The Florida Senate took a monumental step to reconnect and help restore a 217-mile river system extending from the headwaters at Lake Apopka to the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville. This project would reconnect Silver Springs with the Ocklawaha and St. Johns Rivers.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government approved its FY 2025-26 subcommittee budget that included $6.25 million for Ocklawaha River restoration. The proviso language requires that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) develop a project plan for restoring the Ocklawaha River by July 1, 2026. In addition, it directs FDEP to lead planning and complete construction by December 31, 2035.

The benefits of the Ocklawaha River Restoration Project include:

1. Generate approximately $200 million in cumulative economic benefits long-term and hundreds of local jobs in Northeast Florida in the near term, particularly in rural Putnam and east Marion counties.

2. Eliminate the threat of dam failure and significant flooding that could result in loss of life and property for downstream communities.

3. Strengthen the Ocala to Osceola (O2O) portion of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

4. Complete the largest springs restoration project in the state, benefiting Florida’s largest spring – Silver Springs – and the 20 lost springs of the Ocklawaha River.

5. Return native fish populations and expand outdoor recreational opportunities.

6. Support healthier, more resilient lower St. Johns, Ocklawaha and Silver rivers and springs.

Regional leaders are applauding the move by Senate leadership.

“Reconnecting Silver Springs and the Ocklawaha and St. Johns rivers provides expanded opportunities for Putnam County. It opens new areas for bank fishing, camping, and wildlife viewing, more long-distance boating opportunities, family-friendly springs and manatee spotting, and unique fishing experiences. Economists estimate the project will generate some $200 million in cumulative economic benefits long-term and hundreds of local jobs in Northeast Florida in the near term, particularly in rural Putnam and east Marion counties,” said Linda Myers, Former Putnam County Tax Collector and County Commissioner, and local businesswoman

“Blocking fish and boating passage from the St. Johns River to Silver Springs severely impacted our beloved Silver Springs and the surrounding community. Park attendance went down, our giant catfish and other fish species were diminished, and the overall health of our beautiful springs declined. Restoration will drive more tourist dollars to our region and help revitalize Silver Springs and the surrounding community,” said Jo Layman, Founding member of the Ocala Chamber and Economic Partnership and lead organizer for the successful Marion County tourism tax, Former marketing director at Florida Silver Springs

“Thank you, Florida Senate, for protecting the people of this region,” said Jessica Finch, Former Mayor and Councilwoman for the Town of Welaka. “As former Welaka mayor and city councilwoman, my biggest fear was the threat of a dam failure and the risk to our people and property. Restoring the Ocklawaha by breaching the dam will eliminate this flood risk and add thousands of acres of natural flood storage,”

“This visionary action by the Florida Senate should be applauded throughout the state,” said Evan Tucker, Duval County Businessman, Co-Founder of Cowford Conservation, and Outdoorsman. “As an avid fisherman and outdoorsman, I have seen a decline in the water quality and fish and shellfish habitat in the lower St. Johns River from Palatka to Jacksonville. We are on the precipice of our ecosystem collapsing in the same way we saw it happen in South Florida. We must increase the amount of freshwater in our estuaries. It is time to put this magnificent river system back to how it was intended.”

“As Ocala City Councilman, I am committed to maintaining a high quality of life for our residents and a memorable experience for our visitors,” said Ocala Councilman Jim Hilty. “Our springs and rivers are an essential part of this. Maintaining the beauty and resilience of Silver Springs depends on a free-flowing Ocklawaha River. Thank you, Florida Senate, for ensuring the quality of life for our community by restoring the Ocklawaha River and historic Silver Springs State Park.”

Julie Wraithmell, Executive Director, Audubon Florida, said “Audubon celebrates this progress towards restoration of the Ocklawaha River, which would breathe new life into the ecology and economy of this essential North Florida watershed. This is an important first step, and we are grateful for this leadership on behalf of future generations of wildlife and people alike.

Restoration of the Ocklawaha River is a critical step in achieving the goals of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, and The Nature Conservancy in Florida celebrates the Senate’s proposed appropriation.

Additionally, the reconnection of Silver Springs with the Ocklawaha and St. Johns Rivers will lead to meaningful restoration of the watershed and increased flows to the St. Johns River and estuary. We thank the Florida Senate for their leadership in stewarding our state’s important ecosystems and water resources. – Greg Knecht, Executive Director, The Nature Conservancy in Florida.

OCALA NATIONAL FOREST — With shimmering turquoise water surrounded by lush oaks and towering pines, Silver Glen Springs Recreation Area offers swimming, picnicking areas and a primitive hiking trail loop that cuts through trees with bald eagle nests and wildlife habitats. On the hike, you can enjoy an amazing view of Lake George.

Famed author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings even mentions "the Glen" in her classic novel, "The Yearling," which was adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Gregory Peck.

Silver Glen's pristine swimming area is still a favorite for swimming and picnicking and has grown in popularity thanks to social media. Visitors pay upwards of $12 admission to visit.

Just beyond the buoys that rope off the Glen's swimming area, the spring run attracts beer can-popping boaters who crank up loud music, tie their boat to fragile branches, and anchor to a delicate sandy floor, where archaeologists uncover fossils and indigenous relics.

"There are just a few bad actors," Lake County Commissioner Leslie Campione said of the rambunctious partiers during a phone call with the Daily Commercial.

Campione said she grew up motoring there with her family and insists that boaters, more often than not, are "conscientious and clean up after themselves" and try not to cause damage to the area.

Scientists investigated the Silver Glen run and found evidence that boating-related activity has affected the area.

As a result, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering whether to designate Silver Glen Springs a Springs Protection Zone (SPZ) that would keep boaters away from the Glen run.

Campione says the SPZ is "extreme." She and other elected officials from Marion and Volusia County are trying instead to come up with locally enforced ordinances as part of an interlocal agreement. She said specifics should be outlined at a Lake County Commission meeting later this month.

Some background: The FWC established SPZs as designated areas around a natural spring to protect the spring's ecosystem by restricting boating activity such as anchoring, mooring or beaching vessels. The goal is to prevent damage to the delicate vegetation and aquatic life within the spring area.

"We're really trying to come up with practical solutions without having to do something as extreme as a spring protection zone," Campione emphasized.

Facebook commenters disagree: "The Glen is overrun every weekend with disrespectful boaters, jet skiers, drunks and novice boaters that play bumper boats," one user posted.

Established SPZs in Florida include Nichols Springs in Sumter County and Weeki Wachee in Hernando.

Implementing the SPZ in Silver Glen Springs would not cause the closure of the swimming area, though detractors often use language such as "closing the springs" to reinforce their argument.

At a public meeting in Astor on Feb. 20, a representative of the FWC gave a detailed presentation and showed examples of erosion, deterioration in soil quality and a depletion of vegetation where boats dock.

Campione spoke out against Silver Glen’s proposed protections along with Marion County Commissioner/Vice Chairman Carl Zalak and all seven of the Volusia County Council.

Their sentiments were echoed by a procession of locals, but crowds on both sides of the issue packed the Astor community center last week.

Residents in orange shirts who formed the Facebook group Save Our Boating Rights Florida were among many clustering inside the crowded facility.

"Save Our Boating Rights Florida (SOBR-FL) is actively advocating for an SPZ Amendment Rule Change to protect fair, science-based boating regulations while promoting conservation and recreation," the group's Facebook page says.

One citizen called into question whether boaters have caused the extent of damage required to establish the SPZ when there's damage from recent storms and inflow from rivers and lakes in the area. Others cried out against the losses it would cause the local businesses in the area that depend on visiting boaters.

“This is not a boomtown, by any stretch,” said Volusia County District 1 Council member Don Dempsey. “ I mean, the biggest part of their economy is the Glen. If you kill that, we may end up a ghost town. And it's just not fair to these people.”

A citizen on the protection side of the issue asked why Astor couldn't just "pivot" to offer other ecotourism experiences and not only rely on boating when the area has much more to offer.

Silver Glen is at an apex, of sorts, of three Florida counties. The run itself is in Lake County's jurisdiction, and the recreation area is in Marion County (but managed by the forestry service, which leases to a private company to provide recreation amenities). Volusia is just a few miles southeast.

As a result of its crossroads location of sorts, Silver Glen attracts visitors from across the state who wade and swim in its famously sparkly pool that, for the most part, lives up to its name.

The decision to establish the SPZ is still pending for Silver Glen. FWC expects to make the determination after upcoming commission workshops and meetings in Ocala, scheduled for May 21-22.

What led up to the meeting? A working group of members from state and federal agencies, technical experts, NGOs, businesses, and boating advocacy groups met twice last year to determine the extent of damage and if establishing an SPZ would mitigate problems.

One option: limiting overnight anchoring within the spring.

"This was a significant issue for boat rental companies whose clients enjoy anchoring for multiple days in the spring," the FWC reported.

A fee structure for boaters would be dedicated to ongoing spring restoration efforts and a vessel sticker or annual pass to allow anchoring or use of the springs were among the topics discussed. Funds collected from those would also be used for ongoing spring restoration efforts.

The group also mulled over allowing only pole anchors for vessels, a suggestion Marion County Commissioner Zalak mentioned in a phone call to the Daily Commercial.

Pole anchoring within Silver Glen Springs would likely mitigate effects from anchoring, the group determined, but FWC legal advisers said that types of anchors are not carved out in statute, so prohibiting or allowing certain types of anchors is not legally feasible at this point.

"Let's try power poles for a year and see what happens," Zalak proposed. "I think a legitimate capacity study should be done that says, OK, this many boats can be handled in the spring or on the run during these holiday weekends when you might see hundreds of them, right?"

Creating rules for boaters can get complicated. "Florida Statutes would have to define 'pole anchor' and allow it to be singled out as an anchoring type," the FWC's report said.

Chloe Dougherty, communications director of the Florida Springs Council, said the SPZ is an "effective tool that the state already has in its toolbox."

Zalak disagrees: "Unfortunately, the state only has a hammer, really a sledgehammer, they can use."

Dougherty said that the Florida Springs Council does work with lawmakers to find solutions, but the SPZ is its official recommendation.

"Based on the evidence that we saw, I think it's clear that we need to take action to protect Silver Glen for future generations," Dougherty told the Daily Commercial.

Floridians who grew up here know that springs aren't forever. Luminous pools in Tampa (Sulphur Springs) and a famous pool in White Springs that once drew crowds a century ago have been irreversibly polluted and drained to nonexistence since their splashy heyday.

Cajun Jimmy’s Seafood Seller & Cafe, offering fresh Cajun-style seafood, is now open in Ocala at 2130 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

“Our food is cooked to order and prepared from the heart as though you are a guest in our home,” the restaurant’s menu cover states.

The Ocala location is the second for owners Jimmy and Sue Stoltz. The couple have operated Seafood Seller & Cafe in Crystal River for about 12 years and have by all accounts developed quite a customer following.

Bob and Sharon Perkinson drove from The Villages to the Ocala Seafood Seller & Cafe location. They have been to the Crystal River branch. Sabrina Burgard served Bob Perkinson Mahi Tacos.

“The food is well prepared and presented. (And it’s) tasty, good,” Bob Perkinson said.

Kenneth Penney of Ocala, who was having lunch at the Ocala location recently with his wife, Marcia, were served by Courtney Tellier.

The couple shared the dozen serving of oysters, which were on a “buy one/get one” deal that day and were available raw, steamed or with bacon. Colby Jack cheese, green onion and seasoning are with the “cooked to perfection” bacon oysters, according to the menu.

The Penneys heard about the Seafood Seller & Cafe in Crystal River from their son and decided to try the Ocala location. On their previous visit to the East Silver Springs Boulevard location, Marcia had crab legs and frog legs and on a return trip tried the oysters.

The couple said they would recommend Seafood Seller & Cafe.

The restaurant’s menu includes fresh grouper; Mahi-Mahi; Crawfish Etouffee, Sue’s Famous Crab Cakes, made using Blue Crab meat and served with Remoulade sauce; Steamed King Crab Legs steamed in Old Bay or Cajun seasoning; and a Low Country Boil Platter.

There also a selection of appetizers and sandwiches like shrimp, Mahi or Fried Crawfish Tacos, a Bayou Burger and more.

Some seafood is brought in by the owners’ own boats and via two truck runs a week to Louisiana.

Jimmy Stoltz, whose current priority is working through a family illness, said he plans to add an in-house seafood market in the Ocala location similar to one in the Crystal River restaurant.

“We start cooking at 3 a.m.,” Jimmy Stoltz said. He said a number of the recipes are his mother’s and the reception by customers in Ocala has been “really good.”

Ocala location manager Emily Ingram, formerly with the Crystal River branch, said the Silver Springs Boulevard location (which previously housed Blue Highway Pizza and an Arby's) has been busy. The Ocala location opened about two weeks ago.

Restaurant hostesses Jocelyn Ramtar and Mattie Stewart help keep things moving in the busy environment.

Ramtar called the restaurant “family oriented” while Stewart said the restaurant owners “care about customers and workers.”

Venessa Dickens, a server in the Ocala location, said she was a customer in CrystalRiver and eventually came on board as an employee.

Grandparents Charlene Johnson and Robin Solana met Summer Solana and their grandchildren, Lakelynn Johnson, 5, and Landon Johnson, 10 months, for lunch at Seafood Seller & Cafe.

Charlene Johnson likes the crab claws but “all is good” at the eatery, she said.

Seafood Seller & Cafe, 2130 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala; (352) 421-5227

This story is part of our weekly Hidden Gems feature series as the USA TODAY Network – Florida takes readers around the state to highlight some of our most interesting attractions.

SILVER SPRINGS — Xiaoqian Huang’s recent trip from Beijing to Florida included a visit to Silver Springs State Park outside Ocala.

"Beautiful,” is how he will describe the roughly 5,000-acre Florida state park to his friends following the long flight home.

Xiaoqian Huang and his wife, Ying, were in Florida to visit their daughter Kelly Arnold and her husband, Jacob, of Orlando. All four visited the state park together.

“You can’t beat nature,” said Jacob Arnold, 29, a software engineer.

Jacob and Kelly enjoyed a 90-minute kayak ride before the family, including their dog, Moose, gathered for lunch at the Springside Cafe.

With a $2 basic admission cost and glass-bottom boat rides ranging from $14 to $30 per person, a family of four can enjoy a day’s outing for about the cost of parking and a single one-day admission ticket to an Orlando theme park.

A big hit in pre-Disney Florida

The rides over crystal clear water began with a rowboat in 1870. In 1924, when Carl Ray & Col. W.M. Davidson acquired rights, gas-powered boats were added as tourist accommodations continued to be enhanced, according to silversprings.com.

According to the website, zoological exhibits including displays by famed snake expert Ross Allen were added to the offerings. By the 1950s, under the ownership of Ray & Davidson, the Silver Springs Tourist Center was established. The shops and boat dock are still in use today, the website states.

ABC purchased the attraction in 1962 and the location prospered in pre-Disney Florida. But in the 1970s the state’s new mega attractions “led to a steady decline in Silver Springs’ attendance,” according to silversprings.com

The website indicates the condition of the springs itself started suffering from the growth of brown algae due to nitrates from septic systems and fertilizers. In 2013 the Florida Park Service took over the property and combined the attraction area with the adjoining Silver River State Park, which has offerings including a museum. Now it's all known as Silver Springs State Park.

What makes Silver Springs State Park special?

The iconic glass-bottom boats still travel on the Silver River and allow visitors "to experience breathtaking views of the underwater life, ancient Native American and Spanish artifacts, and underwater props from when the park was used for Hollywood productions,” according to FloridaStateParks.org. A wheelchair-accessible boat was added to the glass-bottom boat fleet in 2021.

There is an extra fee for the boat rides, and reservations are recommended. See information at the bottom of this story.

If you prefer to be more active, the leashed-pet friendly park offers kayaking on the crystal clear Silver River. Walkers can enjoy nature trails, ranging from the 8/10ths-of-a-mile Old Field Loop to the 4.5-mile Historic Trail. Rental kayaks and paddleboards are available. An equestrian trail and bicycle trails also are among the state park’s offerings.

If you like show business history, this park is for you. The Silver Springs attraction has hosted filmmakers since the 1930s. Six Tarzan movies, the James Bond movie “Moonraker,” "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and the "Sea Hunt" TV show with Lloyd Bridges were filmed there.

The Welcome Center, adjacent to the springhead and glass-bottom boat dock, offers food at the Springside Cafe, ice cream treats at the Paradise Ice Cream shop, and historic and educational displays about the springs.

When to go and how to plan

Silver Springs State Park is all outdoors, so be mindful of the weather forecast. The park is located at 1425 NE 58th Ave., known as Baseline Road locally. The park also can be accessed from nearby State Road 40 East. The park is open 8 a.m. to sundown 365 days per year.

The entrance fee is $2 per person. There is a $4 per vessel launch fee for personal canoe or kayak. Glass-bottom boat rides are 30 or 90 minutes. Reservations are recommended. The fee for the 30-minute ride is $15 for adults, and it's $30 for the 90-minute version. The fee schedule, reservation information and more at https://silversprings.com/plan-your-day/glass-bottom-boats/

Learn more at SilverSprings.com and https://www.floridastateparks.org/silversprings