Florida removed a 60-year-old dam—then two dozen freshwater springs suddenly bubbled back to life. For decades, the concrete barrier had choked the river, silently burying natural springs beneath heavy sediment.
The Florida House of Representatives voted to approve the removal of the Rodman Dam, a structure that has separated two local waterways for decades. Conservation groups argue that the environmental benefits of removing the dam for the historic communities along the St. Johns River outweigh local concerns.The dam, also known as the Kirkpatrick Dam, was built in 1968 as part of the Cross Florida Bar…