natural ecosystem which is suffocating under the stinking Rodman resovoir see's more fish kills as is than it ever would in it's natural state. I am an old born/raised native, I saw with my own two eyes how the resevoir came to be and I have been bass fishing most of my life. I say FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER! once and for all. Remove Rodman dam and let the manatees go to Silver Springs! By God!

[Fl Wild]

The funny thing about you all that want to "restore" the river is there is a little more to the river than Rodman !!! Funny I thought the head waters comes from Apopka and the Palatlakaha.
Seems like I can think of a bunch of Dams from the leesburg area to take out to "restore" the river.. Guess you don't want to go fight Lake County for there removal. The resevoir is a beautiful waterway that has created it's own habitats for wildlife and has created a tremendous waterway for recreation. Maybe you Save the Save the River folks should go over to the other side of the State and see if you can get the people of Citrus county to Free the Withlacoochee...You all crack me up !!!! Your just lucky there are no residents on Rodman to protest what you are trying to do. Thats the one beauty of Rodman is being on a lake of this size without having residents on the lake...

[Paul]

I think we should blow up the dam, run to the nearest tree and hug it then get in a circle and hug each other and tell each other how great we are. You enviromentalist make us normal people want to puke. Move to greenland or something YUK.

[Interested observer]

This entire fight is interesting. While the envirnmental folks wish to remove the dam and destroy the lake and its fishing, they completely overlook the nutrients and other pollutants that may be in the lake. These materials come from the Ocklawawa Chain of Lakes north of Orlando. Of course doing something about that area beyond poor attempts to restore agricultural lands involves dealing with a large and growing population. A very difficult task. But the lake, with its fishing, unintentionally acts like a retention basin. If the dam goes, all that is now there or will be in the future will flow uncontrolled into the St. Johns. Nice. Using the reservoir for drinking water allows for purification. It also gives an opportunity to treat the outflow. I think the bigger fear of these folks is that once the necessity of drinking water is factored in for the growing populations of Jacksonville and Orlando, someone will remember the almost complete dam at Eureka. For very little money, two potential reserviors are available while still retaining through navigation from the St, Johns to the chain of lakes. Where else in the area is there such an opportunity without destroying some other area?