Locals divided on dam’s future decades after Florida canal project abandoned

Fisherman throw their lines into the Kirkpatrick Dam spillway - (AP)

Florida's ambitious version of the Panama Canal — a proposed shortcut for boats to pass from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf — was abandoned in 1971 due to environmental concerns, yet the aborted Cross Florida Barge Canal left a lasting impact.

Since then, a dam and reservoir built for the aborted canal in northeast Florida have drowned a chunk of the Ocala National Forest, put 20 springs underwater and disrupted wildlife crossings, including some used by migrating manatees.