Ocklawaha River restoration bill sails through final Committee

With lawmakers comparing it to the Everglades restoration project for North Florida, a bill seeking to restore the Ocklawaha River is now ready for the full House floor after it cruised through its final Committee vote on Tuesday.

With unanimous support and no opposition from the public, HB 981, filed by Rep. Wyman Duggan, cleared the House State Affairs Committee Committee.

“We celebrate a lot of the restoration like the Everglades,” said Rep. Lindsay Cross, a St. Petersburg Democrat. “I think in 10 or 20 years we’ll look back at  this being one of those seminal projects that we were able to accomplish.”

For years, the future of the Rodman-Kirkpatrick Dam in Marion County has been debated, with some advocating its removal. Environmentalists argued restoring the river would improve the water quality and strengthen the  St. Johns River — Florida’s longest river — which the Ocklawaha feeds into as its largest tributary.

Tuesday’s debate was short — no one opposed HB 981, although Putnam County officials spoke out against the proposal last month in front of a House Subcommittee.

House State Affairs Chair Rep. Will Robinson Jr. praised the lack of controversy Tuesday as a testament to Duggan running the bill, getting feedback on all sides and focusing on the issues.

“I compliment you on this great policy,” Robinson said.

But even if the Legislature advances the proposal, the bill must survive Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto pen.

DeSantis vetoed $6.25 million to study the restoration project during the 2025 Legislature.

And DeSantis said his thoughts haven’t changed since he discovered the dam last month.

“I felt keeping it status quo was the right thing to do,” DeSantis said, according to media reports. “I’m not sure that anything’s changed since I acted last year.

Under HB 981, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would be required to develop a plan to restore the Ocklawaha River by Jan. 1, 2027, then finish the work by Dec. 31, 2032.

The bill also seeks to strengthen economic development on the river.

The bill would establish the 16-member Northeast Florida River and Springs Recreation and Economic Development Council to develop an outdoor recreation plan to be funded with grant dollars. Duggan’s bill structured the Council with local communities, outdoor enthusiasts and others all getting a seat at the table.

“HB 981 is a community-driven approach to restoring the Oklahoma River that will benefit all 12 counties along our great rivers,” Casey Fitzgerald, a former public official now speaking on behalf of the Great Florida Riverway Trust, said during Tuesday’s hearing.

The Senate companion bill (SB 1066), filed by Sen. Jason Brodeur, goes before the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government on Wednesday as it advances through the Legislature.