(5.3) OPINION - 3-26-15 FREE THE OCKLAWAHA emails to Scott, Crisafulli, and Gardiner
UPDATE AS OF 11 APRIL 2015
On 9 April 2015, I received an email reply from:
Honorable Speaker Steve Crisafulli (Steve.Crisafulli@myfloridahouse.gov)
Dear Paul,
Thank you for your email regarding the Rodman Dam. I appreciate you taking the time to contact me. Should any proposed legislation regarding the dam and the Ocklawaha River come before the House of Representatives for consideration, I will keep your thoughts in mind.
Thank you again for contacting me.
Respectfully,
Steve
THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY
Honorable STEVE CRISAFULLI, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
Sincerely, Ocklawahaman Paul Nosca
March 26, 2015
FREE THE OCKLAWAHA
Ocklawahaman's
Emails to:
Florida Governor Rick Scott,
Speaker of the House Steve Crisafulli, &
Senate President Andy Gardiner
An Information, Opinion, Photos, & Sources Report
Compiled by Ocklawahaman Paul Nosca
Created: 27 March 2015
Last Revised: 29 May 2015
Email Honorable Florida Governor RICK SCOTT at:
http://www.flgov.com/contact-gov-scott/email-the-governor/
Email Honorable STEVE CRISAFULLI, Florida Speaker of the House of Representatives at:
http://stevecrisafulli.com/contact/
Email Honorable ANDY GARDINER, Florida Senate President:
https://www.flsenate.gov/Offices/President
Then go to "CONTACT: Email this Office"
26 March 2015
Honorable Governor Rick Scott [or Speaker Steve Crisafulli or Senate President Andy Gardiner]:
I am "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca, a Florida resident since 1962, a US Army veteran and a lifetime Republican (in the past, I proudly worked for President Richard M. Nixon).
And I wholeheartedly SUPPORT THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM (Kirkpatrick Dam) to allow the restoration to free-flowing again of north-central Florida's Ocklawaha River for the 56 river miles from Silver Springs to the St. Johns River--which also helps to restore the former grandeur (historically myriad species of fishes and a wintertime Florida manatee population) of world famous Silver Springs itself.
This would also allow the restoration of a naturally reproducing population of Atlantic-race STRIPED BASS in the St. Johns River/Ocklawaha River/Silver River system--prior to Rodman Dam's closure on 30 September 1968, STRIPERS were a Florida native game-fish species in this drainage basin.
HONORABLE GOVERNOR SCOTT [or SPEAKER STEVE CRISAFULLI or SENATE PRESIDENT ANDY GARDINER], PLEASE SUPPORT EFFORTS TO RESTORE THE FREE-FLOWING OCKLAWAHA RIVER-SILVER RIVER SYSTEM (and SILVER SPRINGS) BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM!
The 30 September 1968 completion of Rodman Dam caused the loss of 21 river miles of free-flowing riverine ecosystem. Florida's peninsula was blessed by the Creator with thousands of lakes but very few swift-flowing streams of any considerable length. The pre-Rodman Dam 56-mile long Silver River-Ocklawaha River was unique in this state by virtue of having one of the world's greatest-flow 1st magnitude artesian spring groups (73 degree F Silver Springs) as its supreme headwaters with unimpeded access for fish and other aquatic life--located more than 50 miles above tidewater influence.
Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) have very complicated biological-habitat requirements for successful natural reproduction. Back in 1961 fishery biologists determined that only two waterway systems in Florida--the Apalachicola River (the Chipola River is its only long-length, spring-fed, swift-flowing tributary stream) and the St. Johns River (the Ocklawaha River is its only long-length, spring-fed, swift-flowing tributary stream)--contained naturally reproducing stocks of native striped bass.
Stripers in Florida are riverine fish which require about 50 miles of cool, free and swift-flowing large streams for successful spawning. Adult striped bass, which can weigh beyond 30 lbs, also require close-by access to aquatic refuge zones with summertime water temperatures no greater than 80 F (such as artesian springs and canopied tributary streams). Rodman Dam reduced the spring-fed, swift-flowing Ocklawaha River upstream from the tidal St. Johns River estuary to a length unsuitable for striper spawning. Since 1970 the St. Johns River basin has been stocked with hatchery-produced striped bass. No other tributary streams of the St. Johns River meet the stripers' strict spawning requirements.
For more information about Florida-native striped bass please visit my striped bass-related web-pages:
https://sites.google.com/site/ocklawahamanpaulnoscareports/all-time-top-25-biggest-fl-striped-bass
https://sites.google.com/site/ocklawahamanpaulnoscareports/the-fwc-and-ocklawaha-river-restoration
Statement by President Richard M. Nixon on 19 January 1971 ordering a halt to construction of the
Cross Florida Barge Canal project:
"I am today ordering a halt to further construction of the Cross Florida Barge Canal to prevent potentially serious environmental damages.
"The purpose of the canal was to reduce transportation costs for barge shipping. It was conceived and designed at a time when the focus of Federal concern in such matters was still almost completely on maximizing economic return.
"In calculating that return, the destruction of natural, ecological values was not counted as a cost, nor was a credit allowed for actions preserving the environment.
"A natural treasure is involved in the case of the Barge Canal--the Oklawaha River--a uniquely beautiful semi-tropical stream, one of a very few of its kind in the United States, which would be destroyed by construction of the Canal.
"The Council on Environmental Quality has recommended to me that the project be halted, and I have accepted its advice. The Council has pointed out to me that the project could endanger the unique wildlife of the area and destroy this region of unusual and unique natural beauty.
"The total cost of the project if it were completed would be about $180 million. About $50 million has already been committed to construction. I am asking the Secretary of the Army to work with the Council on Environmental Quality in developing recommendations for the future of the area.
"The step that I have taken today will prevent a past mistake from causing permanent damage. But more important we must assure that in the future we take not only full but also timely account of the environmental impact of such projects--so that instead of halting the damage, we prevent it."
Most sincerely,
Paul Nosca
Data Processing Administrator - SES (Retired),
Florida Department of Financial Services
& Veteran, Finance Corps, U.S. Army
GOOGLE "Ocklawahaman"
Click to enlarge photo and its text!
REFERENCE AS: Nosca, P. 2015. "3-26-15 Free the Ocklawaha emails to Scott, Crisafulli, and Gardiner" webpage report. "Ocklawahaman Paul Nosca reports" website. Paul Nosca, Eureka, FL.
Email: ocklawahaman1@gmail.com
End.