Every few years, the water level of Rodman Reservoir is lowered by about 6 - 7 feet to expose and kill exotic hydrilla plants which impede navigation and choke out wildlife. Also exposed, is the old river channel, giving a rare opportunity to see (and paddle!) the lost segment of the river. It is only during these draw-downs that we offer this tour.
Our meeting (launch) site at the reservoir is about 1 hour east of Gainesville.
Time on the water (including lunch stop) is usually about 4 - 4.5 hours.
The cost is $50 per person. ($39 for "wanna go" members). With your own boat it's $40 per person. ($29 for members).
Calendar of Tour dates: www.adventureoutpost.net
Description
When the reservoir was built in the 1960's, as part of the ill-conceived Cross-Florida Barge Canal, a straight channel was dug through the center to accommodate heavy barges. In areas of the reservoir outside the canal channel, the forest trees were left standing in the water to die and decay on their own. As the trees decayed, the above-water parts of their trunks toppled into the water. The submerged bases were preserved by the acidic, tannic water. All that remains of a once beautiful swamp forest is a submerged topped-off forest of seven-foot stumps. When the water is drawn down, this eerie stump forest is revealed.
Paddling the old channel, one has the sense of being in a forest version of Pompeii--a once-thriving forest, frozen in time. One obvious difference (other than the fact that these were trees and not people) is that these "still-life's" are all decapitated at the seven foot mark. But, as in Pompeii, this petrified, seven-foot forest, shows all the signs of a once thriving community frozen in time; the buttressed trunk of a cypress stands with all the grace of the giant it would have become; a small holly trunk angles out over the river, reaching up toward the sunlight provided by the channel's open canopy; dogwoods; ash; gum; hickory; all standing ready for a season which never arrived.
Even in death, this silent forest attracts a rich variety of animal life. Alligators rest on the newly exposed river bank, enjoying the sunshine provided by a topless forest. Egrets and herons feed in the shallows while ibis tiptoe through the thick, new growth of pennywort, smartweed (Polygonum) and beautiful parrot feather plants (Myriophyllum aquaticum) that, even though they're exotic species, add a welcome element of green.
Redwing-blackbirds and grackles seem to have too many choices - perform courtship rituals, feed among the trunks, or chatter at passing boaters. On a recent visit to the dried reservoir, I saw a couple of yellow-crowned night herons and an American bittern. But, most notable are the ospreys. The concentration of them on this reservoir is impressive - probably at least a dozen nesting pairs (and I'm guessing conservatively). Bald eagles are also around too, so keep a sharp eye to the sky.
We'll also get a bit of history on this trip, starting with our launch from the site of the old Orange Creek ferry. A short way downstream, we'll pass the site of Ft. Brook, a Seminole War fort that, later, played a key role in the Civil War. During the later years of the war, contraband, including guns, ammunition and other supplies were shipped by a chain of blockade runners and steamboats to Ft. Brook. From here, they were taken by wagon to the rail line at Waldo where they were then shipped north to the troops. Hubbard Hart, whose steamboats were used for this intrigue, made this his base of operations and moved his family here.
Continuing downstream, occasional high banks mark the sites of other steamboat landings, including Cedar Landing. A community of the same name still lies nestled in the nearby forest.
Our lunch stop is at another landing, alternately known as Blue Spring or Salt Spring. Here, we can see the basin of the largest of a half dozen springs that are covered when the reservoir is full of water. The dark sediment on the bottom and the mix of tannic water flowing over it, gives the spring a dark color, but the flow is still noticeable. Old timers tell us this was a favorite swimming hole for the locals and had a bath house at the time of inundation.
From here, we'll follow the old spring run, known as Indian Creek, back out to the main channel and around to our takeout.
(Notes from one of our trips during the last drawdown - Feb 20, 2005 - Today we were treated to the company of many birds, including one bald eagle and several ospreys. Grackles heckled us and a few red-winged blackbirds worked the stumps. As always, the gnarled forms of mummified trunks - looking like huge pieces of standing driftwood, kept the camera's clicking. The marsh vegetation has already coated much of the wet, exposed muck. Hydocotyle, smartweed and parrot feather dominate. Soon the waters will be allowed to rise again and stifle the forest that so desperately wants to grow here.)
Difficulty
This is a very open area, so winds can be a nuisance (if it's a windy day). Be sure to wear sun protection. The slow, tannic flow is plenty deep for boats, so no pullovers or other such hassles.
Questions or reservations: e-mail - riverguide2000@yahoo.com , or call (386) 454-0611
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