Senate wants to spend $15M on Ocklawaha River restoration

The Senate has recommended spending $15 million to restore the Ocklawaha River, which proponents say will be as impactful as Everglades restoration.

Legislation is advancing in both chambers that would require the Department of Environmental Protection to develop a plan to restore the Ocklawaha River by Jan. 1, 2027, and complete the work by Dec. 31, 2032.

The bills (SB 1066, HB 981) filed by Sen Jason Brodeur and Rep. Wyman Duggan, have both cleared the Committee process and are ready to go to the full floor of their respective chambers for a vote.

If the bill becomes law, the state would breach the Kirkpatrick Dam and decommission the Buckman Lock.

Proponents of the project say the dam is considered hazardous and is not useful since it has no flood control or hydroelectric power purpose. Meanwhile, the dam blocks the river, affecting water quality, they argue.

In past years, anglers have strongly pushed to protect the dam, but little opposition has been raised in hearings during the 2026 Legislative Session.

Supporters say restoring the river would bring wildlife and native fish, as well as uncover hidden springs. Proponents are pitching the project as a local economic boost in ecotourism for Putnam, Marion, Clay and St. Johns counties.

In addition, the bill would invest in outdoor recreational activities. The outdoor recreational plan would be funded by state grants and overseen by a newly created council, with local representatives serving on it.

The Ocklawaha is important to Florida because it stretches across 78 miles and is the main tributary to the St Johns River, the longest river in Florida.

“We celebrate a lot of the restoration like the Everglades,” said Rep. Lindsay Cross, a St. Petersburg Democrat, during the Committee process earlier this month. “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.”