PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — The Kirkpatrick, or the Rodman Dam as it’s better known, will live to see another day.
A plan to remove the dam fell apart in the final days of the legislative session.
Putnam County anglers are celebrating the news, but know the fight is likely not over.
The dam has stood since 1968, and the fishing opportunities it brings have become a family affair passed down from generation to generation in Putnam County.
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“It’s a place to gather with friends and family and just have a good time. Get outdoors,” Putnam local Robert Wright said.
When we caught up with Wright on Wednesday, he was spending the day passing on the tradition himself.
“Grew up here with my dad, my brothers, brought my son out here today and it’s just a great place to come and fish,” Wright said.
This year, the Florida Legislature nearly passed a bill that would have torn down the dam by the end of 2032.
The legislative push was part of a decades-long effort to restore the flow of water from the Ocklawaha River into the St. Johns.
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Susannah Randolph with the Sierra Club of Florida explained removing the dam would have helped fight saltwater intrusion in the St. Johns and uncovered the 20 springs currently concealed by the Rodman Reservoir.
“To protect and bring nature back to the way that it was originally given to us,” Randolph said.
The bill died in the final days of session, which was welcome news to Putnam County Commissioner Joshua Alexander (R-District 3).
Alexander values the economic activity spurred by fishing in the reservoir and the importance of the dam to the community.
“We don’t have a whole lot of resources in Putnam County and this is something we treasure. We’re a very small community. We’re a very proud community and we took it personal,” Alexander said.
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But Putnam locals like Wright know, despite the bill’s defeat, the battle over the Rodman is far from over.
“They’ve been trying to get rid of it my whole life and I’m 47 years old,” Wright said.
Governor Ron DeSantis has been an ally to the Rodman Dam, vetoing funding for its removal in 2025 and never quite endorsing the removal bill this year.
With his tenure coming to an end in January, it remains to be seen whether the next person to take up residence in the Governor’s mansion will share the same affinity for the beloved Putnam County landmark.
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