As a lifelong Jacksonville resident and passionate sportsman, I understand the deep connection between our waterways, local communities and economy .
For more than 50 years, the Kirkpatrick Dam — a remnant of the halted Cross Florida Barge Canal — has undermined our local fishery. This has lead to the loss of submerged aquatic vegetation and restricted the flow of freshwater and nutrients vital to the hundred-mile-long St. Johns River estuary.
Our beloved fishing spots are fading and we are approaching an ecological collapse, mirroring the crisis we have seen in South Florida with the Everglades . The only real solution to our problem is increased freshwater flow, which begins with restoring the primary tributary of the St. Johns — the Ocklawaha River…