A water war is brewing in the State Capitol and between local communities along the St. Johns River.
The dispute revolves around a renewed effort to remove the Kirkpatrick Dam and drain the Rodman Reservoir in Putnam County.
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Anglers like C.C. Fort flock from all over for the great fishing near the Kirkpatrick Dam.
Fort, who primarily lives in Pennsylvania, also owns a home in Putnam County and spends three months there every year just for the fishing.
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“Sunfish, blue gill, just anything. You never know what you’re gonna get. It’s like a box of chocolates,” Fort said.
But just north of the county in Duval, there’s an effort underway to urge state lawmakers to support legislation that would tear down the dam by the end of 2032.
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Jacksonville City Councilmember Jimmy Peluso (D-District 7) is sponsoring the local resolution.
He argued removing the dam would restore a critical flow of freshwater into the St. Johns River, which has been blocked for nearly 60 years.
“It’s only gonna make the river cleaner and far better for both, you know, the manatees that are in the river, other animals that are in the river, the water quality that JEA will be using,” Peluso said.
But opposition from Putnam County leaders has blocked past efforts to remove the dam.
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“Because it looks like you’re picking on Putnam County,” Putnam County Commission Chair Leota Wilkinson (R-District 2) said.
Wilkinson said she worries removing the dam would harm the animals currently living in the Rodman Reservoir, the local water table, and the local economy.
“I mean, there’s people that make $50,000, $60,000 a year just gathering bait off of that reservoir and if you look it up, you’ll see that it’s nationally known,” Wilkinson said.
Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed more than $6 million intended to kick start the dam removal project.
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Last month, he doubled down on his opposition when asked about the new state legislation during a visit in Jacksonville.
But Peluso said he hopes the inclusion of an economic development piece for Putnam County this year sways his position.
“Make sure that Putnam County feels like, okay they’re getting the love that they deserve,” Peluso said. ”Meanwhile, for the rest of us that love the river and love the ecological effects that are gonna come from the Ocklawaha being freed up, it’s going to be great.”
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The state legislation still has one more stop in the House and two more in the Senate before hitting the chamber floors.
In Jacksonville, the City Council Neighborhoods and Rules Committees voted against putting Peluso’s resolution on an emergency cycle.
That means it won’t be ready for a final vote until the tail end of the state legislative session.
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