The Shields Painting Difference: Perfection with Every Brush Stroke
Many painting companies in Florida rely on flashy marketing and big promises to try and attract new clients. But when it comes time to work, they fall short of their promises. This is often due to a lack of experience, qualified painters, and a drive to overachieve. At Shields Painting, we do things a little differently than other painting companies in Citrus County. We believe that a professional paint job should be as close to perfect as possible. Our goal is to leave you 100% satisfied, whether we're touching up an old residential paint job or performing a complex commercial project. It might sound simple, but we achieve that goal through honesty, hard work, beautiful results, and reasonable pricing.
As a family-owned and operated painting company in Ocklawaha, FL, we strive to provide personalized, professional, and friendly service. Shields Painting has been in business since 1968 for a good reason. Whenever possible, we go the extra mile to make sure our customers are happy. Unlike some of our competition, we want to know all about your house or business painting project: your vision, your preferences, your challenges, and your goals. When we understand your needs, we can present you with a fantastic final product - one that you're proud to show off to friends and neighbors.
At Shields Painting, we combine our extensive experience with time-tested, meticulous painting processes, resulting in the highest quality painting results around. As a painting contractor in Citrus County, we can take on a variety of residential, commercial, and industrial projects in Florida.
A few of our most popular painting services include:
- Interior Painting
- Exterior Painting
- Residential Painting
- Commercial Painting
- Cabinet Painting
- Ceiling Painting
- Fence Painting
- Sign Painting
- MUCH More!
Our commercial, industrial, and residential painting contractors take the proper steps to protect your property and belongings while we work. Our team will clean up after ourselves, so your property is left clean and free of debris when we're done. After all, we think there's only one way to do a job, and that's the right way.
Painting Services
Eco-friendly & clean work area.
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Your Go-To House Painting Company in Ocklawaha, FL
Your home is a haven of relaxation and solitude. It is uniquely you - a place where you can express who you are through style and design. Whether you need interior touch-ups for your crown molding or a new exterior coat of paint, hiring a reliable painting contractor is the best way to get quality results.
At Shields Painting, we know how important it is to have a home that highlights your tastes and personality. That's why we offer an extensive array of residential painting services in Citrus County. As tempting as it might be to try a DIY paint job, without the proper skills and experience, there is a good chance that the results will turn out less than satisfactory.
High-quality painting requires skill, experience, and patience. If you're a homeowner who needs residential painting services but doesn't have the time, patience, or skills to handle the job, look no further than Shields Painting. We offer accuracy, precision, and longevity with each paint job we perform. Our customers choose Shields Painting for their home because they receive:
- Free Quotes with Detailed Project Breakdowns
- Affordable Pricing
- Expert Painting Contractors
- High-Quality Paint Products
- Combo of Traditional and Modern Techniques
- Well-Maintained Tools
- Unmatched Craftsmanship
- Friendly, Personalized Service
- Good Old-Fashioned Hard Work!
The majority of our house painting services come in two forms: interior and exterior.
Interior Residential Painting
As an interior painting contractor with decades of experience, our expert technicians have developed an interior painting process that maximizes quality and emphasizes customer satisfaction. We understand that interior painting goes beyond aesthetics. It protects your ceilings and walls and helps you sustain a healthier place to live for your family. When only the finest craftsmanship will do inside your home, Shields Painting is here for you.
Our seasoned team of painting experts and craftsmen is dedicated to respecting your space and providing you with the look and feel you're craving inside your home. Whether you bought a new house and want to make it your own or need minor touch-ups but have no time, Shields Painting is ready to tackle the job, no matter how small or large.
Unlike some painting companies, our interior house painters take the time to get the details right, every time. For instance, color is only one aspect of your interior paint job. The paint sheen or finish is just as important. Certain finishes are better for living rooms and bedrooms than in kitchens and bathrooms. We'll help you find the right finish and paint colors for your home, so you don't have to worry about touch-ups or repainting.
Some of our most popular interior house painting services include:
- Ceiling Painting
- Popcorn Ceiling Removal
- Living Room Painting
- Bathroom Painting
- Basement Painting
- Color Consultations
- More
Cabinet Painting
Citrus County cabinet painting deserves its own section on this page because it requires more time, skill, and quality paint than most sections of your home. If your home's cabinets are built into its woodwork, replacing them can be obnoxiously expensive. Compared to the cost of installing new cabinets, painting your kitchen cabinets is much more affordable.
At Shields Painting, we specialize in transforming old cabinets into new, gorgeous features that are just as usable as they are beautiful. Each step of our cabinet painting process is meticulous and thorough. And we'll take care of the entire job, from cleaning, prep, and sanding to priming, painting, and reassembly. This unique service lets you enjoy a brand-new look in your kitchen without having to go into debt by replacing your cabinets.
Whether your cabinets are new, but you want to change their color or you'd like to transition wood cabinets to a painted finish, Shields Painting has the expertise and experience to give you a new look you'll love.
Exterior Residential Painting
Your home - it's a place that not only keeps your belongings safe. It protects your family and loved ones, too. It's one of your largest investments, and like anything else of value, it should be protected. However, Florida weather can take a toll on your home's structure and paint, lowering your home's value and even putting your family at risk.
While it's true that a beautiful exterior affects your house's value, it shouldn't take thousands of remodeling dollars to make a positive change to your home. There's a fine line between reasonable pricing and top-quality painting, and that sweet spot is what Shields Painting aims for. If you want to transform how your friends and neighbors see your home, never underestimate the power of a professional paint job.
Our exterior residential painting services are designed to boost curb appeal, give your home a fresh look, and help it stand up to Florida's unique weather. But we provide more than that. When you hire Shields Painting for your outdoor painting project, you will enjoy peace of mind in knowing that your home is in truly capable hands. Our goal is to exceed your expectations and help bring out the best in your property, whether you need to re-stain your deck or remove old, peeling paint from your siding.
If you're on the hunt for the very best exterior painting contractor in Ocklawaha, FL, look no further than Shields Painting.
Some of our most popular exterior house painting services include:
- Vinyl Siding Painting
- Deck Painting and Staining
- Stucco Exterior Painting
- Wood Exterior Painting
- Porch Painting and Staining
- Soffit Painting
- Fascia Painting
- Window Painting
- Front Door Painting
- Thorough Painting Prep
- More
The Premier Commercial Painting Company in Ocklawaha, FL
When it comes to first impressions, your businesses' appearance plays an important role. Your commercial property's paint job factors into its overall aesthetics. A great-looking, well-maintained paint job can mean the difference between a customer walking in your storefront and passing by. Conversely, an old, worn-out commercial paint job can send the wrong message to prospective customers. If you can't take the time to keep up your property's appearance, why would a customer spend their hard-earned money on your products?
The same goes for your businesses' interior paint. Would you want to do business with a company that has peeling paint or unsightly crown molding? At Shield's Painting, our goal is to create a beautiful environment that your customers and employees will love inside and out. When you work with our business painters, you can rest easy knowing we treat your business like it were our own. We always clean up after ourselves and know that operations cannot come to a halt just because we're painting. As such, we'll work with your busy schedule to ensure the job gets done right the first time without disrupting your day-to-day commitments.
With decades of commercial painting experience, we know the demands of a commercial painting project necessitate a disciplined and focused approach from the start. Our team of business painters is committed to delivering quality, on-time results on every project, every time - no excuses
We offer professional business painting services to a variety of building types, including:
01
Industrial Painting
A high level of care and finesse are required to effectively paint an industrial property. At Shields Painting, we know that industrial paint jobs involve much more than aesthetics. That's why our industrial services are customized to your specifications, using industrial-grade materials that stand up to heavy-duty operations.
02
Retail Store Painting
Our commercial painters apply effective, yet appealing interior and exterior paint that stand up to the daily rigors of busy retail environments.
03
Small Business Painting
Do you own a restaurant franchise? Have a small "mom and pop" location that needs a fresh coat of paint? Shields Painting has the resources and reliability to efficiently get the job done the first time. That way, you can focus on serving your customers, not having your business repainted.
04
Healthcare Location Painting
From walk-in clinics to long-term care facilities, Shields Painting is sensitive to your patients' needs. We know you must protect your patient's privacy while maintaining productivity. Our approach to healthcare location painting centers around your schedule to avoid disruptions in care.
05
Apartment Complex Painting
Erase signs of wear and make your apartment complex or multi-family building a more desirable place to live with a stunning, professional paint job.
Florida's Most Trusted Painting Contractor
Shields Painting has been in the business since 1968. In a world where so much has changed, we are proud to uphold the ideals that make us successful: hard, honest work, getting the job done right, and excellent customer service. Providing you with trustworthy, quality work will always take priority over rushing through a project to serve the next customer. That is just not the way we choose to do business.
As professionals dedicated to perfection, we strive to provide a unique painting experience for every customer - one that focuses on their needs and desires instead of our own. Whether you need residential painting for your home or commercial painting for your business, we encourage you to reach out today to speak with our customer service team. Whether you have big ideas about a new paint project or need our expertise and guidance, we look forward to hearing from you soon.
352-212-1533Free Consultation
Latest News in Ocklawaha, FL
'A dam shame': Taking down Rodman Reservoir financially beneficial, budget watchdog says
Steve Pattersonhttps://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/environment/2022/02/17/florida-taxwatch-supports-taking-down-dam-rodman-reservoir/6803706001/
A government watchdog group is recommending that Florida breach Putnam County’s Rodman dam and restore the Ocklawaha River’s natural flow to the St. Johns River.“To do otherwise would be a dam shame,” concluded ...
A government watchdog group is recommending that Florida breach Putnam County’s Rodman dam and restore the Ocklawaha River’s natural flow to the St. Johns River.
“To do otherwise would be a dam shame,” concluded a report that Florida TaxWatch released Tuesday endorsing an idea that environmental activists have championed for decades.
The report, which encourages state lawmakers to fund what’s called partial restoration of the Ocklawaha, bolsters calls from activists who this month produced polling reporting that 77 percent of likely voters in Putnam and Marion counties supported breaching the dam, which is about a half-century old and needs maintenance.
“At some point the state will have to ‘fish or cut bait’ and decide the future of the Kirkpatrick Dam and Rodman Reservoir. Florida TaxWatch thinks that time is now,” said the report, using the state’s formal name for the dam.
The dam, which blocks the Ocklawaha from reaching the St. Johns near Palatka, was built as part of a cross-state barge canal that was never completed because of its environmental impact.
But a core of defenders long ago embraced the dam and reservoir, which bass fishermen prize as prime fishing ground.
TaxWatch, maybe most visible through its yearly list of budget “turkeys” that bypass conventional state-funding requirements, argued that restoration would bring greater economic benefits that the reservoir, whose impact it priced at $6.6 million yearly.
Restoring the river by slowly drawing down the reservoir and creating a gap in the dam “stands to add an annual benefit of $9.1 million upon completion of the project,” said the report. The report also noted projections in a pro-restoration report that the number of reservoir visitors would decline.
It argued a restored river would boost tourism around the 74-mile Ocklawaha, which runs from the Harris chain of lakes to the St. Johns.
The state would also save costs of dam repairs estimated at anywhere from $4 million to $14 million, plus yearly maintenance expenses, TaxWatch said.
The report was cheered by dam-removal advocates who argue the Ocklawaha, the biggest tributary to the St. Johns, could add benefit the larger river by adding fresh water to slow a gradual rise in salinity in portions of the St. Johns in Jacksonville.
“It just underscores the fact that restoring the natural connection [between the rivers] … makes economic sense as well as environmental sense,” said St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman, who said her organization had been in contact with TaxWatch previously.
Rinaman, who like other restoration supporters speaks of the dam blocking a “Great Florida Riverway” including the Silver, Ocklawaha and St. Johns, has argued the dam could pose a significant risk to homes and businesses close downstream if the aging dam fails and releases water suddenly.
Rinaman said an updated dam safety report is expected to be released soon and could impact other parts of the debate over the dam.
A TaxWatch spokeswoman, Aly Coleman, said the group looked at the dam's future as an infrastructure issue and decided to issue its report in light of federal infrastructure funding that became law last fall.
Green groups start drive to remove dam at Rodman Reservoir, opening Ocklawaha River
Steve Pattersonhttps://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/environment/2020/12/10/take-down-rodman-dam-environmental-groups-say-ocklawaha-video/6466482002/
Dozens of environmental groups have launched an online campaign to build support for undamming the Ocklawaha River, a waterway most Floridians have never seen.The outreach this month by the Free the Ocklawaha River Coalition aims to raise new followers by rebranding the Ocklawaha as “the heart of the Great Florida R...
Dozens of environmental groups have launched an online campaign to build support for undamming the Ocklawaha River, a waterway most Floridians have never seen.
The outreach this month by the Free the Ocklawaha River Coalition aims to raise new followers by rebranding the Ocklawaha as “the heart of the Great Florida Riverway,” a marketer's name for a 217-mile system of waterways — including the St. Johns River’s lower basin — that shape North Florida the way the Everglades define South Florida.
Fifty-two years after the Ocklawaha was dammed to construct the later-canceled Cross-Florida Barge Canal, they’re circulating a video that argues it’s smarter to remove much of the aging dam than pay for needed maintenance and upkeep.
The video’s backers say Jacksonville has a lot at stake in the decision.
“The restoration of the Ocklawaha is the most important step to restoring and making the St. Johns River resilient to sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion,” said St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman, whose organization is one of about 40 groups in the coalition.
Proposals to breach dam go back 25 years
The groups are trying to raise their cause’s profile before the Florida Legislature meets in March, although they're not pushing any legislation about the Ocklawaha.
Earlier proposals to breach the dam, some dating back 25 years, were derailed by key members of the Legislature committed to protecting a popular sportfishing industry at the Rodman Reservoir.
But the video tries to undermine that resistance, arguing that Rodman’s importance as a fishery is declining and quoting an economist projecting better financial returns from restoring the river and promoting outdoor recreation like boating, birding and nature photography.
The video, posted at greatfloridariverway.com, includes state lawmakers – Sens. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville, and Tom Wright, R-Port Orange – and county commissioners from Alachua and Lake counties praising proposals to restore the river’s historic condition.
It also features fishermen saying their views have changed.
“I formerly supported retaining Rodman,” Bill Rossi, a bass tournament competitor, says in the hour-and-four-minute program. “[B]ut then I became not just a supporter, but a strong supporter of restoring the Ocklawaha. It seems to me that the cost of retaining Rodman is very much too high.”
Coalition members have begun conversations with politicians and groups that feel a stake in the areas around the Ocklawaha, which in April was named one of America's most endangered rivers by the national American Rivers organization.
“It is a slow process,” said Margaret Hankinson Spontak, a Marion County resident who chairs the Ocklawaha coalition. “Not everybody is going to get on board. But we need to listen.”
More:Waters close to Duval on ‘most endangered’ list for country
The video is meant to encourage interest in a plan that has been called “partial restoration:” removing about 2,000 feet of the earthen dam, filling a man-made cut and letting the river return to a winding natural channel.
Supporters tout removing the dam as a step that would help three waterways – the Silver River in Marion County, the Ocklawaha and the St. Johns – by reestablishing connections that marine life depended on before the dam was created in 1968.
The Silver feeds into the Ocklawaha, which is also fed by headwaters in Central Florida's Green Swamp and by water originating in Lake Apopka, producing the St. Johns’ largest tributary.
Backers say reconnecting the three rivers will allow easy movement of fish including striped bass, American shad, mullet and channel and white catfish, and could draw manatees to inland areas they can only reach now by traveling through man-made locks.
Breaching the dam would lower water levels along miles of waterway between the dam and Eureka in Marion County, and backers say doing that would allow people to experience about 20 natural springs that are now hidden under the reservoir. Some, like Cannon Springs, were visible again and drew visitors when reservoir levels were temporarily drawn down early this year for plant control that's done every few years.
Guest column:Breaching Rodman dam will reveal 20 lost springs of the Ocklawaha River
Springs vent water from aquifers underground, but the video quotes a geologist saying the flow would increase by up to 150 million gallons a day without the reservoir covering them.
That added flow of fresh water reaching the St. Johns is something Rinaman and other activists have argued would be critical in downstream areas like Jacksonville to offset rising salinity as higher sea levels push into river’s mouth at Mayport.
They say returning the river to its historic level would also allow 7,500 flooded acres that used to be forested floodplains to become forest again and provide a wildlife corridor, and that 8,000 acres would become valuable wetlands again.
Restoration backers such as Defenders of Wildlife and American Rivers are hoping the video will be shared and generate talk that will reach politicians before Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers work out plans for next year’s budget.
They're also circulating requests for people to email DeSantis to show their support for restoration.
Coalition members “want to get the governor’s attention,” Rinaman said.
See how the Ocklawaha River is a critical link in the Florida Wildlife Corridor | Column
Eugene Kellyhttps://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2022/05/12/see-how-the-ocklawaha-river-is-a-critical-link-in-the-florida-wildlife-corridor-column/
“No man is an island,” wrote poet John Donne about humankind’s need for interconnectedness and community. Likewise, natural communities require connectivity to thrive as part of a larger whole. The 2021 Florida Wildlife Corridor Act supported this concept to the tune of $300 million dedicated to protecting the Florida Wildlife Corridor.The Florida Wildlife Corridor is an interconnected network of habitat encompassing 18 milli...
“No man is an island,” wrote poet John Donne about humankind’s need for interconnectedness and community. Likewise, natural communities require connectivity to thrive as part of a larger whole. The 2021 Florida Wildlife Corridor Act supported this concept to the tune of $300 million dedicated to protecting the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor is an interconnected network of habitat encompassing 18 million acres of land stretching the length of Florida from the Everglades up to Georgia and Alabama. About 10 million acres of that network has already been protected, including such natural gems as Everglades National Park, our three national forests, numerous state parks and many other natural areas. The remaining 8 million acres compose the “connective tissue,” where additional lands must be protected to prevent our preserved natural areas from being reduced to islands of green enmeshed within a sea of development.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor Act was enacted in recognition of the urgent need to protect these connections before our ballooning population growth and breakneck pace of development close the door on the remaining opportunities to maintain connectivity once and for all. The state doubled down on its level of commitment to seeing these corridor lands protected by allocating an additional $300 million to the effort during the 2022 legislative session.
One important linkage in the corridor — the Ocala to Osceola, or “O2O” — extends nearly 100 miles from the Ocala National Forest at the southern end to Osceola National Forest in the north. Unfortunately, nearly the entire width of the O2O has been severed at its southern end by the Rodman Reservoir, an artificial pool created by the Kirkpatrick Dam.
One simple action — restoring the Ocklawaha River by breaching the dam and draining the reservoir — would repair this glaring gap in the O2O and facilitate free movement of some of Florida’s most cherished wildlife species and native plant communities. And unlike most of the unprotected gaps in the Florida Wildlife Corridor, which will require the protection of additional lands, this break in the O2O is comprised of lands that are already protected through public ownership, much of it as part of the Ocala National Forest.
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Closing the gap in the O2O by restoring the Ocklawaha will allow the corridor to serve as a habitat thoroughfare for such wide-ranging species as the Florida black bear, critically endangered Florida panther and many other less conspicuous species. All species require the ability to move or migrate in response to various stressors — like loss of habitat, a changing climate or the need to find a mate. Even plants, though seemingly fixed in space by their roots, are subject to the same fundamental principles of biology — to survive, an organism must find habitat that meets all basic needs, including the ability to move somewhere else if necessary.
The Rodman Reservoir represents a nearly impenetrable barrier to movement by most plant and animal species, and the O2O will never realize its full potential as a truly functional wildlife corridor until that barrier is removed. The Kirkpatrick Dam — a relic of the 1960s Cross Florida Barge Canal boondoggle — impounded the Ocklawaha River and flooded 7,500 acres of naturally forested floodplain.
It also inundated at least 20 springs, including Marion Blue Spring, which was once a popular recreation destination. Access by boats is often precluded by dense growths of nonnative aquatic vegetation. Significant taxpayer funds are spent annually to spray the weeds with herbicide in a vain attempt to maintain navigability.
A common-sense solution to heal this damaged ecosystem is readily available: breaching the Kirkpatrick Dam at the Ocklawaha’s natural channel. In addition, scientists agree that restoring the Ocklawaha would give aquatic species like the Florida manatee unimpeded movement throughout the warm water habitat in the Ocklawaha’s drowned springs, as well as habitat in the Silver River and Silver Springs.
Migratory fish species like the striped bass, American shad and endangered Atlantic sturgeon would be able to reclaim habitat from which they were evicted following construction of the dam. And of course, breaching the dam would drain the Rodman Reservoir, thereby restoring upland and wetland habitat connectivity at the southern end of the O2O while allowing 7,500 acres of floodplain forest and 20 drowned springs to regenerate. Restoration would provide an additional 150 million gallons per day of freshwater flow to the St. Johns River and estuary, supporting ecosystems and wildlife, especially critically important seagrass habitats.
A restored Ocklawaha would also enhance recreational opportunities for people who love the outdoors. Thousands of acres of restored habitat for white-tailed deer and wild turkeys would expand hunting opportunities, and anglers would benefit from a greater variety of fish. Up to 15 miles of scenic riverine splendor would be restored for enjoyment by paddlers.
The reemergence of crystal-clear spring run streams like Indian Creek, fed historically by the outflow from Marion Blue Spring, would bear witness to the myriad benefits of Ocklawaha restoration. Multiple studies undertaken by University of Florida economists project significant economic benefit to the region from the increase in nature-based recreation opportunities.
Restoration can’t wait. For the sake of animals, plants and people, it’s time to heal the Florida Wildlife Corridor by restoring the Ocklawaha River.
Eugene Kelly is policy and legislation chair of the Florida Native Plant Society. Elizabeth Fleming is senior Florida representative for Defenders of Wildlife. Sarah Gledhill is vice president of the Florida Wildlife Federation. All three are active participants in the Free the Ocklawaha River Coalition.
Partial restoration of the Ocklawaha River will bring prosperity to Putnam County
News Staffhttps://www.palatkadailynews.com/opinionletters-opinionletters/partial-restoration-ocklawaha-river-will-bring-prosperity-putnam
Small ImageBodyPartial restoration of the Ocklawaha River will provide needed economic benefits for Putnam County. These include expanded recreation opportunities, increased revenues from nature-based tourism and the provision of smart development packages for Putnam County like additional boat ramps, parking areas and shore fishing platforms. It is also important to emphasize the positive impact that restoration of the Ocklawaha River would have on the St. Johns River, the most important river in Florida, and on the local econ...
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Body
Partial restoration of the Ocklawaha River will provide needed economic benefits for Putnam County. These include expanded recreation opportunities, increased revenues from nature-based tourism and the provision of smart development packages for Putnam County like additional boat ramps, parking areas and shore fishing platforms. It is also important to emphasize the positive impact that restoration of the Ocklawaha River would have on the St. Johns River, the most important river in Florida, and on the local economies of Palatka and Welaka.
I recently had a chance to spend a day on the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers and met some truly authentic Putnam County people. The people that I met on the river renewed my belief in fundamental values, of neighborliness and of reverence.
We put our boat in at the Shell Harbor Boat Ramp in Welaka. I had the best river guide in these parts, Bob Lee of “Backcountry Lawman” fame. Lee, who spent over 30 years with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, knows these rivers like the back of his hand. The stories that he told on our river journey, of his experiences patrolling these rivers – and as recounted in his books – are legendary. They capture a true sense of place, of Old Florida, and if we are not careful, of a vanishing Florida.
Lee took me up the lower Ocklawaha River, where he spent 13 years on water patrol. As a prior ship captain, I was impressed with his boat handling skills as we navigated tight bends in the rivers and creeks and as he expertly judged boat clearance over sunken logs and under leaning cypress and palm trees. Birds and wildlife were everywhere, including Kingfishers, Ospreys, Blue Herons and, of course, plenty of alligators.
On the St. Johns River, we met Bruce Horning, locally known as “Bull,” a Welaka institution who has been crabbing in the river since he was 10 years old. His boat was loaded with wooden crates full of blue crabs he had just pulled from the river. He owns and operates the Welaka Fish, Crab, and Bait Store.
Listening to Lee and Bull, I was struck by their knowledge of fundamental things, like where the crabbing is best, when the shrimp run and where the largemouth bass are biting. I was learning how to read the river. Like the farmer who knows the seasons, the weather and when to plant, these people also live close to the land. They represent a way of life and time-honored traditions.
I asked Lee and Bull about breaching Rodman Dam and of partial restoration of the Ocklawaha River, of which I have long been in favor. I wanted to hear from local people who are active in their communities. Both men are in favor of breaching the dam and of putting an end to this 50-year-old controversial issue for the state of Florida. Bull said if they open the river back up that it would improve crab fishing – that God would do a better job of managing the river than man. I tend to agree with him.
When I asked a local scientist and fisheries expert this same question, he said with the improved freshwater flows from the breaching of Rodman Dam, he would expect to see positive impacts on numerous fish species ranging from striped mullet, bass, blue crabs and white shrimp to name a few. This is because Rodman Lake – artificially created when the Ocklawaha River was dammed – smothers 20 freshwater springs and increases water loss due to evaporation. The improved freshwater inflow improves estuaries, which provide valuable nursery habitats for a variety of fish species.
During my day on the river, I saw a lot of men and women fishing, shrimping and crabbing. I know that studies show the increased economic benefits of the Ocklawaha River restoration to Putnam County. I have studied them. There are enhanced business revenues due to improved tourism and cost savings from not needing to repair an aging dam, etc.
But my day on the river also helped me to see the value of a local economy where families and communities rely on the bounty of the river. Where one elderly woman told me how she relies on her fishing skills to stock her refrigerator and supplement her grocery bill. And of the importance of cultural continuity in our river communities. These skills are passed from fathers and mothers to sons and daughters. It is a way of life.
If we are going to really protect these rivers, it will be local people standing up for their culture, their traditions and their natural heritage – people like Bob Lee and Bull. Let the river run.
William C. McQuilkin is a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral who consults on international relations and security.
Ocklawaha River future debated
Cindy Swirkohttps://www.gainesville.com/story/news/local/2018/06/26/ocklawaha-river-future-debated/11877769007/
Group wants vision for body of water's fatecindy.swirko@gvillesun.com0:000:30ADFor decades the Rodman Reservoir in Marion and Putnam counties has been fought over like an angler trying to land a bass and a fish that keeps thrashing to throw the hook.Created as part of the ill-advised and eventually canceled Cross Florida Barge Canal, the reservoir was created by damming the Ocklawaha River. When the canal was stopped in 1971, the dam remained.Environmental groups have been trying since then to rem...
Group wants vision for body of water's fate
cindy.swirko@gvillesun.com
For decades the Rodman Reservoir in Marion and Putnam counties has been fought over like an angler trying to land a bass and a fish that keeps thrashing to throw the hook.
Created as part of the ill-advised and eventually canceled Cross Florida Barge Canal, the reservoir was created by damming the Ocklawaha River. When the canal was stopped in 1971, the dam remained.
Environmental groups have been trying since then to remove the dam and let the Ocklawaha flow freely into the St. Johns River.
This week one of those groups, the Florida Defenders of the Environment, is sponsoring an exercise to develop a broad-based vision of the Ocklawaha of the future, said Executive Director Jim Gross.
“We are hoping to be able to forge a consensus statement even if some of it is only at the level of shared values. It may not be a statement about the dam itself,” Gross said. “We are really trying to make this neutral as possible and invited as broad a variety of stakeholders as we can possibly find.”
Unlikely to attend is anyone from Save Rodman Reservoir, a group that favors keeping the dam. Many supporters are anglers who believe the environment is best served by maintaining the reservoir.
“I will not be able to be there as executive director and I don’t believe our president will be able to make it either,” said Larry Harvey. “It’s not about the dam. Let’s bring it down to saving Florida’s environment…(The reservoir) has over 9,000 acres of wetlands that have 21 billion gallons of fresh water. To me, that’s the important story that needs to be told.”
The American Assembly on the Future of the Ocklawaha will include a public information session from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday in Valhalla Hall at St. Johns River State College in Palatka.
A review of comments given at public meetings held last year will be presented. The results of an economic study on removal of dam done by the University of Florida will be discussed. Current fish and wildlife conditions will be examined and thoughts about what should be done next will close the session.
On Friday an invitation-only planning “charette” will be held. Participants will break into groups to throw out ideas for environmental restoration, economic development and creation of a schedule for implementation and funding.
A report on the process will be written a week or so later, Gross said.
The meetings Thursday and Friday, along with the report that will be compiled, is part of an effort to once again focus attention on Ocklawaha issues, Gross said.
The Rodman dam is about eight miles up the Ocklawaha from the St. Johns. Florida Defenders contends the reservoir, sometimes called Lake Ocklawaha, is filled with hydrilla and other weeds, requiring herbicides and drawdowns of water to control.
Advocates of removing the dam believe that allowing the river to flow will improve its health and allow movement of endangered species.
Gross said the UF economic study, commissioned by several groups, including Florida Defenders, showed that undamming the river would boost tourism to help local businesses.
“As a free-flowing river, it is worth twice as much, or more, as it is as an impoundment because it would attract people from outside the region. The impact of their dollar is higher than local dollars,” Gross said.
Harvey contends the reservoir is home to a wide variety of wildlife and that it is not “weed choked” as so often described.
As salt water makes its way farther up the St. Johns from rising sea levels, the fresh water impounded by the dam will be more important environmentally and as a potential source for human consumption.
“We’re not going to be holding back the Atlantic Ocean when global temperatures rise and the water comes in, so you better have some place to drink water out of,” Harvey said.