2008-10-22 Upper Broad Creek

This log was resting on another log. Jim Stevens and Buster thought they could make it drop off the othe log but it

did not fall far. Just enough for us to hump over it.

We all got over it but then we had to come back down and get over it again as we soon hit another one fallen tree across the creek and our time had run out.

Heading home.

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We got back to Lees Landing at 3:00 as planned. We met many others paddling up to meet us. They had paddled down to the Neuse. Here is John Klecker holding in one hand all the trash we had picked up all day. A hard hat, a very old Budweiser can, a plastic water bottle and that back thing. This is indeed a record for the least trash ever on any paddle!

This is the group. Many had already left. It was a wonderful and most enjoyable day on the water. We hope Upper Broad Creek becomes and full fledged Canoe Trail. We are sending the managers of Craven and Pamilco Counties copy of the report and hope they can get together and obtain a Grant to make this Canoe Trail a reality. Elmer

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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!”

First, we are joining Jim Morris who is leading at trip to Brandt Island along the Morehead Channel and to Sugarloaf Island. This is their second attempt to get these badly trashed areas cleaned up for Big Sweep. Please join Jim and the others to get this done at 9:00 AM this Friday. We will be there. Elmer.

Here are the pictures and stories of the Twin Rivers Paddle Club excursion on this most enjoyable stream on this beautiful day. Five members of Stewards of our Waterways joined them but unfortunately we were 1/2 hour late in arriving. Joanne Somerday and Jim Stevens graciously awaited our arrival. Thanks, Joanne, and Jim. They guided us to meet the others.who were already turned around and coming back.

The main purpose of this trip was to survey the two thousand foot frontage of the Whitehurst Property which was recently donated to Craven County. Two members of the Parks and Recreation Department were along. At this writing we do not know what their thoughts are but to us we believe this would make a very nice addition to the park to have a canoe and kayak access here. Upper Broad Creek is the border of Craven and Pamlico Counties. It continues for many more miles almost up to the Beaufort County line.It also has a tributary named named Morgan Swamp. No water access was made when the new bridge over Upper Broad Creek was constructed. The next closest possible access is on Morgan Creek at the Stapleford Creek Road. Another possible access is at the Olympia Road Bridge on Upper Broad Creek. (These road names were taken from North Carolina Atlas & Gazetteer, Fifth Addition 2001. Names may have changed due to 911 renaming.)

We were hoping we could paddle upstream to Route 55 or further to find another access. As you can see by the following pictures we could not even get to Route 55 as we were blocked by fallen trees. A Canoe Trail from either of these upstream points would become a very valuable addition not only to the new park but to all of Craven and Pamilco Counties citizens and visiting tourists.

If anyone wants to make an exploratory trip down from these upstream bridges we will be glad to join them. as we would love to have a Canoe Trail here on these beautiful streams.

That is Joanne back there in the forest beyond the cypress knees. 9O percent of the cypress look like their needles (leaves?) are dead. A few are still green. Are they dying? Isn’t this early for this dying or winter look.

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Jim Stevens and Jim Morris taking off after lunch. The water is still very deep.

This log was resting on another log. Jim Stevens and Buster thought they could make it drop off the othe log but it did not fall far. Just enogh for us to hump over it.

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We all got over it but then we had to come back down and get over it again as we soon hit another one fallen tree across the creek and our tme had run out.

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Heading home.

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We got back to Lees Landing at 3:00 as planned. We met many otheres paddling up to meet us. They had paddled down to the Neuse. Here is John Klecker holding in one hand all the trash we had picked up all day. A hard hat, a very old Budweiser can, a plastic water bottle and that back thing. This is indeed a record for the least trash ever on any padlle!

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This is the group. Many had already left. It was a wonderful and most enjoyable day on the water. We hope Upper Broad Creek becomes and full fledged Canoe Trail. We are sending the managers of Craven and Pamilco Counties copy of the report and hope they can get togeether and obtain a Grant to make this Canoe Trail a reality. Elmer

Come paddle with us anytime. E-mail us and ask to be put in our address book and you will receive notices of all trips. We wait until we know the weather is good before we plan a trip. Elmer

If no one litters there will be no litter! Littering is illegal!
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For our latest trip write-up go to 

 2008-10-08  New River Inlet to the Rt 210 Bridge over the ICW

 We loaded Dale's canoe on top of my truck at the 210 bridge.The Participants today were Dale Weston
and Marie Russell from Jacksonville, Scott Brown from Morehead City, Jim Niedermeyer form Hubert and Elmer Eddy from
Swansboro.

Must be a thousand shore birds on the sand bars inside the New River Inlet.

It is that time of year where billions of finger mullet and menhaden ride the incoming and outgoing tide.

The birds have a feast! As well as the game fish.

We are disturbing them.

They are taking off as we approach.

It is quite a sight to see!

This is the time of year to fish the surf. Spots, pompano, bluefush, Spanish mackerel, red drum are here to feast on the bounty of bait fish!

What is the future of these homes?

Here we are at the Inlet ready to unload and get paddling.

We paddled up the up the New River picking up trash along the shore. Marsh grass separates Stump Sound from the New River.
High banks of shells of all kinds have built up along this shore. The trash was heavy and we came to a huge barrel. We
were loaded. We had to unload here at this barrel.

We also ate lunch here and then realized that if we were to get back to the ramp we would have to stp picking up trash
and paddle. The wind and tide were with us and we made it easily. It was a delightful paddle as we took in all the sights
going down the waterway

Elmer Eddy

Here we are getting started at the Wildlife Ramp under the high rise bridge over the Intra Coastal Waterway
on Route 210 south of Monks Corner. These are two new members, Dan Solie from Alaska on the left and
Eric Nordeen from Hubert.

Pictures are by Elmer and Dan and prepared for the web by Ed Gruca.

This is Elmer returning with part of the trash picked up on this trip. This shoreline
of the ICW was heavily loaded with bottles and cans discarded by fishermen walking
in from the ramp to fish. We must find a way to stop this illegal practice here.

Eric Nordeen was loaded too.

This trash discarded at Gibson Bridge north of Maysvile on the White Oak River.
This deliberate dumping here.

Another shot of the same. This is the same place a bear cub was found in a freezer.
Probably dumped here be the very same person.

A fish net across the bay and the club house of the golf course visible as we
paddle toward the mouth of Mill Creek.

It was a glorious weather day. We stopped here for lunch by these old live oak trees.

Further up the creek it gets narrower and the marsh grass is replaced by dense
woods.

The trash was almost nonexistent up here.

Back to the ramp under the bridge. This is Elmer’s and Jim’s canoe.

L/R Dan Solie from Alaska, Jim Niedermeyer from Hubert. Scott Brown from
Morehead City and Eric Nordeen from Hubert.

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!”

The first ones in the water at Tommy Drive, our Canoe & Kayak launching access

area in Cedar Point, soon to be part f the expanded Wildlife Access here on Rte. 24.

Getting under way heading for Sharks Tooth Island. Nine boats and twelve peoole.

Elmer in his single canoe.

The island across from the Wildlife ramp in the background. The Boy Scouts , Troop 742, cleaned it up a few weeks ago. That is Bill Murray from Pine Knoll Shores foreground.

A dead fish hung up to dry at a campground on an island on the way to Sharks Tooth

Island. We cleaned up this shore line of this island too.

A view of Huggins Island across the White Oak River from the same spot.

Another view of Cedar Point shoreline opposite Sharks Tooth Island.

This is the top of Sharks Tooth Island. Almost a desert.

The group picking up litter on the Inland Waterway shore line of Sharks Tooth Island.

Lunch stop at the Eastern end of the island.

We scared off an egret. We saw lots of birds, fish and several pods of dolphins which every body
enjoyed with exclamations of surprise and joyful laughter as we got very close to some.

Dale Weston and Maria Russell paddling thrugh the marsh grass to get that blue plastic mat.

A Close up of the trash collected. 16 bags, a tire, a crab pot, a NO FISHING SIGN, 5 gallon

pails, a chair, a duck decoy, a tennis ball, a beach ball, a tire, corrugated pipe, tub, and

more. All this will be reported to Big Sweep. We hope the public will join Big Sweep right

now and pick up all trash and litter where ever they are on our waterways and roads. Best of all,

we hope they will just plain stop litteriing so we can paddle without stopping to do this. We

cannot paddle past it and leave it. It spoils the beauty of our shorelines that we are out to enjoy.

It is just plain ugly.

Todays group. L/R front, Ed Gruca of Emerald Isle, Sally, Annie and Dave

Yocum, Dave behind Sally, all from Boalsburg, Pa., Maria Russell of

Jacksonville. Rear is Karen and Don Sykes of Clayton, Jackie Foster of

Emerald Isle, Jim Morris of Morehead City and Dale Weston of

Jacksonville. Bill Murray of Pine Knolls Shores had to leave for work.

It was a great day for paddling.All had fun and really enjoyed it.and

the scenery. The visiting tourists from Pa. never had so much fun picking

up trash.

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!”