Texas
Rivers SPRING, 2007
Texas Rivers Protection Association · 444 Pecan Park Dr. · San Marcos, TX 78666
Officers:
Tom Goynes, President, San Marcos, 512-392-6171 e-mail: mailto:goynes@centurytel.net
David Reichert, Vice-president, San Antonio, 210-545-0548
Leslie Redwine, Secretary, New Braunfels, 830-626-8047
Duane TeGrotenhuis, Treas., Martindale, 512-353-3946
Board of Directors:
Mark Andrus, Angleton, 409-849-3732
Kathy Cusick, Spring Branch, 830-885-5324
Steve Daniel, College Station, 979-846-4649
David Davenport, New Braunfels, 830-609-3038
Richard Grayson, Dallas, 214-827-0144
Jim Hatcher, Fort Stockton, 915-336-6700
Ed Lowe, Dallas, 214-826-8815
Anne Olden, Houston, 713-864-0205
Ginger Turner, Austin, 512-459-5742
Michael Van Winkle, Kerrville, 830-995-3113
Fred Zagst, Marble Falls, 830-693-1054
Protecting Texas Rivers and
More...
Recently the board of this organization was discussing (by e-mail) whether or not to support financially a group called the Natural Area Protection Association (NAPA) http://www.napa-texas.org/. NAPA preserves wild places in Texas through purchase and/or through conservation easements (see the article within). We did, in fact, decide to support NAPA.
It was during those discussions that the question of what was the primary purpose of this organization came up. Some board members felt that our primary goal is to guarantee access to rivers. Others felt that while access is important, it pales in comparison to the protection of Texas Rivers.
I thought it might be appropriate to open this newsletter with a review of our official purposes. After all, it never hurts to review the reasons why we exist (I'm reminded of Bill Cosby who, when faced with the question of "Why is there air?" concluded that air exists to fill up basketballs. Water, likewise, must surely exist primarily to float canoes and kayaks).
Here then, are some of our official purposes:
To protect the flow, water quality and natural beauty of the rivers of
Texas;
To promote the safe and wise use of Texas rivers;
To develop an
awareness of the rights of the public to use navigable rivers in the state of
Texas and an awareness of the rights of riparian landowners to be protected
from trespass and other intrusions;
To foster an
awareness and respect for the diverse natural waterway environments of Texas;
To promote a
mutual respect between river users and landowners for each other's legal
rights;
To educate its
members and the public concerning conservation and preservation of Texas rivers
and streams, and to perform such related educational services within the
meaning of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and its
Regulations as they now exist or as they may hereafter be amended.
To acquire
property and/or easements that provide its members, and the public, access to
Texas Rivers and streams.
Beyond that, there
is some verbiage to insure that we come under all the rules of a 501 c-3
organization.
The bottom line is that our first goal is the protection of our rivers (which, given our name, makes a good bit of sense). Next comes the issue of promoting safety and good stewardship. Then a good bit of time is spent laying out our desire to protect both the rights of landowners and river users and to keep the peace, to the best of our ability, between these groups.
In this newsletter you will read of some of the many efforts of this group - from our cooperation with landowners on the Guadalupe River at Center Point (to fight a rockcrusher) to our efforts to control rowdy toobers on the San Marcos, to our efforts to maintain access at Hidalgo Falls, to the cleanups that we help sponsor. We hope these efforts prove that we are doing our best to fulfill our purposes.
Tom Goynes
President
TRPA Financial Report 2006
Beginning Balance, 1/1/06 $20,971.67
Less $ Earmarked
for Hidalgo Falls, 1/1/06 3,687.78
Less $Earmarked
for Susie Brown 1/1/06 563.00
Money available
for general fund 1/1/06 $16,720.89
Plus ending
balance of Hidalgo fund 13,722.38
Plus ending
balance Rockcrusher fund 7,291.63
Plus contributions
received for general fund 8,837.83
Plus interest
received year to date 198.45
Subtotal $46,771.18
Less General
Expenses:
Money transferred to Hidalgo $2,000.00
Money transferred to Rockcrusher 2,500.00
Money transferred to Susie Brown 90.00
Brazos River Instream Flow Study 3,000.00
Hog Creek Legal Brief 650.00
River Clean ups 551.52
Newsletter 165.40
Postage 328.89
Office supplies 50.19
Printing 7.80
Total expenses general fund $9,343.80
Total money
available $37,427.38
(bank accounts $37,356.87 plus $70.51 cash)
Less $ earmarked
for Hidalgo Falls 12/31/06 13,722.38
Less $ earmarked
for Rockcrusher 12/31/06 7,291.63
Total $
available general fund 2/28/06 $16,413.37
Hidalgo Falls Fund 2006
Money earmarked for Hidalgo
Falls 1/1/06 $3,687.78
Contributions received for
Hidalgo Falls 9,017.53
Money transferred to Hidalgo
from General 2,000.00
Total money available $14,705.31
Less Expenses:
Property Taxes (for 2005) $442.96
Property Taxes (for 2006) 468.92
Electricity 39.05
Office (checks - Bank of America) 32.00
Total expenses $982.93
Total money available 2/28/06 $13,722.38
Susie Brown fund 2006
This
is a fund that was established in 2005 to remember Susie Brown.
The
money was used for the purchase of trees for the Rio Vista project.
Money at start
of 2006 $563.00
Contributions
received 547.00
Money from
general fund 90.00
Total Money
available $1,200.00
Amount spent on
trees 1,200.00
Balance 12/31/06 $0
Center Point Rockcrusher fund 2006
Beginning Balance, 1/1/06 $0
Total Donations 7,610.00
Money transferred from General Fund 2,500.00
Total money available 10,110.00
Less Legal expenses 2,818.37
Ending balance 12/31/06 7,291.63
How the money was spent...
says a lot about the kind of organization we are and
how well we are following our goals.
First of all, we transferred $2000 out of our general fund to the
Hidalgo Falls fund. Over the past few
years paddlers from all over Texas along with this organization have spent
approximately $100,000 for property and improvements at Hidalgo Falls on the
Brazos River near Navasota. These falls
are the closest whitewater to the City of Houston, and are also convenient to
paddlers in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Ft. Worth. Through the purchase of this land, access to
this special place has been protected, and the property itself will be kept in
as natural and pristine condition as possible.
Furthermore, by owning land on the Brazos, TRPA has standing if a water
quality or water rights issue arises.
This allows us to not only protect the river, but also to protect our
access to it. That fulfills two of our
goals.
We also contributed $2500 from our general fund to
oppose an air quality permit for a rockcrusher that has been built on the banks
of the Guadalupe River at Center Point.
This rockcrusher and gravel pit is in very close proximity to the many
residences as well as the school.
Gravel operations and rockcrushers are ruining this section of the
beautiful Guadalupe River and it is our hope to stop this one. Once again, this fulfills our goal of river
protection.
We paid legal fees of $650 to file a friend of the
court brief in a case that questioned the rights of the public to use navigable
waterways. The judge cited several
points in this brief in affirming the right of navigation. This fulfills our purpose of protecting the
public's right to use navigable waterways.
We contributed $3000 for an instream flow study on
the Brazos River. This study will help
set minimum streamflows to keep the Brazos River alive and well. We spent $550 for river clean ups and had
members volunteer to clean the San Marcos, the Brazos, the Medina, the
Guadalupe, the Trinity and other streams and lakes in Texas. And we contributed $90 to the Susie Brown
fund, which was spent for the beautification of Rio Vista Falls.
In addition to making contributions from the general
fund to these causes, we maintained several special funds: the Hidalgo Falls
Fund, the Susie Brown Fund and the Rockcrusher Fund to make it possible for
people to contribute directly to the cause(s) that they most desire to support.
All in all, it was a very good year in the sense that we spent our money toward the purposes that we espouse.
San Marcos River Clean Up
22nd Annual - March 3, 2007
On Saturday, March 3, 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. Scuba divers and snorkelers are also urged to
participate.
RECREATIONAL PADDLERS
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.
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 (especially teams that have competed in the Texas Water Safari) 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 http://spencercanoes.net/or
at Pecan Park Retreat http://www.pecanparkretreat.com/
for the weekend. Starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday evening there will be a meal
provided by the San Marcos River Foundation at Shady Grove/Spencer Canoes.
SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE
On Sunday morning at 8 a.m., there will be a non-denominational
Christian worship service at Pecan Park.
MEETING TIMES AND SHUTTLES
A group meeting will be held for everyone paddling the sections of
river between Pecan Park Retreat and Luling at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning at
Spencer Canoes. Canoe racers paddling the lower river will meet at Palmetto
Park at 8:30 a.m. Contact Ginsie Stauss for more info: mailto:ginsie@io.com Persons working sections 1
and 2 will meet at City Park in San Marcos at 10:00 a.m.
Tom Goynes (coordinator) 512-392-6171 e-mail: mailto:goynes@centurytel.net
RIVER SECTION LISTINGS
1 San Marcos City Park to Thompson's Island (2
miles) Contact Tom Goynes at
512-392-6171 mailto:goynes@centurytel.net
2 Thompson's Island to Pecan Park Retreat (3.5
miles)
3 Pecan Park Retreat to Spencer Canoes (6 mi.) Contact Houston Canoe
Club: John and Ann Olden mailto:aolden@ix.netcom.com
4 Spencer Canoes to Staples - Hwy 1977 (5 miles)
Contact Jeff Pine at
512-443-2870 mailto:txpine@swbell.net
5 Staples to Fentress - Hwy 20 (9 miles) Contact
Austin Paddling Club: Jeff Bauknecht at: 512-303-3959 mailto:2paddles@austin.rr.com
6 Fentress to Stairtown (7miles) Contact
Susan Eda at: mailto:susaneda@mac.com
7 Stairtown to Luling - Hwy 90 (6.5miles) Contact Tom Goynes at
512-392-6171 mailto:goynes@centurytel.net
8 Hwy 90 to Luling City Park
(6 mi.) "
9 Luling City Park to Palmetto State Park (14.4
mi.) Contact Texas Canoe Racing
Association: Ginsie at: 10 Palmetto State Park to Gonzales
Hwy 90A (14.8 miles)mailto:ginsie@io.com
11 Gonzales 90A to Gonzales 183 (10 mi.) "
TRPA Annual Meeting
On Sunday, March 4
at 10 a.m. the Texas Rivers Protection Association will hold it's annual
general meeting. We will meet at the
Pecan Park Retreat office (which is also the home of Tom and Paula Goynes).
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. Take an
immediate left onto county road 102. Go
1/2 mile on 102 and take a right on Pecan Park road. Keep going straight (past TG Canoe Livery) and the road will end
at the Pecan Park Retreat Office. For more info call Tom Goynes at 512-392-6171
or visit our website at http://www.pecanparkretreat.com/
4th
Annual Brazos River Cleanup - Saturday, April 14, 2007
Meet
at Tres Rios Campground at 9:00 A.M. 2322 County Road 312; Glen Rose, TX 76043
*Complimentary
Ranch House BBQ dinner after cleanup - 1:30-5:00 pm
*Free
canoes and shuttles provided by Low Water Canoes and Rhodes Canoes
*Complimentary
camping at Tres Rios 4/13 - 4/15.
Cabins
available. Call Tres Rios for info 254-897-4253
Contact
Ed Lowe: mailto:twtedlowe@sbcglobal.net
wk: 214-358-0612, cell: 214-802-6811 http://www.friendsofthebrazos.org/
Seventh Annual
Medina River Cleanup: May 5, 2007
Register: 9-12 a.m.
at Bandera City Park
Maple St. and Hwy. 173 at the Medina River Dam
Free barbecue: 5-7 p.m. with entertainment
Awards for Trash: 6 p.m.
Free t-shirts for all participants
Free
camping: May 4 and 5 at the Bandera City Park and at Pioneer River
Resorts (across 173 from the park). PRR
is offering free showers. RV sites are available to river cleanup
participants at Pioneer for $10 per vehicle, To reserve a spot, call
866-371-3751 or 830-796-3751 or email Linda or Lloyd Randall at pioneerrr@sbcglobal.net.
For questions about the cleanup, write to Bob Brischetto at brischetto@wireweb.net. For more information, visit the Medina River Protection site: http://www.medinariver.net/
Life Along The Colorado
River
By Bob Heinsohn
My interest in the Colorado River began back in the
mid 1950's while working on my parents’ farm located on the Colorado River in
Fayette County. I fished in the river during the summers and hunted along its
banks throughout the year. I purchased my first canoe in 1989. Soon thereafter,
a Houston friend, Millie Lehrmann, and I started taking camping trips on the
river. Trips of different sections of the river were taken during the following
years from Town Lake Dam in Austin to the River Bend boat ramp past the town of
Matagorda. On the 120-mile section from Columbus to Matagorda, which was
paddled in five days, we saw bald eagles and alligators, as well as a variety
of flora and fauna.
A paddling trip was also taken from Highway 190 to
Bend, Texas, and another one, which was taken from Highway 190 to Colorado Bend
State Park, was traveled in record time during a flood stage. I have paddled
some sections of the river numerous times, especially the part traveled by the
Alamo City Rivermen on their Freeze Trip in January.
Paddling the river and tent camping are only part of
the fun on the river. When a person takes his time paddling, he can find
fossilized oysters and bones from prehistoric animals, Indian artifacts,
antique items, rustic bricks, petrified wood of various sizes, mineralized
rocks, pieces of coal, odd-shaped iron-ore pieces, fossil rocks, animal skulls
and driftwood. Man-made items that have been found are bowling balls, a Boy
Scout mess kit, a crude boat anchor and a railroad crane hook with an attached
frayed metal cable.
Property owners along the river have lost and gained
land slowly after many decades of floods. Some landowners, who have developed
their riverbank into a "beach" with few or no trees, have lost
considerable property to the power of the river. They forgot that the roots of
trees and other vegetation on the riverbank keep the soil stationary and
prevent erosion. Some owners have their homes and outbuildings too close to the
river’s edge, which really can be a problem on an outside bend. The worst
example of this practice can be seen below Smithville where approximately 20
feet of a house is hanging out over the river due to erosion underneath its
foundation. The Colorado still has a few scattered cypress trees along its
banks, although there no longer is an abundance of these trees, because cypress
tree lumber was prolifically used for building houses and picket fences in
earlier times.
During flooding, items are washed into the river from
litter on the streets to lost items in creeks, as well as from dumping sites
used for temporary erosion control. Years ago, a large number of used tires
were dumped during a flood stage and came to rest high on a sandbar on the
inside bend below Highway 59 at Wharton. In November of 2004 during a flood,
massive amounts of trash were evident in the river below La Grange. There are
also places where sand or gravel has accumulated in large amounts in the
riverbed, having been caused by erosion on the banks from sand and gravel
mining, resulting in the movement of silt downstream.
All Texas Rivers need to be environmentally
protected for future generations to enjoy. Whether boating, fishing or enjoying
the wildlife and quiet scenes along the rivers, everyone deserves clear and
clean water for their leisure activities.
SPRINGS FEST– A
San Marcos River Paddling Festival
March 30 –
April 1, 2007 at Rio Vista Falls Park San Marcos, TX
For more information:
http://www.redriverracing.org/springsfest.htm
Hidalgo Falls River Festival
Saturday & Sunday, April 14 & 15
The
sixth annual Hidalgo Falls River Festival will be held April 14-15, 2007 at the
TRPA Hidalgo Falls property on the Brazos River near Navasota. The festival,
which is the year’s major fund-raising event to maintain and improve paddlers’
access to the rapid, attracted more than 250 paddlers and spectators last year.
Dealer reps and outfitters will have boats and gear available for demos on
moving water, and (based on past years) many boaters will come as early as
Friday to enjoy the nice play levels on the river and to camp in the upstream
and downstream campgrounds.
Events
will include a 28-mile downriver race from Koppe Bridge Landing south of
College Station to Hidalgo on Saturday morning, a "Boatercross"
head-to-head elimination race through the rapids late Saturday afternoon, a
concert by Austin-based recording artist David Garza on Saturday night (with an
auction during intermission). On Sunday there will be a whitewater giant slalom
race through the islands in the Falls, a whitewater rodeo, and a more leisurely
3.5-mile float trip from Hidalgo to Hwy 105. During the downriver race on
Saturday, festival goers can demo different kinds of boats, watch paddling
videos, and play in the rapids. The festival admission fee is $12 for the
entire weekend; children under 12 are admitted free. Registration for the TCRA
downriver race on Saturday costs $20 before March 23; after that date
registration is $25. The registration fee includes admission to the festival
site, camping, opportunities to try out different boats and gear, and the
concert on Saturday night. Saturday’s downriver racers will be treated to a
“hospitality” hour as they await the results of the race.
Directions: http://philosophy.tamu.edu/~sdaniel/location.html
During
the festival we will meet visitors at the gate (which is normally locked).
Information about the location of Hidalgo Falls, TRPA ownership, pictures, etc.
can be found at the HF website: http://philosophy.tamu.edu/~sdaniel/hf-fest6.html
Free
primitive camping is available at the TRPA property (limited toilet and water
facilities available). For information on Navasota motels, contact Steve Daniel
at mailto:sdaniel@philosophy.tamu.edu
River Re Creation
Recently I was asked to speak at an outdoor
leadership conference at Texas State University regarding river
recreation. In preparing my remarks, I
decided it would be worthwhile to begin by defining the term "recreation",
so I went to my handy Webster's. Here's
the definition for recreate: (L. recreatus, pp. of recreare, to restore,
refresh, create anew; see RE- & CREATE) to put fresh life into; refresh or
restore in body and mind, esp. after work, by play, amusement, or relaxation.
Now the obvious thing for us to do is to assume (as
we often do) that it is all about us; that this new life is what the river puts
into us - that we are the ones being re created. But what if it's a two way street? What if, in addition to the river re creating us, we are to put
some energy into re creating the river?
To paraphrase JFK, what if we should not simply ask what the river can
do for us, but what we can do for the river?
One reason I like this concept (that river re
creation must involve restoring the resource - or at least, not destroying it)
is that it prevents a trash-throwing toober or an off road vehicle enthusiast
(who likes to drive down riverbeds) from claiming that they, like we, are river
recreationists. Their activity destroys
the resource, while the conscientious canoeist or kayaker (especially the one
who restores the river by picking up trash or fighting a rockcrusher) is truly
involved in restoring or re creating the resource.
So
get out there and enjoy your rivers.
Get out there and let those rivers restore you. But be sure that you do no harm. And even better, spend some time making
those rivers better than you found them.
Spend some time recreating.
LOWER CANYONS NEWS
Stillman
Dudley Harrison of Sanderson passed away on Saturday, November 25, 2006, at his
home in Sanderson after a lengthy and courageous battle against cancer. Dudley was the Dryden Crossing Take Out
Owner who allowed us to shuttle vehicles from and to his take out for
years. A fund has been established in
his name for persons wishing to donate toward the restoration of the Rio
Grande. The address is: Rio Grande Wild and Scenic Foundation, Big
Bend Natural History Association, PO Box 129, Big Bend, TX 79834. Mark
Donations: In Memory of Dudley Harrison.
Anyone
wishing to make reservations for a vehicle take out at Dryden Crossing, contact
the following: Jon Tom Lowrance, C/O Harrison Ranch, PO Box 86, Sanderson, TX
79848; 432-345-3300.
Lower
Canyons Wild and Scenic River Section Trippers: According to River Ranger,
Marcos Paredes, there are new alternate campsites available at two locations:
(1) Alternate for Hot Springs Rapids: Asa Jones Campsite Downstream Left Side
of River; (2) Upper Madison Falls: Campsites now available on Both Sides of the
river. Special thanks to Marcos Paredes, for the updated information. his email:
mailto:Marcos_Paredes@nps.gov
ARE YOUR DUES DUE???????
Everyone
will be getting a hard copy of this
email in the mail next week. Please
look at the mailing label and check your dues due date. Thanks!!!
Hope to see you on a river somewhere.
You can print the following application to renew your dues or go to the
TRPA website and renew by paypal:
http://www.txrivers.org/ (If your info has not changed, you do not
have to fill out the form, just mark your
desired membership level and any merchandise that you want and put your
check in the mail.)
Thank you for your support.
Texas Rivers Protection
Association Membership Application
To join, or renew your
membership, fill out the information below and include a check for your dues.
Name __________________________________ Hm Phone________________________
Wk phone____________________
Street ________________________City
____________________ State ___________
Zip________
E-mail _____________________________________________________________
Check here if e-mail version
of newsletter is sufficient ______
Levels of membership: (check
one)
___Regular$10
___Protector$25
___Guardian$50
___Ranger$100 ___Bronze$500 ___Silver$1000 ___Gold$5000
Is this a renewal? _______ Check
if new address _______
All members receive a bumper sticker, notices and newsletters and get
to vote at general meetings. Protectors
also receive a cloisonné pin with our emblem.
Guardians receive the pin and either a logo cap or logo t-shirt. Rangers and above receive all three. Guardians need to indicate their choice (cap
or t-shirt) and Rangers and Guardians wanting t-shirts should indicate their
size (M,L,XL,XXL).
Protectors, Guardians,
Rangers, Bronze, Silver and Gold members:
Please send the following:
Protector $25 ___ Cloisonné Pin
Guardian $50 ___ Cloisonné Pin and ___ Cap or
t-shirt (circle one) M
L XL XXL
Ranger $100 & above ___ Cloisonné Pin and ___ Cap and t-shirt
(circle one) M L
XL XXL
____ I would like to receive a new bumper sticker.
____No merchandise please
Earmarked Donation(s): Fill in an amount of money (in excess of your
dues) that you would like earmarked for a special fund:
________ Hidalgo Falls Fund
________ Center Point Rockcrusher Fund
________ Other_________________