04/22/2026
Imagine this, an elected official who actually listens to his constituents and works to thwart the efforts of those who overstep their boundaries. We should all send him a thank you email.
https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/S7
From the Florida Times Union (Jacksonville newspaper)
Sen. Leek: Why I fought to save Rodman Reservoir for Putnam County
Tom Leek
Guest columnist
April 22, 2026, 5:03 a.m. ET
T/U Disclaimer and preface to Senator Leeks piece: "A Florida bill to restore part of the Ocklawaha River by removing a dam failed to pass in the legislature.
The author, Sen. Tom Leek, argues the bill was pushed by urban legislators against the interests of rural Putnam and Marion counties.
The Rodman Reservoir, created by the dam nearly 60 years ago, has become an economic engine and unique ecosystem for the area.
Leek states his opposition to the bill was in defense of the voices and economies of Florida's rural communities."
Regarding David Bauerlein's March 18 article, “How Ocklawaha River bill went from verge of passing to defeat,” this bill — SB 1066: Tributaries of the St. Johns River — could have had many names, like “Act to decimate a 60-year-old ecosystem” or “Act to destroy a rural county's economy.”
Even better, how about “Act for big urban areas trying to tell small, rural areas what’s good for them?” This legislation, by any name, was indisputably sponsored by two legislators from big cities who had no natural connection to the affected areas.
Imagine you lived in a neighborhood surrounded by communities with shinier, more expensive homes and big, beautiful clubhouses. Now imagine the people in the shinier, more expensive homes wanted to tear down your neighborhood's clubhouse to beautify the area.
So, they shopped a petition around to all the other people who didn't live in your neighborhood asking if they were in favor of beautifying the area.
The people outside of your neighborhood don't care if your clubhouse gets torn down, and everyone likes pretty things, so petition signatures were easy to get. Of course, more people live outside of your neighborhood than in it, so you're never going to win that vote, but why would they care? They don't use your clubhouse anyway.
A ghostly forest of dead trees is seen along the Ocklawaha River. The tree stumps date to the time the river was dammed for the abandoned Cross Florida Barge Canal and are visible about every five years when the Rodman Reservoir is in drawdown. That is exactly what happened here.
Legislators from Duval and Orange counties were pushing the destruction of a reservoir located in Putnam and Marion counties to restore part of a river that hasn't existed for nearly 60 years. At the same time, it would decimate an existing ecosystem and the economy of Putnam County.
To do so, they got the support of lots of people who also don't live in Putnam or Marion counties by promising them something prettier. It wasn't right.
In far greater numbers than there are major metropolitan areas, Florida enjoys many unique and rural communities that are deeply rooted in recreational activity. The Rodman Reservoir is one such extraordinary example.
Over almost six decades since the Ocklawaha River was dammed, the Rodman Reservoir became the economic engine of rural Putnam County. It developed an ecology all its own and is today the home of various endangered wildlife and plant species.
So, who's behind this effort to "partially restore" a river that hasn't existed for 60 years? Who has targeted for destruction only one of the 13 water control structures that make up the Ocklawaha river system? Who is behind destroying the existing ecosystem in favor of another one that has long since been gone?
The truth is quite murky. The effort was initially pushed by an environmental group — the Great Florida Riverway Trust — advocating for the destruction of the Rodman Dam. Their most recent IRS Form 990 filing, however, shows they had only one contributor, whose name and amount of the contribution is redacted.
There were six high-dollar lobbying firms hired to push the issue. Who paid them? Maybe we should look upstream and see who benefits when we drain the Rodman Reservoir.
Fast forward to 2026. Whomever is behind this trotted out a bunch of environmental groups to support SB 1066, but we may never know who was truly behind it.
However, I was the one proudly standing with the people of Putnam County to put a stop to it. Our rural counties, and the people who live in them, cannot and will not be dismissed. While some may fly over these areas as they hop from one major metropolitan area to another, never giving a thought to what's important down there, I will not.
The voices of the people in rural communities across Florida deserve to be heard. I proudly represent Putnam County, and you may not appreciate my efforts to kill SB1066, but if I won't fight for them — who will?
Senator Tom Leek
Sen. Tom Leek (R-Ormond Beach) was elected to the Florida Senate in 2024 after serving in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016-2022. He currently serves as chairman of the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee and is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.
Flsenate.gov was designed with the user in mind. We welcome your input and ask that you email us with suggestions for future enhancements.
