Stewards of the White Oak River Basin

Here is another. All of them were cleared on the west side only. We took before
and after pictures. Unfortunately, the "before" pictures were blurred and
Ed Gruca would not publish them. I have saved them if anyone wants to see them.

Unfortunately again, Brian did not spray what is growing on land on the east end of the
bridge or anywhere else. Instead, his group sprayed what was floating and hung up in
the kill zone all the way down below the bridge.

Why, Brian? It would have died down there anyway! We need to work together, Brian!
What you wasted down there could have killed all alligatorweed growing on land in the
entire creek!

Let's get together Brian and work together like we used to do and get this job done! Elmer

While we are here this is as good a time as any to get this controversial issue settled.

This is the second time we have cleared all alligatorweed hung up on these old pilings.
If they are left there again on the next bridge replacement it will create a virtual dam!
So why wait until then to replace them? They never should have been left there in the
first place!

They violate every State and Federal law on the books for navigable waters. And, by
definition Southwest Creek is a navigable body of water.

We had been working with Mr. William Rogers, Head Environmentalist for Camp Lejeune,
and had obtained a reasonable quote from a licensed approved contractor to do the job.

When this controversy arose Mr. Rogers felt he needed the approval of the "experts" before
spending government money. As Brian Wheat was the apparent leader of the "experts" I
phoned Brian and he agreed with me on the removal and said he would call Mr. Rogers
Monday and tell him so.

Brian became miffed at me because of an e-mail I had written over the weekend and
never called and continues to refuse to do so even though he knows these pilings should
be removed if we are ever going to control the rapid growth of alligatorweed in this creek.

I then went directly to the Coast Guard. They agreed they never should have been left there.
But, as there is no commercial navigation on Southwest Creek and no one has complained
about their presence they don't feel there is sufficient cause to remove them now.

We also think a strict and proper interpretation of the federal and state laws applying to
noxious, invasive, imported foreign, aquatic weeds requires their removal.

We think Wildlife will agree with this and am asking Gordon Myers by copy of this e-mail to
come forth and express their concern about their presence here which has allowed alligatorweed
to flourish here and double in volume every two to three weeks. They thus create a perfect nursery
for alligatorweed to do just this.

This has grown to the point of a solid blanket not only here at the bridge but up and down the
entire creek again and again. This has cut off the sunlight necessary for bream to propagate and
destroyed the opportunity to fly fish and fish any way in these places.

There are always some Marines fishing here at the bridge. They can fish on the down-water side of the bridge
only as they cannot get their lines in the water on the upstream side. (Until now, that is.)

Hopefully, all concerned will come forth and ask the Coast Guard to remove these pilings. Elmer

Elmer Eddy