A pair of recent polls suggest that a large majority of likely voters support breaching the Rodman Dam and restoring the natural flow of the Ocklawaha River, a tributary of the St. Johns River.
The most recent poll, conducted by Jacksonville-based Barcelo & Co., found that 77% of likely voters in Putnam and Marion counties supported taking down the Rodman Dam, also known as the Kirkpatrick Dam. Only 6% opposed the move.
The poll was commissioned on behalf of Free the Ocklawaha River Coalition for Everyone — or FORCE — with funding from the River Branch Foundation.
Interviews for the poll were conducted via landlines and cellphones. The 604 participants were likely voters whose information was pulled from Putnam and Marion counties’ voter files. Of those polled, 54% were registered to vote as a Republican, 34% Democrat and 11% no party affiliation.
A recent St. Johns River Water Management District survey yielded similar results, with more than 85% of nearly 10,000 respondents saying the Ocklawaha River should be restored. Only 5.9% of respondents said they were in favor of letting the dam stand.
The data for the SJRWMD survey was collected between Sept. 23 and Oct. 22 via an online public portal. Nearly 10,500 local community members and stakeholders participated in the survey, with 9,793 responding to the question: “What would you like to see happen with the Rodman Reservoir and Kirkpatrick Dam moving forward?” The remaining responses didn’t include a clear pro-restoration or pro-dam position.
The dam and the Rodman Reservoir it created were part of the Cross Florida Barge Canal project, which aimed to create a barge canal from Northeast Florida to Yankeetown on the Gulf Coast. The project was put to a stop by the federal government in 1971, but the dam and reservoir were left standing.
Related: A century of altering the St. Johns River has left Jacksonville more vulnerable to flooding
Environmentalists have long sought to remove the dam and restore the natural flow of the Ocklawaha River, which scientists say would help offset some of the harmful effects of the ongoing St. Johns River dredging and sea level rise. However, many state leaders and local officials have opposed the move, pointing to fishing that draws visitors to the reservoir and Northeast Florida.
In October, a federal appeals court rejected a lawsuit that was part of a decades-long effort by environmentalists to remove the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam and restore the Ocklawaha River. That hasn’t stopped environmentalists from continuing to push for the restoration of the Ocklawaha River, and these poll results show that public support for the move is growing.
Related: Rodman Dam suit rejected, hindering effort to offset impact of St. Johns River dredging
“There’s been this positive shift in support as citizens begin to understand the far-reaching benefits, beyond water and wildlife, but the recreation and economic potential for everyone,” Margaret Spontak, chair of FORCE, said at a recent SJRWMD meeting.
The St. Johns Riverkeeper, which supports breaching the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam, is organizing a paddling tour of the Ocklawaha River that’s scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Feb. 12.
