The Lower Withlacoochee Keeper The lower Withlacoochee was once called the singing river by locals. The mighty Withlacoochee sings no more. This is a story worthy of a Greek tragedy.
 THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LOWER WITHLACOOCHEE  RIVER. OUR MISSION The lower withlacoochee keeper's mission is to fully restore the lower withlacoochee river to It's head springs. RAINBOW SPRINGS. A first magnitude spring. The FOURTH LARGEST IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. Not one gallon less. OUR HISTORY What follows is the REAL STORY of the ill fated Cross Florida barge canal and the total destruction of a coastal eco SYSTEM      The Northern passage  was talked about for over a hundred years..   Soley for a direct route into the Mississippi and Texas regions.. 1942. World War 11 was the lynching pin that began the construction of the Florida cross barge canal by using the DEFENSE act..Siezing entire TOWNS.Along with many other properties .Including the very beginning of our TOWNSHIP INGLIS ISLAND ( it's now called).. 1200 acres SIEZED under imminent domain by the DOD. Also added to the facts: NOTHING was SIEZED west of highway 19. A SINGLE private entity was some how able to aquire over 20,000 acres for just one dollar per acre. The very same year 1942..A SINGLE PERSON. How was this  even possible when the ENTIRE Eastern corridor had been sieized under imminent Domain?   In 1951 The Amry CORPS OF ENGINEERS surveyed the TRAVERSE route of the then (Cross Florida port authority) It was to come in from the east coast .Up the saint John's river and TRAVERSE the withlacoochee river into the gulf. See attached ORIGINAL traverse survey marker that sits in the lower withlacoochee river. 3 quarters of mile north of the entrance of the CFBC. The project started by FDR, soon ran out of money. Plus serous environmental issues was a big problem. Springs and our  Florida Aquifer was at risk.. On march 3rd  1823. CONGRESS FORMALIZED THAT IN THE NEW TERRITORY OF FLORIDA. ALL EAST AND WEST COAST RIVER'S SHALL REMAIN FOREVER NAVIGABLE HIGHWAYS Forever. Means FOREVER. The DOD was able to circumvent this by using the NATIONAL SECURITY act. This Act supercedes CONGRESS. That's how the total destruction of the Lower withlacoochee river and it's ENTIRE coastal region. Including TWO bays. The withlacoochee and waccassassa Bays had the best off shore oyster beds SECOND TO NONE. Funding had basically halted the further destruction,, (construction) of the CFBC. The ACOE'S still continued to survey the route and mark with survey markers.Attached is the only KNOWN original TRAVERSE marker. That marker is in the LWR. The absolute main reason the canal's GULF side entrance was to be Inglis and Yankeetown.The simple fact that PORT INGLIS already existed. Had in place already,,TWO deep water ports. Port INGLIS was at one time at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries the NUMBER ONE PORT in the ENTIRE WORLD for fertilizer grade phosphate in commerce. Captain John Inglis, knew about the Northern passage. A route across the state had been talked about for over a century.He was sent to this region after the civil war to inspect and explore. The withlacoochee river played a significant role in the Seminole wars. Captain John Inglis and Vought found Phosphate instead over in Dunnellon. The rest is history. PORT INGLIS BOOMED. Knowing the northern passage was to traverse the withlacoochee river .Captain Inglis Dredged  " what " he assumed would be the mouth of the NORTHERN PASSAGE. That's exactly why Our mouth of the withlacoochee river is exactly like the present day CFBC. Not much dredging and a little straighting of the withlacoochee river and TODAY both Inglis and Yankeetown would have warfs and docks. Along with dockside eateries and a flourishing water economy. In 1963 JFK  announced the continued construction of the CFBC, by using Cuba and the missile crises as of course NATIONAL SECURITY..Again escaping the 1823 act of congress. Evidently only a few knew this act of congress even existed. Just 3 month's after the assignation of JFK,we all see Lyndon B Johnson blowing up a pile of  planted PEAT MOSS announcing the beginning of the the construction of the CFBC over by Palatka Florida. People needed to work. Florida needed ROADS. It's around this time the the route of the CFBC was rerouted. Instead of traversing the original route set by the ACOES. To TRAVERSE the withlacoochee river which would have taken one quater of the FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS  and much quicker dredging than was actually spent. Around 1965 the ACOE's  literally cut the  lower withlacoochee river in half and dug a Dry ditch straight to the gulf of Mexico. They also started digging   and dredging from the west to meet the on coming Dry ditch. By doing this they cut 10 miles and the MOST IMPORTANT PART of a  2 million old river .THE  coastal region of it's "OUT" take ( the mouth of the withlacoochee river). The lower withlacoochee river's head spring just a few short miles away is a FIRST MAGNITUDE SPRING. The FOURTH largest in the state of Florida. Rainbow springs is  a famous attraction now. It also was the the lower WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER'S life source. Pushing spring water offshore far enough to create magnificent oyster beds.     Many Migratory species of salt water dwelling fish, like sturgeon and the gulf shad to just name a few; was no longer able to reach their ancestorsal spawning grounds. They need spring fed river's to procreate. Manatees was no longer able to get to the warm head spring for warmth in bitter cold fronts. Instead of thinking about the destruction of the entire lower Withlacoochee river and the TWO Townships. The CFBC was to traverse ( follow) combined with a coastal eco system disaster and it's complete demise . The lower withlacoochee was BISECTED. It was well known that the CFBC project was soon going to be halted due to strong environmental impact. That's when it was decided to cut off the entire lower withlacoochee river and head straight for the rock quarry owned by the SINGLE entity that somehow acquired 20,000 acres, while everything EAST was sieized under imminent Domain.. They dug their Dry ditch that brought saltwater intrusion into the entire lower withlacoochee river. Building a spillway to block and release water when needed located at our once Township of Inglis. A place where the Inglis HYDRODAM was built in 1909.Now called Inglis Island. Which by the way only benefits citrus county.  By putting in this spillway.The backwaters at the time was just to harness the water, yet still releasing directly into the withlacoochee, and over 400 million gallons a day of spring water. Equals LIFE..This spillway created a 25 foot lake. Which by 1965 homes were being built on the backwaters. Mainly citrus county side They finnished their DIVERTED path of the CFBC. They even built this entity their own access canal to access the rock that would build Florida roads. Enriching a already very RICH person  TO become richer. At the Townships of Inglis and yankeetown"s peril. Meanwhile destroying any chance of Inglis or yankeetown to access their pre statehood navigable river's future economic growth. Destroying our first responders. Our oysters. The gulf shad  is a species of great concern . The whole project was shut down. They got what they wanted for their 40 pieces of silver. My offspring gets a dying river with no hope of their fresh spring water resources. It's out right criminal what's been done to the lower withlacoochee river. Nobody seems to know much about the lower withlacoochee river's dying death call. If you mention the ocklawa and the Rodman DAM  everyone knows about that. I would think a gulf of Mexico coastal eco system and only one county is suffering it's effect of this cause would attract more attention. I was WRONG!!Now it's just the lower withlacoochee keeper that's making the difference. LWK sued  once. I was personally representing PRO SE. The case was filed. However. After becoming a environmental entity I could NO longer represent the LWK. The magistrate gave LWK a 21 extension .After MANY phone calls and emails to these SO CALLED PRO BONO environmental LAWYER'S  I failed to meet the court's  order. The magistrate did DIMISS WITHOUT PREJUDICE. I will refile ASAP.    In 1991 the federal government >>[ DEFEDERALIZED  and handed the CFBC over to the state of Florida..Just LOOK AT your politicians at that time. .Just  " WHO " was where..This was the second time the river should have been reconnected. Do your own research (I DID).,and it almost got me in trouble ��( because I have a big mouth)  Back in 1971 is when ACOE should have reconnected the LWR.. The FIX was  easy and still is TODAY!... By simply putting the VERY same DOUBLE gate bypass spillway that's placed @ the HYDRODAM on lake Rousseau directly in the barge canal WEST. Simply reconnect river. The barge canal is built to take over 5 billion gallons a day Of flood water bypassing the lower withlacoochee entirely!!  The REASON this didn't happen was POLITICAL BS!! and by now ( 1971) Lake Rousseau was KNOWN for the WORLDS largest bass!!  The rest is HISTORY!! . The LOCKS was one of the main reasons that this didn't happen. The POWERS THAT BE had other plans!! People still WANTED shipping and those LOCKS was their salvation!  Do your OWN research and I'd suggest that you do a simple GOOGLE earth search on that whole area.  You will see a canal that was DREDGED . So I followed the money and OPENED pandora's box for real!!  So I shut up and created  THE LOWER WITHLACOOCHEE KEEPER.. Before LWK is done it will all be brought forth.. When one looks at this whole picture, only 2 Townships have suffered a GREAT loss.. That's the sad part.. Nobody really cares..The  LWK is a environmental group dedicated to the Restoration of the lower withlacoochee. With the construction of the failed Florida cross barge canal Aprox 10 miles of the lower withlacoochee was completely shut off from its vital head waters and life giving spring water. 400 - 600 million gallons a day of the freshest spring water Florida has to offer. Rainbow springs is first magnitude spring and is Florida's 4th largest spring. Spring water is a NATURAL RESOURCE and every human being should have access to it. Salt water dwelling fish can no longer reach their ancestral spawning grounds for over 50 years. The gulf shad (Alabama shad) once flourished in the salt water flats. These important bait fish Need fresh spring water and quik flowing rivers to procreate. They are slated to be soon EXTINCT. The LWK is dedicated to bringing this important bait fish back. Two TOWNSHIPS have been restricted from it's natural resources for over 50 years. These towns have had untold amounts of other people's sewage pushed out their dying river through a spillway bypass. The spring water perculates for about a week before it actually goes out this bypass and into the lower withlacoochee. Every year the state (FWC) spray these Backwaters with a chemical to kill aquatic plants. This chemical, is NOT safe for our environment (no matter what they say).. This also gets pushed into the lower withlacoochee.. To add to the TOTAL destruction and death of a once beautiful river, by not being able to dictate mother nature and keep a steady flow to keep salt water from intruding and killing every cypress tree along her banks. It's happening now. There is only one REASON this has all happened.. 1942 was the year the CFBC was instituted for construction under the defense act.By 1971 the cross Florida barge canal was halted due to environmental reasons.. At this time the lower withlacoochee should have been reconnected.. BIG money had other plans for the CFBC by this time and it got swept under the rug.. 1991 the CFBC was defederalized and turned over to the state of Florida..Again, our river should have been restored at this time. BIG money was even deeper and political people were in the right places. The LWK is the voice of this magnificent river and its crying for our help. Please help us RESTORE OUR RIVER.. Thank you.. The LOWER withlacoochee Keeper.                          Seminole wars   The withlacoochee river played a significant role in the last Seminole war. The river was fully navigable from Dade city to the gulf of Mexico. A major battle was fought between Florida militia and Chief Oceaola and  1200 warriors on her banks. The story is called "The battle of the block house ".This is the only major engagement on the lower withlacoochee.                                    PHOSPHATE Dunnellon discovers PHOSPHATE.  Just before the turn of the 1900s PORT INGLIS was the number one shipping port in the WORLD for PHOSPHATE. This was accomplished by a fully navigable waterway to the lower withlacoochee and on to port Inglis. A economic  boom in sued, and commerce was shipped daily down the quick flowing currents.                           HYDRODAM  Shortly into the 1900s,a HYDRODAM was built to harness the mighty withlacoochee's current at the perfect location in elevation change.  This created a backup in a huge cypress swamp that was the lower withlacoochee's main source of flow to the gulf of Mexico. This huge swamp had MANY streams, smaller rivers that all ran toward the northwest into withlacoochee and waccassassa bays. These important streams, sloughs and creeks was this huge cypress swamps relief valves during peak flooding. They flowed quite fast and swiftly...By creating the HYDRODAM this water backed up even more...                        NORTHERN PASSAGE  There had been talk of  a Northern passage across Florida for well over a century . There was many people that was for this passage. Monies was never appropriated and the majority of people were against it. The big dream was put on hold..             1942 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ACT   With Germany attacking 2 tankers just off the Atlantic coast and 1 right in the gulf of Mexico was all that was needed. The cross Florida barge canal was put into high gear in its construction. The lands and rivers were appropriated under imminent domain of the defense act..(vital springs) This canals western port was supposed to DRAWF  both the Panama and suez canals. During The cross Florida barge canals construction, 10 miles of the lower withlacoochee river was completely shut off from its upper river and its headwaters. Locks and spillways were constructed by the ARMY Corps of engineers and all the cypress trees were cut in the Backwaters. A lock was completed to take 100 plus foot vessels on the west side of the Backwaters. The construction of the barge canal was met with strong resistance. The possible damage to the vital springs and the environment was heard by the courts..                1971 BARGE CANAL HALTED   The courts finally listened to the environmentalist and halted all construction of the Florida cross barge canal. However, the Lower Withlacoochee river was NEVER reconnected or RESTORED to its once navigable waterway. This waterway was a navigable waterway pre 1845 statehood. By failing to reconnect/restore the lower withlacoochee back to it's natural flow its completely shut off salt water dwelling fish that can no longer reach their ancestral spawning grounds.                  RAINBOW RIVER HEAD SPRING   The rainbow river head spring is a 1st magnitude spring. Infact it's the 4th largest spring in the state of Florida. This spring produces 400 - 600 million gallons a day of spring water!..This spring water mixes with the darker water of the upper withlacoochee where it then goes into the Backwaters. This water meanders around the back waters for about 5 days before it eventually goes into the lower withlacoochee through a SINGLE spillway. This spillway is designed to control flow of the river. There is no possible way 500 million gallons a day can pass though this gate. There is also several 100 million more gallons mixed from the upper withlacoochee. Aprox 900 million gallons a day in ALL.. 900 million gallons of  FRESH water a day is significant to a COASTAL ECO SYSTEM..                  1991 CFBC DEFEDERALIZED In 1991 the cross Florida barge canal was defederalized and turned over to the state of Florida. This gave local political powers to have a better control. (This was to still use the barge canal in building a  major PORT and still have major shipping VIA Florida cross barge canal).. At the time the  CFBC was handed over to the state of Florida the lower withlacoochee river should have been reconnected to her mother spring. Twice, both the government and the state failed to do what's right by reconnecting a navigable waterway, and   vital ancestral spawning grounds for salt water dwelling fish.                       CAUSE AND EFFECT   By cutting the lower withlacoochee off from its mother source. These important fish can not make it up river due to the spillways totally blocking their paths up river .Sturgeon once made their way up river as well. The spillway bypass is set at minimal flow to keep a healthy lake level for boating and recreational activities. SALT WATER INTRUSION: By not being able to dictate mother nature( controlling riverflow), and a single bypass spillway allows salt water to intrude.. If 900 million gallons of water is flowing daily at the rate of speed mother nature dictates there would be no possible way for salt water to intrude. Here we are over 50 years later and seeing first hand of the effect of said cause. ACOE, state of Florida failed us. Our GIANT (old growth) bald cypress trees over 500 years old dying along our riverbanks in the lower withlacoochee. A slow 20 year death. The effect took about a decade to start seeing real signs of ecosystem damage. The real damage is yet to come. Off shore oyster beds have died off due to not getting the fresh water pushed out like mother nature intended. Species of salt water dwelling fish.        FRESH WATER/NATURAL RESOURCES Water economics is very important to townships. Take our sister town Dunnellon. They have a thriving water economy. Same goes for crystal river. They both have thriving water economics. The lower withlacoochee has none. There is not a single place on the lower withlacoochee for children to swim.2 Townships completely shut off from their natural resources. Spring water is a vital natural resource and every human being has a natural right to it. The Government and state has failed  every person on the lower withlacoochee. More importantly, they have literally caused the slow death of a once singing river. The lower withlacoochee weeps for our help to restore and reconnect her mighty banks. Close to a combined 1 BILLION gallons of water daily rushed out the lower withlacoochee's mouth into the gulf of Mexico. Creating a coastal eco system that was second to none. Only to be destroyed by MAN..
The Lower Withlacoochee Keeper The lower Withlacoochee was once called the singing river by locals. The mighty Withlacoochee sings no more. This is a story worthy of a Greek tragedy.
 THE DESTRUCTION OF THE LOWER WITHLACOOCHEE  RIVER. OUR MISSION The lower withlacoochee keeper's mission is to fully restore the lower withlacoochee river to It's head springs. RAINBOW SPRINGS. A first magnitude spring. The FOURTH LARGEST IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. Not one gallon less. OUR HISTORY What follows is the REAL STORY of the ill fated Cross Florida barge canal and the total destruction of a coastal eco SYSTEM      The Northern passage  was talked about for over a hundred years..   Soley for a direct route into the Mississippi and Texas regions.. 1942. World War 11 was the lynching pin that began the construction of the Florida cross barge canal by using the DEFENSE act..Siezing entire TOWNS.Along with many other properties .Including the very beginning of our TOWNSHIP INGLIS ISLAND ( it's now called).. 1200 acres SIEZED under imminent domain by the DOD. Also added to the facts: NOTHING was SIEZED west of highway 19. A SINGLE private entity was some how able to aquire over 20,000 acres for just one dollar per acre. The very same year 1942..A SINGLE PERSON. How was this  even possible when the ENTIRE Eastern corridor had been sieized under imminent Domain?   In 1951 The Amry CORPS OF ENGINEERS surveyed the TRAVERSE route of the then (Cross Florida port authority) It was to come in from the east coast .Up the saint John's river and TRAVERSE the withlacoochee river into the gulf. See attached ORIGINAL traverse survey marker that sits in the lower withlacoochee river. 3 quarters of mile north of the entrance of the CFBC. The project started by FDR, soon ran out of money. Plus serous environmental issues was a big problem. Springs and our  Florida Aquifer was at risk.. On march 3rd  1823. CONGRESS FORMALIZED THAT IN THE NEW TERRITORY OF FLORIDA. ALL EAST AND WEST COAST RIVER'S SHALL REMAIN FOREVER NAVIGABLE HIGHWAYS Forever. Means FOREVER. The DOD was able to circumvent this by using the NATIONAL SECURITY act. This Act supercedes CONGRESS. That's how the total destruction of the Lower withlacoochee river and it's ENTIRE coastal region. Including TWO bays. The withlacoochee and waccassassa Bays had the best off shore oyster beds SECOND TO NONE. Funding had basically halted the further destruction,, (construction) of the CFBC. The ACOE'S still continued to survey the route and mark with survey markers.Attached is the only KNOWN original TRAVERSE marker. That marker is in the LWR. The absolute main reason the canal's GULF side entrance was to be Inglis and Yankeetown.The simple fact that PORT INGLIS already existed. Had in place already,,TWO deep water ports. Port INGLIS was at one time at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries the NUMBER ONE PORT in the ENTIRE WORLD for fertilizer grade phosphate in commerce. Captain John Inglis, knew about the Northern passage. A route across the state had been talked about for over a century.He was sent to this region after the civil war to inspect and explore. The withlacoochee river played a significant role in the Seminole wars. Captain John Inglis and Vought found Phosphate instead over in Dunnellon. The rest is history. PORT INGLIS BOOMED. Knowing the northern passage was to traverse the withlacoochee river .Captain Inglis Dredged  " what " he assumed would be the mouth of the NORTHERN PASSAGE. That's exactly why Our mouth of the withlacoochee river is exactly like the present day CFBC. Not much dredging and a little straighting of the withlacoochee river and TODAY both Inglis and Yankeetown would have warfs and docks. Along with dockside eateries and a flourishing water economy. In 1963 JFK  announced the continued construction of the CFBC, by using Cuba and the missile crises as of course NATIONAL SECURITY..Again escaping the 1823 act of congress. Evidently only a few knew this act of congress even existed. Just 3 month's after the assignation of JFK,we all see Lyndon B Johnson blowing up a pile of  planted PEAT MOSS announcing the beginning of the the construction of the CFBC over by Palatka Florida. People needed to work. Florida needed ROADS. It's around this time the the route of the CFBC was rerouted. Instead of traversing the original route set by the ACOES. To TRAVERSE the withlacoochee river which would have taken one quater of the FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS  and much quicker dredging than was actually spent. Around 1965 the ACOE's  literally cut the  lower withlacoochee river in half and dug a Dry ditch straight to the gulf of Mexico. They also started digging   and dredging from the west to meet the on coming Dry ditch. By doing this they cut 10 miles and the MOST IMPORTANT PART of a  2 million old river .THE  coastal region of it's "OUT" take ( the mouth of the withlacoochee river). The lower withlacoochee river's head spring just a few short miles away is a FIRST MAGNITUDE SPRING. The FOURTH largest in the state of Florida. Rainbow springs is  a famous attraction now. It also was the the lower WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER'S life source. Pushing spring water offshore far enough to create magnificent oyster beds.     Many Migratory species of salt water dwelling fish, like sturgeon and the gulf shad to just name a few; was no longer able to reach their ancestorsal spawning grounds. They need spring fed river's to procreate. Manatees was no longer able to get to the warm head spring for warmth in bitter cold fronts. Instead of thinking about the destruction of the entire lower Withlacoochee river and the TWO Townships. The CFBC was to traverse ( follow) combined with a coastal eco system disaster and it's complete demise . The lower withlacoochee was BISECTED. It was well known that the CFBC project was soon going to be halted due to strong environmental impact. That's when it was decided to cut off the entire lower withlacoochee river and head straight for the rock quarry owned by the SINGLE entity that somehow acquired 20,000 acres, while everything EAST was sieized under imminent Domain.. They dug their Dry ditch that brought saltwater intrusion into the entire lower withlacoochee river. Building a spillway to block and release water when needed located at our once Township of Inglis. A place where the Inglis HYDRODAM was built in 1909.Now called Inglis Island. Which by the way only benefits citrus county.  By putting in this spillway.The backwaters at the time was just to harness the water, yet still releasing directly into the withlacoochee, and over 400 million gallons a day of spring water. Equals LIFE..This spillway created a 25 foot lake. Which by 1965 homes were being built on the backwaters. Mainly citrus county side They finnished their DIVERTED path of the CFBC. They even built this entity their own access canal to access the rock that would build Florida roads. Enriching a already very RICH person  TO become richer. At the Townships of Inglis and yankeetown"s peril. Meanwhile destroying any chance of Inglis or yankeetown to access their pre statehood navigable river's future economic growth. Destroying our first responders. Our oysters. The gulf shad  is a species of great concern . The whole project was shut down. They got what they wanted for their 40 pieces of silver. My offspring gets a dying river with no hope of their fresh spring water resources. It's out right criminal what's been done to the lower withlacoochee river. Nobody seems to know much about the lower withlacoochee river's dying death call. If you mention the ocklawa and the Rodman DAM  everyone knows about that. I would think a gulf of Mexico coastal eco system and only one county is suffering it's effect of this cause would attract more attention. I was WRONG!!Now it's just the lower withlacoochee keeper that's making the difference. LWK sued  once. I was personally representing PRO SE. The case was filed. However. After becoming a environmental entity I could NO longer represent the LWK. The magistrate gave LWK a 21 extension .After MANY phone calls and emails to these SO CALLED PRO BONO environmental LAWYER'S  I failed to meet the court's  order. The magistrate did DIMISS WITHOUT PREJUDICE. I will refile ASAP.    In 1991 the federal government >>[ DEFEDERALIZED  and handed the CFBC over to the state of Florida..Just LOOK AT your politicians at that time. .Just  " WHO " was where..This was the second time the river should have been reconnected. Do your own research (I DID).,and it almost got me in trouble ��( because I have a big mouth)  Back in 1971 is when ACOE should have reconnected the LWR.. The FIX was  easy and still is TODAY!... By simply putting the VERY same DOUBLE gate bypass spillway that's placed @ the HYDRODAM on lake Rousseau directly in the barge canal WEST. Simply reconnect river. The barge canal is built to take over 5 billion gallons a day Of flood water bypassing the lower withlacoochee entirely!!  The REASON this didn't happen was POLITICAL BS!! and by now ( 1971) Lake Rousseau was KNOWN for the WORLDS largest bass!!  The rest is HISTORY!! . The LOCKS was one of the main reasons that this didn't happen. The POWERS THAT BE had other plans!! People still WANTED shipping and those LOCKS was their salvation!  Do your OWN research and I'd suggest that you do a simple GOOGLE earth search on that whole area.  You will see a canal that was DREDGED . So I followed the money and OPENED pandora's box for real!!  So I shut up and created  THE LOWER WITHLACOOCHEE KEEPER.. Before LWK is done it will all be brought forth.. When one looks at this whole picture, only 2 Townships have suffered a GREAT loss.. That's the sad part.. Nobody really cares..The  LWK is a environmental group dedicated to the Restoration of the lower withlacoochee. With the construction of the failed Florida cross barge canal Aprox 10 miles of the lower withlacoochee was completely shut off from its vital head waters and life giving spring water. 400 - 600 million gallons a day of the freshest spring water Florida has to offer. Rainbow springs is first magnitude spring and is Florida's 4th largest spring. Spring water is a NATURAL RESOURCE and every human being should have access to it. Salt water dwelling fish can no longer reach their ancestral spawning grounds for over 50 years. The gulf shad (Alabama shad) once flourished in the salt water flats. These important bait fish Need fresh spring water and quik flowing rivers to procreate. They are slated to be soon EXTINCT. The LWK is dedicated to bringing this important bait fish back. Two TOWNSHIPS have been restricted from it's natural resources for over 50 years. These towns have had untold amounts of other people's sewage pushed out their dying river through a spillway bypass. The spring water perculates for about a week before it actually goes out this bypass and into the lower withlacoochee. Every year the state (FWC) spray these Backwaters with a chemical to kill aquatic plants. This chemical, is NOT safe for our environment (no matter what they say).. This also gets pushed into the lower withlacoochee.. To add to the TOTAL destruction and death of a once beautiful river, by not being able to dictate mother nature and keep a steady flow to keep salt water from intruding and killing every cypress tree along her banks. It's happening now. There is only one REASON this has all happened.. 1942 was the year the CFBC was instituted for construction under the defense act.By 1971 the cross Florida barge canal was halted due to environmental reasons.. At this time the lower withlacoochee should have been reconnected.. BIG money had other plans for the CFBC by this time and it got swept under the rug.. 1991 the CFBC was defederalized and turned over to the state of Florida..Again, our river should have been restored at this time. BIG money was even deeper and political people were in the right places. The LWK is the voice of this magnificent river and its crying for our help. Please help us RESTORE OUR RIVER.. Thank you.. The LOWER withlacoochee Keeper.                          Seminole wars   The withlacoochee river played a significant role in the last Seminole war. The river was fully navigable from Dade city to the gulf of Mexico. A major battle was fought between Florida militia and Chief Oceaola and  1200 warriors on her banks. The story is called "The battle of the block house ".This is the only major engagement on the lower withlacoochee.                                    PHOSPHATE Dunnellon discovers PHOSPHATE.  Just before the turn of the 1900s PORT INGLIS was the number one shipping port in the WORLD for PHOSPHATE. This was accomplished by a fully navigable waterway to the lower withlacoochee and on to port Inglis. A economic  boom in sued, and commerce was shipped daily down the quick flowing currents.                           HYDRODAM  Shortly into the 1900s,a HYDRODAM was built to harness the mighty withlacoochee's current at the perfect location in elevation change.  This created a backup in a huge cypress swamp that was the lower withlacoochee's main source of flow to the gulf of Mexico. This huge swamp had MANY streams, smaller rivers that all ran toward the northwest into withlacoochee and waccassassa bays. These important streams, sloughs and creeks was this huge cypress swamps relief valves during peak flooding. They flowed quite fast and swiftly...By creating the HYDRODAM this water backed up even more...                        NORTHERN PASSAGE  There had been talk of  a Northern passage across Florida for well over a century . There was many people that was for this passage. Monies was never appropriated and the majority of people were against it. The big dream was put on hold..             1942 DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ACT   With Germany attacking 2 tankers just off the Atlantic coast and 1 right in the gulf of Mexico was all that was needed. The cross Florida barge canal was put into high gear in its construction. The lands and rivers were appropriated under imminent domain of the defense act..(vital springs) This canals western port was supposed to DRAWF  both the Panama and suez canals. During The cross Florida barge canals construction, 10 miles of the lower withlacoochee river was completely shut off from its upper river and its headwaters. Locks and spillways were constructed by the ARMY Corps of engineers and all the cypress trees were cut in the Backwaters. A lock was completed to take 100 plus foot vessels on the west side of the Backwaters. The construction of the barge canal was met with strong resistance. The possible damage to the vital springs and the environment was heard by the courts..                1971 BARGE CANAL HALTED   The courts finally listened to the environmentalist and halted all construction of the Florida cross barge canal. However, the Lower Withlacoochee river was NEVER reconnected or RESTORED to its once navigable waterway. This waterway was a navigable waterway pre 1845 statehood. By failing to reconnect/restore the lower withlacoochee back to it's natural flow its completely shut off salt water dwelling fish that can no longer reach their ancestral spawning grounds.                  RAINBOW RIVER HEAD SPRING   The rainbow river head spring is a 1st magnitude spring. Infact it's the 4th largest spring in the state of Florida. This spring produces 400 - 600 million gallons a day of spring water!..This spring water mixes with the darker water of the upper withlacoochee where it then goes into the Backwaters. This water meanders around the back waters for about 5 days before it eventually goes into the lower withlacoochee through a SINGLE spillway. This spillway is designed to control flow of the river. There is no possible way 500 million gallons a day can pass though this gate. There is also several 100 million more gallons mixed from the upper withlacoochee. Aprox 900 million gallons a day in ALL.. 900 million gallons of  FRESH water a day is significant to a COASTAL ECO SYSTEM..                  1991 CFBC DEFEDERALIZED In 1991 the cross Florida barge canal was defederalized and turned over to the state of Florida. This gave local political powers to have a better control. (This was to still use the barge canal in building a  major PORT and still have major shipping VIA Florida cross barge canal).. At the time the  CFBC was handed over to the state of Florida the lower withlacoochee river should have been reconnected to her mother spring. Twice, both the government and the state failed to do what's right by reconnecting a navigable waterway, and   vital ancestral spawning grounds for salt water dwelling fish.                       CAUSE AND EFFECT   By cutting the lower withlacoochee off from its mother source. These important fish can not make it up river due to the spillways totally blocking their paths up river .Sturgeon once made their way up river as well. The spillway bypass is set at minimal flow to keep a healthy lake level for boating and recreational activities. SALT WATER INTRUSION: By not being able to dictate mother nature( controlling riverflow), and a single bypass spillway allows salt water to intrude.. If 900 million gallons of water is flowing daily at the rate of speed mother nature dictates there would be no possible way for salt water to intrude. Here we are over 50 years later and seeing first hand of the effect of said cause. ACOE, state of Florida failed us. Our GIANT (old growth) bald cypress trees over 500 years old dying along our riverbanks in the lower withlacoochee. A slow 20 year death. The effect took about a decade to start seeing real signs of ecosystem damage. The real damage is yet to come. Off shore oyster beds have died off due to not getting the fresh water pushed out like mother nature intended. Species of salt water dwelling fish.        FRESH WATER/NATURAL RESOURCES Water economics is very important to townships. Take our sister town Dunnellon. They have a thriving water economy. Same goes for crystal river. They both have thriving water economics. The lower withlacoochee has none. There is not a single place on the lower withlacoochee for children to swim.2 Townships completely shut off from their natural resources. Spring water is a vital natural resource and every human being has a natural right to it. The Government and state has failed  every person on the lower withlacoochee. More importantly, they have literally caused the slow death of a once singing river. The lower withlacoochee weeps for our help to restore and reconnect her mighty banks. Close to a combined 1 BILLION gallons of water daily rushed out the lower withlacoochee's mouth into the gulf of Mexico. Creating a coastal eco system that was second to none. Only to be destroyed by MAN..
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