The Rodman Dam Must Come Down! or Why Are We Building a Marina?
by Karen Ahlers
President of Putnam County Environmental Council
Ocklawaha Restoration opponents are at it again. The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) is currently reviewing a permit application to build a 400 slip marina in Rodman pool. Could it be a ploy to hamper restoration??
The project site is adjacent to the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway and the Ocala National Forest and currently consists of an existing RV park, forest, and portions of Rodman pool.
The permit application proposes a 10-foot wide, 3,757-foot long perimeter boardwalk along the entire property as well as construction of four floating dock structures with a total of 400 boat slips. The complete permit application can be found on the SJRWMD website (www.sjrwmd.com) e-permitting section by searching the project name, Lake Oklawaha RV Park (Docks), or permit number 40-083-26668-6.
Gov. Crist and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Secretary, Michael Sole, have publicly committed to restoring the Ocklawaha by removing Rodman Dam. Other state agencies, including FDEP’s Office of Greenways and Trails, have pointed out that FDEP is pursuing permit applications to restore the pre-Rodman dam flows to the Ocklawaha system.
The Florida Division of Historical Resources (DHR) says that plans filed with the SJRWMD indicate that the dock structure will most likely be located directly above a submerged prehistoric canoe. Furthermore, the project site is close to other identified archeological resources and other potentially significant historic sites, including human remains.
Moreover, the project site is located within the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) designated primary range for the Florida black bear.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recommended denial of the permit application after determining that the proposed project does not comply with guidelines of the Clean Water Act for dredge and fill operations. EPA has also expressed concern that the proposed project impacts have not been adequately described, including the proposed effects on the governmental resources expended over the last 25+ years of funding, plan development, coordination, and legal actions to restore the Ocklawaha River.
Please write a letter addressed to the SJRWMD and the Army Corps of Engineers. Send your letters to Mike Dinardo and Brian Abrams AT applicationsupport@sjrwmd.com, or
SJRWMD
PO Box 1429,
Palatka, FL 32177
RE: ERP Application #40-083-26668-6, Lake Oklawaha RV Park (Docks); Applicant - Minor’s Marine Construction, Inc.
To file as an objector you must provide contact information such as your name, home or business address and phone number.
and
Colonel Paul L. Grosskruger, District Engineer
Jacksonville District Corps of Engineers,
Attention: Norma Fouraker, Regulatory Division (Norma.B.Fouraker@usace.army.mil)
or
PO Box 4970,
Jacksonville, FL 32232
RE: Rebel Investment Corp.;
Permit Application #SAJ-2008-2172
Be sure to also cc:
Eric Hughes, EPA-USACOE Liaison (hughes.eric@epa.gov)
or
PO Box 4970,
Jacksonville, FL 32232
and
Karen Ahlers, President (karen@pcecweb.org)
Putnam County Environmental Council, Inc.,
PO Box 1836,
Interlachen, FL 32148
Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions. Karen Ahlers Phone: 352-475-1936 or 352-546-3560
Putnam County Environmental Council website: