Florida's Failed Cross-Florida Barge Canal

By Joe Marzo

Florida’s lush interior and meandering rivers once tempted engineers with a vision of transformation—a vision that nearly sliced the state in two. The Cross Florida Barge Canal, a massive mid-20th-century federal infrastructure project, was intended to connect the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. Its goal was to save time, reduce shipping costs, and support national defense. But what began as a promise of economic opportunity ended in environmental reckoning. Today, the remains of the canal are not just relics of a failed endeavor, but symbols of the environmental movement that rose to stop it.

A Dream Revisited: The Canal's Origins

The idea of cutting across Florida wasn’t new when Congress authorized the canal in 1942. The earliest proposals date back to the 16th century, when Spanish explorers envisioned a navigable water route through Florida. In the 1800s, U.S. leaders recognized the commercial benefits of bypassing the treacherous maritime route around the Florida Keys. But engineering and financial limitations kept the idea on the shelf—until the 20th century.

The federal government gave serious attention to the plan during the Great Depression. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched construction under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) as a means of creating jobs. But within a year, the project was halted amid budget concerns and questions about its feasibility. It wasn't until the Cold War era—when strategic considerations revived old infrastructure plans—that the idea got a second wind.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the authorization for a barge canal across the Florida peninsula. A year later, President Lyndon B. Johnson ceremonially kicked off construction. The project was estimated to cost around $180 million and span 184 miles, connecting the Gulf near Yankeetown to the St. Johns River near Palatka. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was tasked with overseeing construction.

Breaking Ground and Breaking Ecosystems

Construction began in earnest with plans for five locks, massive dredging operations, and miles of levees. The first major section cut through the Withlacoochee River, while others targeted the Ocklawaha River—a tributary of the St. Johns and a uniquely beautiful blackwater stream running through old-growth cypress forests and spring-fed wetlands.

The Rodman Dam (later renamed the George Kirkpatrick Dam) was completed early in the process, impounding a vast reservoir that flooded forests and displaced wildlife. Bulldozers razed habitats, and entire segments of the river were straightened and dredged. By 1971, nearly 28% of the canal had been completed, and over $70 million had been spent.

Yet beneath the surface of this federally-funded push, a resistance was growing—one that would change the trajectory of environmental policy in the United States.

The Environmental Rebellion

During the 1960s, the American environmental movement was taking shape. Activists, scientists, and ordinary citizens began to recognize the ecological consequences of unchecked development. In Florida, the Cross Florida Barge Canal became a rallying point. Environmentalists, led by figures like Marjorie Harris Carr, co-founded Florida Defenders of the Environment and challenged the project on scientific, legal, and moral grounds.

The environmental case against the canal was compelling. Critics argued that the project would permanently destroy the Ocklawaha River's unique ecosystem, allow saltwater intrusion into Florida’s freshwater aquifer, fragment wildlife corridors, and irreversibly alter hydrological patterns.

Carr and others meticulously documented the damage already inflicted and warned of far worse to come. In 1969, legal action was filed by the Environmental Defense Fund to halt construction, claiming the project violated emerging federal environmental laws. In January 1971, President Richard Nixon—under increasing pressure to appear environmentally conscious—signed an executive order halting construction.

A Project Officially Abandoned

Though work stopped in 1971, it would take nearly two decades for the canal to be officially declared dead. The federal government faced pressure from local business interests and the maritime industry, who argued that canceling the canal wasted millions of taxpayer dollars. Still, environmentalists held firm.

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed legislation formally deauthorizing the Cross Florida Barge Canal. The unfinished canal was transferred to the State of Florida, and in a remarkable act of reclamation, its remnants were transformed into a conservation corridor.

From Boondoggle to Greenway

Today, the dream of a cross-state waterway lies buried beneath forests and fields. In its place stands the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, a 110-mile stretch of protected land offering hiking trails, bike paths, and wildlife corridors. The greenway runs roughly along the route of the canceled canal and serves as a powerful reminder of what can happen when citizens organize and speak out.

The Rodman Reservoir still remains, however, and continues to generate controversy. Advocates for removing the dam argue that restoring the Ocklawaha River would reestablish its natural flow, revive springs, and support biodiversity. Others insist the reservoir has become a beloved recreational resource and should be left alone.

The story of the Cross Florida Barge Canal is one of ambition and caution, of national aspirations and local resistance. It represents a rare moment when ecological values triumphed over industrial might—and left behind a legacy of green.

Sources

Environmental Protection Agency archives
“The Greening of the Ocklawaha” – The New York Times, March 1971
Florida Defenders of the Environment (fledf.org)
“The Canal That Nearly Cut Florida in Half” – Florida Trend Magazine, April 2009
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Historical Records
“Rodman Dam: Controversy and Consequences” – Gainesville Sun archives
Marjorie Harris Carr: Defender of Florida's Environment, Peggy Macdonald (University Press of Florida, 2014)
Cross Florida Barge Canal Project Files, Florida State Archives