River gets million dollar makeover

OCALA - The Ocklawaha River will soon look like a million bucks, thanks to a federal, state and local partnership to clear major navigation hazards.

The partnership has secured $750,000 in federal funding, with another $250,000 to come from state and local sources to clear the river of hazards, such as tree limbs and stumps.

The river now is loaded with such hazards, said Marion County community resources bureau chief Lee Niblock. Boaters have reported having the bottoms ripped out of boats, engines torn off and having to swim to shore, he said. With alligators in the water, such incidents potentially put hapless boaters into the food chain, he noted.

"These are bad incidents that we don't want to turn into tragic incidents," Niblock said.

Much of the debris is the result of the tropical storm-force winds that blew through Marion County when hurricanes Frances and Jeanne tore through Florida in 2004. When boaters cut back limbs to reopen river passages, the resulting stumps often remained at or near the waterline.

Congress set aside the federal funding for hurricane cleanup efforts in 2004, said U.S. Rep. Ric Keller, R-Orlando. The money will come from the Natural Resource Conservation Service division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Once the remaining funding is secured, the project must go out on bid through the Board of County Commissioners. Niblock estimated that process will take at least six to eight weeks, but still expects the cleanup work to be done by next April.

Once the cleanup of more than 25 miles of river is complete, the Army Corps of Engineers will be responsible for maintaining the waterway.

Local politicians, including Keller, U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala, and County Commissioners Jim Payton and Randy Harris toured the river Monday before announcing the funding agreement.

"The snags and debris make it difficult for for fishermen and outdoorsmen to use this resource," Harris said in a press release announcing the cleanup funding. "More seriously, law enforcement and search and rescue personnel have a hard time reaching lost and endangered individuals."

The federal funds had a deadline of Sept. 30, the end of the previous fiscal year. But NRCS conservation engineer Jesse T. Wilson encouraged federal officials to grant a waiver for Marion County, Keller said.

The parties that worked together to obtain the funding for the project included the St. Johns River Water Management District, the Florida Department of Environmental protection and representatives of both Keller's and Stearns' offices, as well as the county government, Niblock said.

"We came together to solve this problem," he said.

Rick Cundiff may be reached at rick.cundiff@starbanner.com or at (352) 867-4130.