From: "Tom Goynes" To: Subject: San Marcos River Clean-up Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 09:57:21 -0600 Hello Paddlers. It will soon be time for the San Marcos River Clean-up, so dust off your canoes and get ready to rake in some trash! Newsletter editors: please post some info on the event. And, if your club would like to adopt a section of river, let me know. I am including the clubs that have adopted sections in the past - but I'm not sure at the moment if these clubs are still on for those sections, so please let me know. Thanks! THE 17 TH ANNUAL GREAT TEXAS RIVER CLEAN-UP March 2, 2002 On Saturday, March 2, 2002, folks from all over Texas will be participating in the world's longest river clean-up. We will be picking up trash along the entire length of the San Marcos River (approximately 90 miles). BANK CREWS Everyone is urged to help. If you are unable to participate in the water, we need volunteers to work the banks of the river, especially at parks and highway crossings. Bring some trash bags (we will supply as many as possible) and perhaps a flounder gig to snag some goodies. Scuba divers and snorkelers are also urged to participate. RECREATIONAL PADDLERS We are asking recreational paddlers and canoe clubs to accept the challenge and volunteer for a section of river. If your group or club has not already been assigned a section, be sure to contact Tom Goynes and tell him what stretch you would like. The upper sections of the San Marcos River, particularly just downstream of the City of San Marcos, will require the most attention, and the short mileages set for these sections reflect this. Furthermore, the river becomes less accessible and more hazardous as one goes downstream. For that reason, novice boaters should volunteer for either section 1 or 2 and more experienced boaters for the other sections. SAFARI TEAMS AND CANOE RACING ENTHUSIASTS The lower river, from Luling to Gonzales, has several long sections with few bridge crossings and for that reason, we are asking canoe racers and especially teams that have competed in the Texas Water Safari in the past to volunteer for sections 9 - 11. CAMPOUT AND GET-TO-GETHER Everyone participating in this event is invited to camp free at either Shady Grove Campground/Spencer Canoes or at Pecan Park Retreat for the weekend. Starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday evening there will be a free barbecue for participants at Shady Grove/Spencer Canoes. It should be noted that the party will terminate by midnight to allow the rest of the workers some time to sleep. SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE On Sunday morning at 8 a.m., there will be a non-denominational Christian worship service at Pecan Park Retreat. Everyone is welcome. WHAT YOU CAN DO First of all, mark March 2nd on your calendar. Secondly, look over the enclosed river section listing, and choose a stretch that you can help cover. Next, call me at 512-392-6171 (or e-mail me at Goynes@centurytel.net), and I will put you in contact with the group leader of the section you have chosen. Each leader will be able to help arrange shuttles and will be given logistical info regarding trash deposit locations as the clean-up nears. MEETING TIMES AND SHUTTLES A group meeting will be held for everyone working sections 3 through 7 at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning at Spencer Canoes. Groups working sections 8 - 11 will arrange their shuttles as early as possible Saturday morning and try to put in the river by 9:00 a.m. Persons working sections 1 and 2 will meet at City Park in San Marcos at 10:00 a.m. LET'S DO IT Communities along the river are being urged to help in any way they can. If you can offer any service, such as trash hauling, shuttle driving, trash bags or food donations - anything - please give us a call. Together we can clean-up the whole river and make a strong statement to the public about our love for free flowing streams. Please help us out, Tom Goynes (coordinator) 512-392-6171 Sponsors: Texas Rivers Protection Association; Texas River Recreation Association; Texas Canoe Racing Association; San Marcos River Foundation; Green Guys Recycling; Pecan Park Retreat; Spencer Canoes; TG Canoe Livery RIVER SECTION LISTINGS 1 San Marcos City Park to Thompson's Island (2 miles) 2 Thompson's Island to Pecan Park Retreat (3.5 miles) 3 Pecan Park Retreat to Spencer Canoes (6 mi.) Houston Canoe Club 4 Spencer Canoes to Staples - Hwy 1977 (5 miles) Jeff Pines 5 Staples to Fentress - Hwy 20 (9 miles) 6 Fentress to Stairtown (7miles) 7 Stairtown to Luling - Hwy 90 (6.5miles) 8 Luling 90 to Luling City Park (6 mi.) Alamo City Rivermen 9 Luling City Park to Palmetto State Park (14.4 mi.) TCRA 10 Palmetto State Park to Gonzales Hwy 90A (14.8 miles) Canoe Racers 11 Gonzales 90A to Gonzales 183 (10 mi.) Canoe Racers Annual TRPA Meeting On Sunday, March 3 at 10 a.m. the Texas Rivers Protection Association will hold it's annual general meeting. We will meet in Pecan Park Retreat if the weather permits; if it doesn't, we'll meet in the home of Tom and Paula Goynes (which also happens to be the campground office). There will be an election of officers and board members and we will discuss ongoing river issues. Everyone is welcome to attend. We hope to adjourn by 1 p.m., at which time there will be a short meeting of the Texas River Recreation Association. To get to Pecan Park Retreat: coming from Interstate 35 in San Marcos, get on Highway 80 and head toward Luling for 1.8 miles. Take a right on county road 101. Immediately take a left onto county road 102. Go 1/2 mile on 102 and take a right on Pecan Park road. Our road will be asphalt for a little ways then it will turn to gravel. Keep going straight until you come to a bend in the road. Follow the arrow to the left, then go through the gate and down the hill. If the weather is bad we will meet at the Goynes home, it's the campground office. For more info call Tom Goynes at 512-392-6171.