Ocklawaha River Update

R

Roy & Dixie

New member
Recently I answered a question of Will-C concerning a run up the Ocklawaha River from the St Johns river to the dam. I had never actually noted the distance, so I made a guess. (bad guess) Yesterday I wanted to test a couple of updates I had made to the C-Dory and practice launching/retrieving the boat with guides I just added to the trailer, so wife and I launched at Astor and decided to make the dam on the Ocklawaha our destination. Here are the actual facts:

Distance Astor to mouth of Ocklawaha: 28mi
N 29 28.125
W 081 41.325 (Lat/Lon at mouth)

Distance from St. Johns to Dam: 11mi.

Two branches of Ocklawaha are at mouth, take right, larger branch. Good water depth at mouth and all the way to the dam. Numerous snags, tight turns and narrow passage around snags but no trees or limbs blocking the way. We had about a 1 mph current due to recent rains. 1.8 mi from the mouth is a major fork in the river, take the right fork. Other forks are somewhat obvious because of the current in the main channel.

Hwy 19 hi-level bridge at 4.9 mi from mouth.
Archaeological sight on left bank at 8.3 mi from mouth.
Dam at 11mi from mouth.
Expect travel time of 2 hr against current at about 5-6 mph max. Snags and turns would be a risk at any higher speed. We anchored in deep, wide channel leading about 1/2 mi from base of dam to main river channel; very little current due to depth/width. Travel time back down is about 15 min less due to current. Keeping a log on your GPS helps a lot by following it on return.

This a very scenic trip. We saw gators and an eagle that flew ahead to several trees and seemed to accept our passage with no fear.
 
Here's some more Ocklawaha details, the name as you may have guessed is Indian and it means "Crooked Water". The sourse is the Harris chain of lakes and the Silver River better known as "Silver Springs". In the 30's a work reclamation program was started for a Cross Fl barge canal. Since the Ocklawaha is so crooked it was going to be cut up with a series of locks to connect it with the Withlacoochee river which would get it to the Gulf. The project was shut down in the late 60's do to the scare that as the Ocklawaha as it was straghtend out would risk cutting into the lime stone bed which is the entire state of Fl which contains all of our fresh water. Since Ocklawaha is the largest tributary of the St Johns R. the concern was the risk of salt water getting into Fl water supply. Here's the mess, Ocklawaha was dammed and this created a reservoir and it was shallow more swamp like and a lock was created as well and it is on the other side of this reservoir. This is the only way to get up stream from the St Johns R. You really need a map to study this mess. Our shallow draft boats make all of this accessable, it is I beleive the most under used water way in Fl.
I named my boat after the river so you can tell it is a passion of mine.
 
Here's the mess, Ocklawaha was dammed and this created a reservoir and it was shallow more swamp like and a lock was created as well and it is on the other side of this reservoir. This is the only way to get up stream from the St Johns R.

Thanks for adding this Ocklawaha information and history. The dam I mention being 11 mi up the Ocklawaha from the St Johns is as far as you can go by boat up the river; the lock to get beyond the dam and into the shallow lake is located several miles further down the St Johns River (north of the Ocklawaha River mouth) on a long, man-made canal. This lock only operates at certain times of the day, if it is even still in operation, I have never used it. I have launched off hwy 40 at the ramp on the Silver River, which runs from the springs into the Ocklawaha near the ramp. I have taken my, now sold pontoon boat from this site both south into and through the chain of lakes, which is a great trip of many miles, and also north into Lake Rodman, the shallow lake formed by the above mentioned dam. I would question a CD being able to make the run between the dam and the Hwy 40 ramp due to trees which frequently fall across this narrow, winding stretch of the river. Also the lake is very shallow and full of growth much of the time which will continually fowl the prop. There seems to be a long running effort to remove the dam and open the river to it's natural course, but this has not yet happened.
 
I have run it completely twice in a 13ft Whaler from Mt Dora to Jax. I carry a chain saw I bought at a pawn shop so I can destroy it with no guilt. The trick is you have to have a spotter on the bow. You have to run at idle. Some of the trees are just below the surface thats why you need the spotter, there is a ballet I have worked out, it's how much speed you need on the approach and then the time to shut off engine and raise the engine slide over then drop engine and restart. You have to have very good communication with your spotter and it sure as hell takes practice. I've not done it in the Dory yet but its just a matter of time. The lock opens at 8am and closes at 1pm so its a weird window of time. Last time I went down stream from Mt Dora I got blocked by a tree that needed more than my saw but it's just that way sometime. I'm going to enter from St Johns at the lock soon and go up stream, on my previous runs this has been more clear. I run the reservoir at idle, it's just too shallow and to much wood for the risk unless its your return trip and thats when I cut loose I love the way the 16 handels. I remind you and any one who would like to do this, this sure as HELL the time you leave a float plan with someone. I bet my Sea Tow guys will love getting this call that is if my phone will get out.
 
Time is everything here because the river is in constant Flux. THe Ocklawaha river boats were made in Palatka just 5/6 miles from the mouth. They ran to Silver Springs, It was a very popular for a europeans to take a cruise threw the jungle over night, how cool was that. 1859 the "General" was the first Ocklawaha steamer: the lenght was + or - 60ft. It was the only place in the US that had Black Pilots. I think because the work of keeping the river clear as well as piloting was more work than some people wanted. It's a bitch but a cool bitch. Sleeping in the forest with a tight floral canopy is just my idea of heaven or what ever you perceive that to be. You can tell that river is in my blood, listen to Debussys "Clair Delune" and you'll almost be with me.
 
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