Rodman Reservoir, an iconic local fishing spot, has recently been at the heart of a passionate environmental debate.
Now nearly 60 years old, there is discussion of removing the reservoir's dam, returning the Ocklawaha River to its natural flow. This means the well-loved spot will stand as a loss for the Putnam fishing community.
"It's three spots that we go to and we catch mullet," said James Hamilton, a hobbyist Fisherman. "I just like Rodman."
Hamilton drives nearly three hours just to fish at the beloved spot. With the fishing hole at risk, he said "leave this place alone." Still, Florida lawmakers are making the case to drain it, leaving the location in the legal spotlight.
Mickey Thomason, a retired manager of Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, suggests the situation runs deeper than what is apparent at the surface.
"It gets very polarizing within the two viewpoints," he said, noting the complexity of the debate.
Rodman is part of a long abandoned project that once aimed to connect the Gulf to the Atlantic. Last year, the Florida legislature voted to put more than $6 million dollars into restoring the Ocklawaha River. This required draining Rodman. However, Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed the bill.
Last year, St. John's Riverkeeper, Lisa Rinaman spoke with WUFT, arguing that returning the waterways to their natural state would solve many environmental issues. Yet, University of Florida professor of Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Emeritus William Haller said the process is not as simple as it seems.
"It just sounds like, 'Well all you've got to do is destroy the dam, and the river will heal itself,'" said Haller. "Not true at all."
Regardless, advocates for preserving the location as-is argue there is too much damage beneath the waves for a proper drainage project.
"It's going to be a nightmare," Haller said.
Meanwhile, others stay concerned about the future of one of North Central Florida's favorite fishing spots.
"You got more room to fish at," said Hamilton. "You know, the other places [there is] not really that much room."
There, the fish are bigger, he said. Two years ago, Hamilton caught the largest Nile Tilapia in Florida, right at Rodman.