Target: Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida
Goal: Improve the ecosystem of northeastern Florida by restoring the Great Florida Riverway.
Over 7,500 acres of Florida’s forested wetlands, 20 springs, and 16 miles of the Ocklawaha River flooded after the placement of the Rodman/Kirkpatrick dam. This dam causes damage to these wetlands and their inhabitants every day and its removal would reap great benefit.
The Great Florida Riverway is a combination of ecosystems made up of the Ocklawaha River, Silver Springs, the St. Johns River, and the South Atlantic. It is a 217-mile system of rivers and springs that flows from the Green Swamp near Lake Apopka, fed by Silver Springs, and continues past Palatka to the Lower St. Johns River estuary on the Atlantic Ocean. The Riverway is home to fifty springs: 25 at historic Silver Springs, 20 on the Ocklawaha River, and five in the Harris Chain of Lakes.
The continued decline of water quality, spring flow, wetland forests, fish, and wildlife has led the Ocklawaha River to be designated as one of America’s most endangered rivers. By breaching the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam a lost riverway for anglers and boaters will be restored, from the Harris Chain of Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. This will attract more federal funding, bring back migratory fish, and connect three river ecosystems.
Sign below to demand that this dam be broken for the good of the environment.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Governor DeSantis,
As Florida’s governor, it is critical to reaffirm your commitment to the waterways of Florida by reuniting the four ecosystems that create the Great Florida Riverway: the Ocklawaha River, Silver Springs, the St. Johns River, and the South Atlantic. You can restore the Great Florida Riverway by breaching the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam and bringing back a lost riverway for boaters, anglers, and paddlers from the Harris Chain of Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. This will create new jobs, boost the northeast Florida economy, attract more federal funding, connect three river ecosystems, and provide access to essential habitats for manatees and migratory fish. Enhancing this riverway will benefit both the local community and out-of-state visitors.
Please, restore the Great Florida Riverway in alignment with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway Unit Management Plan. Your leadership throughout these environmental challenges will improve the health of Florida’s rivers as well as the economy of northeast Florida.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo By: paulbr75
PROTECT Florida’s wetlands! They’re vital to the survival of thousands of species and they act as a natural buffer during storms!