2007-09-27

 

2007-09-26 Scales Creek Camp Lejeune, NC


And an "unnamed creek" in Tarawa Terrace 11

The first pictures are beginning at Guam Drive on the "unnamed to us"
creek and moving to Tarawa Blvd. and then culverts only on Bougainville
Dr. Then to Boy Scout Camp Road and the huge settlement pond where the
silt fences are damaged in places allowing soil to escape into the creek..
All the new construction here in this water shed will turn this area
into it into a disaster area with a 10 inch rain fall like we had twice
earlier this year. Tons of sediment will escape into this creek.

On Scales Creek the new sandy beaches in the forested swamp just below Route 24 will get
bigger.

Summary:

"Unnamed Creek". The very large volume of trash is coming from the
residents who live in the watershed in Tarawa Terrace 11. We hope Camp Lejeune
authorities will get this stopped at the source. Some it is probably deliberately thrown into
the creek but we suspect most of it is litter discarded intentionally and accidentally into the
streets and then heavy rains wash it into the creek.

The Sediment is coming from the new enormous area of new housing being constructed in the
watershed. Silt fences attached to the portable cyclone fences would help to keep the soil where
it is instead of being washed into the creek.

Scales Creek: The tremendous volume of trash is coming from the
residents of Jacksonville who live in the watershed upstream of Rte 24.

All the sediment is coming from upstream of 24 and we suspect the construction of the bypass is chiefly
the source of these beaches in the woods.

"Unnamed" Creek down stream side on Guam Road.

Upstream side

On Tarawa Terrace Blvd.
Looking down stream from Tarawa Terrace Blvd.
Trash deposited here by high water.
On Tarawa Terrace Blvd.
Downstream from Tarawa Terrace Blvd.
This blown down tree blocked further upstream progress by canoes on Scales Creek.
Many ugly gatherings of trash in the woods left here by high water.
Fine white sand making new beaches in the woods.


This is blown down tree causing a strainer trapping trash across the entire stream.
Sandy beaches of sediment in the woods.
One of the CEI employees taking break at our take- out of Scales Creek.
He wanted to paddle a canoe.
These two won out.
Safely back off the water.
The entire group with our day's haul of trash. What we got was in the water up to that fist big log.
The rest is still up there. Lots of it. One large item is trash container, City of Jacksonville, #B0020043.

Notice the American flag Dale Weston is holding. This is the very first time we ever found an American
flag in the trash. Jim Neidermeyer, on the left, took it home to burn it.
...

A pretty view of Scales Creek cleared of all trash here anyway. It is a very beautiful river. This is
near the mouth where it enters Northeast Creek.
All the trash and sediment in and along Scales Creek comes from the City of Jacksonville. We,
Stewards of the White Oak River Basin, have notified the city manager that we will no longer
pick up trash in Scales Creek, Chaney Creek and Mill Creek unless and until the city institutes firm
measures to enforce our litter laws.

We took a total of 43 pictures today. If any one wants to see the rest of them we will be glad to
send them.

Next week on a good weather day we will probably take up where we left off today and continue on
down Northeast Creek to the New River and up the new River to the Camp Johnson Boat Ramp.

Elmer Eddy
Elmer, The White Oak River Trashman
Stewards of The White Oak River Basin
101 River Reach Drive West,
Swansboro, NC. 28584
910-389-4588 e-mail: elmer@whiteoakstewards.org
Please visit our website: http://www.whiteoakstewards.org/
"If no one litters, there will be no litter!”


# posted by Elmer @ 15:57 0 Comments Links to this post

2007-09-22

 

2009-09-26 this Wednesday, Scales Creek Camp Lejeune NC

We will meet again at the main gate on Rte 24 at 9:00 AM to get day
passes for those that need them. You will need your drivers license and
registration to get a pass for your vehicle.

We will take up where we left off last week. We hope to leave the area
waters cleared of all trash.

For more details and a report and pictures of last Wednesday's paddle
please visit our web site.

All are invited to join us. We have a extra boat or two if some Marines
would like to join us. Paddling is our sport and we love it. We cannot
stand ugly litter polluting our streams and spoiling their natural
beauty. Scales Creek is a beautiful wilderness paddle, believe it or not,
all the way up to busy Rte 24. All the trash comes from the City of
Jacksonville all the way up to Onslow Memorial Hospital. The City needs
to find out where this trash is getting into this lovely creek and
erect signs at those trashing points and give them extra surveillance
and punish the perpetrators by assigning them to Community Service
picking up litter! Thanks, Elmer
# posted by Elmer @ 11:34 0 Comments Links to this post

2007-09-20

 

2007-09-19 Northeast Creek to Scales Creek, Camp Lejeune, NC

As Brian Wheat, our New River Keeper, has said, we must find a way to
stop littering our precious waters. Before he became The New River
Keeper he accompanied us on these very same waters with his motor boat.
We unloaded our trash onto his boat. This was a very efficient way to clean
up Northeast Creek compared to what we did today.
Brian appeared before the Jacksonville City Council and asked that our
litter laws be enforced. We second that motion! Jacksonville also needs
to find out how and where all this litter is getting into Scales Creek
above, upstream of, Rte 24 and Camp Lejeune leaders need to do the same on that small
unnamed creek which originates on Camp Lejeune and empties into Northeast
Creek.
We met at 9:00 AM at the main gate to Camp Lejeune. We were about # 10
in line to get day passes. It went pretty fast. We all then went to the
Northeast Creek Park and unloaded our boats at the ramp.
We then drove to Scales Creek access. To do this you go to Tarawa
Terrace ll Gate on Rte 24 which is opposite the end of Western Blvd.
Turn right on Bougainville Road, turn left on Camp Knox Road, and right
on Florence Road. Take your first left after you cross Scales Creek
bridge and left again into the parking lot. Go through the parking lot
to Scales Creek where you will see Dock SM184. This is an excellent access
for canoes a kayaks off the grass. There is no ramp.
We left our cars there and then returned to Northeast Creek Park in our shuttle vehicle and
launched our boats about 10:15.
By the time we got to Rte 24 bridge we were loaded with trash. Some kind
souls had been picking up trash on Rte 24 and left black trash bags at
the N/W shoulder. We added two orange trash bags, 1 tire, ( there were
several more which we simply could not handle), and a large plastic
chaise lounge which Jim Niedermeyer towed in the water behind his canoe,
and two five gallon buckets.
Plastic ice bags were numerous. They fill with sand and they get wrapped
around brush. They are very difficult to pick up and they also make an
ugly sight to see thus spoiling the beauty of our river. Please Mr. Fisherman
do not throw them overboard in the future.
2007-09-19 Northeast Creek to Scales Creek, Camp Lejeune, NC 001.jpg,(see below).
That is Jim Nediermeyer with this collection of trash. Pam Watkins, we presume
your NCDOT folks will be picking up this trash in Litter Sweep Fall
Roadside Cleanup, Sept 15-29, 2007 as proclaimed by our Governor.
We had a steady N/E breeze behind us and we arrived at Tarawa Terrace
Boat Ramp at lunch time. We ate in the shade of the woods at the ramp.
Again we had to unload our trash here. That is Jim Morris of Morehead
City on the left and Jim Niedermeyer of Hubert, center, and Jack Cleaves
of Cedar Point right.
2007-09-19 Northeast Creek to Scales Creek, Camp Lejeune, NC 002.jpg, (see below). We
are asking Camp Lejeune folks to pick this up.
After we rounded the point on Northeast Creek opposite the golf course we came upon a small creek (unnamed ?). This is the second time we have paddled up this creek Each
time we have found it loaded with trash. We had to quit. We were loaded
again. This small creek runs under Boy Scout Camp Road, Guam Dr., Tarawa
Terrace and maybe Bougainville Dr.
We cannot understand how this large volume of trash is getting into this small
creek. It must be being dumped off the bridges. High water has dispersed
it into the adjacent woods. It is ugly indeed. By copy of this e-mail we
are asking Lt. Craig to see if they cannot get this littering stopped
and also pick up our trash left at Tarawa Terrace ramp and at this
Scales Creek access at this lovely little park with picnic tables. .
We also left our trash by the trash cans at this nice little park which
makes an ideal canoe and kayak launching place. The trash cans were
numbered 1155.
2007-09-19 Northeast Creek to Scales Creek, Camp Lejeune, NC 003.jpg, (see below).
This is our trash left at Scales Creek We observed a picnic table with
benches on the shore as we entered Scales Creek. It is painted the same
color as Dock SM184. So, we presume high water picked it up and floated
it down the river. It will take a motor boat to get this back.
Connie Morris helped us with the shuttle and also took some pictures. We
are asking her to send them to Ed Gruca and Ed will combine them with
these and we will then get all on our web site.
We had a great day on the water. We will return and pick up where we
left off and take out at Camp Johnson Ramp next time. We hope all this
will be counted toward our Big Sweep efforts this year and our Governor's Road
Clean Up as this trash is in great measure thrown into the rivers at the bridges
instead of disposing of it properly according to our laws.

001 at Rte 24 bridge.

002 at Tarawa Terrace Boat Ramp
003 at Scales Creek dock SM184

I know that is Jim Niedermeyer because of the white hat. Connie caught him as he entered Scales
Creek.


That is Jack Cleaves in his long beautiful hand made kayak. That white dot is Jim again.

This picture was taken by Connie Morris who came to reclaim her husband, Jim after a day of shopping
in Jacksonville. That is Elmer Eddy coming up Scales Creek from the Northeast Creek.
This is all of us as we approached SM184 Dock on Scales Creek. Those little patches of gray in
the back ground are Northeast Creek.
Another shot of The Stewards of The White Oak River Basin after an unusually hard day of paddling
due entirely to the large volume of trash and litter illegally dumped and/or disposed of into our waterways.
Folks, it is illegal to litter like this!
This is close up of our trash loaded canoes. This is so unnecessary! Notice the spring marks on the
bottom of the cushion of the (settee?). The very heavy rest of it is still in the river. We cold not
handle it.

This is the third time today our canoes were loaded like this. We ran out of bags to hold it.
Here comes Jack Cleaves. He has to unload his trash on us. He is also helping North Carolina Coastal
Federation collecting water samples in the White Oak River Watershed to find out what is the source
of storm water run off polluting the White Oak River.

In the old days the White Oak had large, luscious oysters in the area they are sampling. Today these
waters are closed for human consumption.
This is about one third of today's haul. We cleaned this whole area thoroughly a few years back. This
dumping and littering must be stopped. Vigorous enforcement of our anti littering laws apparently
is the only thing that will stop it. It is up to our leaders to see that this is done.
This is Jim Morris loading his canoe. He is a big strong guy, but that canoe he made is only a little
over 30 pounds. That is Florence Road Bridge over Scales Creek in the back ground.
Here is my picture of Connie with Jim, and Jack Cleaves and Jim Niedermeyer and our trash from
Tarawa Terrace to here. Thanks Connie for helping us with the shuttle and taking these great pictures.
A plea to all leaders of our society: Please enforce our anti-litter laws now! Arrest litterers! Fine them or make them do Community Service picking up litter. Then publish it widely so all will know. Littering is illegal. Only then will it come to a stop.

We volunteers cannot keep going back to the same place to pick up what others are constantly and deliberately doing! The Izaak Walton League has been doing this for 20 years on Route 58. Today the volume is worse than ever! We have got to stop this.

Thanks, Elmer


Elmer Eddy, The White Oak River Trashman
Stewards of The White Oak River Basin
101 River Reach Drive West,
Swansboro, NC. 28584
910-389-4588 e-mail: elmer@whiteoakstewards.org
Please visit our website: http://www.whiteoakstewards.org/
"If no one litters, there will be no litter!”

# posted by Elmer @ 18:40 0 Comments Links to this post
 

2007-09-19 Northeast Creek to Scales Creek Camp Lejeune, NC.


As Brian Wheat, our New River Keeper, has said, we must find a way to stop littering our precious waters. Before he became The New River Keeper he accompanied us on these very same waters with his motor boat. We unloaded our trash onto his boat. This was a very efficient way clean up Northeast Creek compared to what we did today.
Brian appeared before the Jacksonville City Council and asked that our litter laws be enforced. We second that motion! Jacksonville also needs to find out how and where all this litter is getting into Scales Creek above Rte 24 and Camp Lejeune leaders need to do the same on that small unamed creek which originates on Camp Lejeune and empties into Northeast Creek.

We met at 9:00 AM at the main gate to Camp Lejeune. We were about # 10 in line to get day passes. It went pretty fast. We all then went to the Northeast Creek park and unloaded our boats at the ramp.

We then drove to Scales Creek access. To do this you go to Tarawa Terrace ll Gate on Rte 24 which is opposite the end of Western Blvd. Turn right on Bougainville Road, turn left on Camp Knox Road, and right on Florence Road. Take your first left after you cross Scales Creek bridge and left again into the parking lot. Go through the parking lot to Scales Creek where you will see Dock SM184.

We then returned to Northeast Creek Park in our shuttle vehicle and launched our boats about 10:15.

By the time we got to Rte 24 bridge we were loaded with trash. Some kind souls had been picking up trash on Rte 24 and left black trash bags at the N/W shoulder. We added two orange trash bags, 1 tire, ( there were several more which we simply could not handle), and a large plastic chaise lounge which Jim Niedermeyer towed in the water behind his canoe, and two five gallon buckets.

Plastic ice bags were numerous. They fill with sand and they get wrapped around brush. They are very difficult to pick up and they also make an ugly sight to see. Please Mr. Fisherman do not throw them overboard in the future.
07-09-19 Northeast Creek to Scales Creek, Camp Le001.jpg.
200That is Jim Nediermeyer with this collection of trash. Pam, we presume your NCDOT folks will be picking up this trash in Litter Sweep Fall Roadside Cleanup, Sept 15-29, 2007.

We had a steady N/E breeze behind us and we arrived at Tarawa Terrace Boat Ramp at lunch time. We ate in the shade of the woods at the ramp. Again we had to unload our trash here. That is Jim Morris of Morehead City on the left and Jim Niedermeyer of Hubert, center, and Jack Cleaves of Cedar Point right.

2007-09-19 Northeast Creek to Scales Creek, Camp Lejeune, NC 002.jpg We are asking Camp Lejeune folks to pick this up.

After we rounded the point on Northeast Creek we came upon a small creek (unnamed ?). This is the second time we have paddled up this creek Each time we have found it loaded with trash. We had to quit. We were loaded again. This small creek runs under Boy Scout Camp Road, Guam Dr., Tarawa Terrace and maybe Bougainville Dr.

We cannot understand how this large volume of trash is getting into this creek. It must be being dumped off the bridges. High water has dispersed it into the adjacent woods. It is ugly indeed. By copy of this e-mail we are asking Lt. Craig to see if they cannot get this littering stopped and also pick up our trash left at Tarawa Terrace ramp and at this Scales Creek access.

We also left our trash by the trash cans at this nice little park which makes an ideal canoe and kayak launching place. The trash cans were numbered 1155.

2007-09-19 Northeast Creek to Scales Creek, Camp Lejeune, NC 003.jpg. This is our trash left at Scales Creek We observed a picnic table with benches on the shore as we entered Scales Creek. It is painted the same color as Dock SM184. So, we presume high water picked it up and floated it down the river. It will take a motor boat to get this back.

Marcia Morris helped us with the shuttle and also took some pictures. We are asking her to send them to Ed Gruca and Ed will combine them with these and we will them get all on our web site.

We had a great day on the water. We will return and pick up where we left off and take out at Camp Johnson Ramp next time. We hope all this will be counted toward our Big Sweep efforts. Elmer

________________________________

For our latest trip write-up go to
http://www.whiteoakstewards.org/blogger.html

________________________________

ELMER EDDY

ELMER@WHITEOAKSTEWARDS.ORG

STEWARDS OF THE WHITE OAK RIVER BASIN

WWW.WHITEOAKSTEWARDS.ORG

910-389-4588

"If no one litters, there will be no litter!"

























# posted by Elmer @ 09:54 0 Comments Links to this post

2007-09-12

 
2007-09-11 Trent River, Comfort to Chinquapin Chapel Road, State Road # 1129 bridge.

We never made it folks! We had to abort the trip and paddle back to our put in at Comfort. This will show how the river is completely blocked by trees blown down by hurricanes over the years.

From our paddles in previous years we believe this condition exists all the way down to about where the cotton gin is.

Here is a picture of our lovely Trent River as we started out at Comfort. It is beautiful. It should be like this all the way to New Bern so everyone can enjoy this exquisite river. Unfortunately hurricanes have blown down massive trees of all sizes across the river. These completely block the river to all forms of navigation.

Jones County is to be commended to have obtained a Grant to clear the river of these obstructions so all may enjoy the beauty of this lovely river. We understand this clearance will begin this fall. It is too much for us volunteers to handle. This as a job for the professionals.


Now, isn't this pretty? Wouldn't you like to be here.
The turtles love it!

As we paddled down the river we came we upon these fishermen. Last week they had a five pound bass.
This week the one they caught was almost that big. Plus another one!
Cypress knees which are usually under water.

We have been picking up all litter and trash. That is a boat. We could not get that!

This is our first complete blockage to navigation of any kind. We had to get out and drag our boats over a sand bar on the right.
Same place in the middle of this exhausting operation to get down the river.

It looked clear ahead so we struggled to get over this one. That is floating duck weed on
the surface.
We got out of our boats here and scouted downstream by walking through the woods. All
we could see was more of the same. It was noon time and we had gone only one mile downstream.

We realized we would never get to Chinquapin Chapel Road bridge where we had left our
shuttle vehicle. We ate lunch here and then began our paddle back upstream.


That is Jim Niedermeyer of Hubert and Elmer Eddy of Swansboro on the right in the woods
scouting the river below this horrible log jam.
That is Tom Fineco of River Bend, New Bern, helping Jim with his trash loaded canoe to get it over this huge log completely blocking the river. This is an old log. It is sawed off at each end. This was done on a previous tree removal operation.
High water picked it up and it is now blocking the entire river again. We hope those clearing the river under this new Grant will not leave cut trees where high water can pick the up only to clog the river again.

Small six foot openings like those left on the White Oak River are also very unsatisfactory. They become clogged up with debris with the next flush of high water. With a very wide opening we assure all there will be plenty of woody debris left for the macro and micro invertebrates.


We look forward to the day when we can paddle from Pleasant Hill to Trenton with no obstructions. We stand ready to help Jones County to make this possible any way we can.


Ed Gruca of Emerald Isle also was on this trip. He took all these beautiful pictures. We also thank Smurf Murphy for the use of his ramp and for disposing of the four bags of trash for us.

Elmer Eddy
Elmer, The White Oak River Trashman
Stewards of The White Oak River Basin
101 River Reach Drive West,
Swansboro, NC. 28584
910-389-4588 e-mail: elmer@whiteoakstewards.org
Please visit our website: http://www.whiteoakstewards.org/
"If no one litters, there will be no litter!”


# posted by Elmer @ 13:37 0 Comments Links to this post

2007-09-06

 
2007-09-05 Trent River at Comfort, NC. on Route 41.
This was our meeting place at 9:30 AM. All were intrigued by this very unique U. S. Post Office. Commissioner Battle of Jones County met us here with the key for the cable across Woodrow Battle Lane to the river. Dale Weston also drove up from Jacksonville with our chain saw. He was leaving for Ireland and could not paddle with us today.
Our photographer, Ed Gruca, just had to go inside too.
This is Smurf Murphy on the left and Elmer Eddy on the right. That is the Trent River in the background.
Smurf lives at 307 Woodrow Battle Lane which is at the end of this lane next to the Post Office at the river. He has built a private concrete ramp here and graciously allowed us to use it to launch our canoes and kayaks.
We headed up stream and picked up scattered beer cans. We could not handle this huge tire which has no business being in this lovely river.
Here are two more tires at the beginning of the Rocks which are limestone formations. .
A large blowdown, almost two feet in diameter, about 1/2 mile down from the Iron Bridge. This obstruction will block the river at higher, normal river levels. We were able to paddle under it. We hope the Grant money can be used to remove this monster tree. It is the only obstruction in this one mile of the river.

These limestone formations hang out over the river. Huge trees are growing above them. The rocks look like Swiss cheese or honey combs. Some call them the Honeycomb Rocks. It is dark under them.

These limestone formations are the light brownish gray area is this picture. That is Tom Fineco in the green kayak under them on the right and Jim Niedermeyer on the left. This is a short way upstream from our launching access point


This shows more detail on the over hanging limestone. The strong flow of the river has washed out the bank beneath the limestone. It is an amazing and intriguing sight to see.
As we proceeded up stream the river became narrower and shallower. We had to remove small logs and branches to get along.
At seven tenths of a mile we came upon the Iron Bridge. A dirt road from Hwy 41 leads to this bridge. The bridge and road is privately owned but we have permission to use it as an access to get on the river.

In 2003, after a long period of rain from a hurricane we launched several miles up stream at Pleasant Hill Road and the water was so high we never even saw this bridge as we paddled down to our take -out at Comfort. We could not understand it and called it the "disappearing bridge"!

These are our boats looking down from the bridge.
Tom, Elmer and Ed on the bridge.
Lunch stop at the end of our upstream paddle. Jim Niedermeyer of Hubert on the left, Elmer Eddy of Swansboro in the middle and Tom Fineco of River Bend, New Bern on the right.
Tile flooring dumped on the north side of the road west of the bridge. We hope someone can remove this. It destroys the beauty of this lovely river.

We paddled upstream from the bridge. The river made a loop right back to the road west of the bridge where this tile is.

Now we know why we did not see the bridge in 2003. The water level was so high, ten to 12 feet, the flow went straight across the road and bypassed the loop and the road and bridge were under several feet of water! We went with the flow!
End of the line one mile upstream from Comfort. The mighty Trent River is reduced to a mere trickle about two inches wide!
Returning downriver a bell bottomed cypress tree in the middle of the river.
Another larger one further on. Tall trees all along the river provide a nice canopy of cooling shade.
Back by the honeycombed limestone rock again.


More of it.
It is fascinating to see.
Beer can in the overhanging limestone rock.

A hunk of it dropped into the river
They said he was a five pounder.
In spite of the extremely low water we enjoyed the trip immensely. We also picked up enough beer cans and trash to make a half bag full. Also a bicycle frame and two five gallon cans attached to 2 x 4s. Smurf Murphy took our trash and offered to dispose of it for us.

There is one huge tree with a 20 inch estimated diameter a short distance upstream from Comfort which will block the entire river when the water returns to a more normal level. We were able to paddle under it due to the low water.

Jones County has a Grant providing funds to have all fallen trees removed. We are informing Larry Meadows, County Manager of this tree. Smurf Murphy is volunteering his time and tractor to help get this out after the crops are harvested. We hope many others will do the same so the Grant money can get the entire Trent River usable all the way to the Lenoir County line.

When the water level returns to normal we will announce a paddle from Comfort to Chinquapin Chapel Road,

Elmer
Elmer, The White Oak River Trashman
Stewards of The White Oak River Basin
101 River Reach Drive West,
Swansboro, NC. 28584
910-389-4588 e-mail: elmer@whiteoakstewards.org
Please visit our website: http://www.whiteoakstewards.org/
"If no one litters, there will be no litter!”

# posted by Elmer @ 23:40 0 Comments Links to this post

2007-09-03

 

2007-09-02, Trent River, This Wednesday

We will meet at the Post Office in Comfort, Jones County, NC on Route 41 at 9:30 Wednesday morning, September 5, 2007.

Bring your chain saws and hand saws, clippers etc. to help clear the river of fallen trees blocking navigation.

If you can't join us here at this time do the same wherever you are on the upper Trent on this holiday, today, or anytime.

Fishermen, hunters, land owners, anyone with kayaks, canoes and motor boats. Please help to open the river so it will be usable for all to enjoy.

Report what you do to us and to Jones County, e-mail: jonescounty@co.jones.nc.us
Phone 252-448-7571, fax 252-448-1072.

Whatever you do will will make the Grant money go further so we can get the whole river cleared and usable. Jones County will receive "in kind" credit for what you do as a volunteer thus saving them cold cash on what they are obligated to pay for under the terms of the Grant.

Take pictures before and after what you do if you can and report where you did it.

The Trent River is one of the best and most beautiful in Eastern North Carolina. Let's help Jones County open it up so it can be enjoyed by all and become a tourist attraction and bring money into Jones County.

Please help us to clear it and clean it too by also removing all litter and trash encountered too.

Thanks, Elmer, The White Oak River Trashman,
Stewards of the White Oak River Basin adventuring into Jones County on the Trent River which is in The Neuse Biver Basin.
# posted by Elmer @ 05:31 0 Comments Links to this post

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