Smith River Clean Up 8-21-10

[Al]

Clear Saturday, August 21, 2010 on your calendar so that you can help the Smith River Trout Unlimited (SRTU) with a Smith River Clean-Up.  Our plan is to assemble at the Trent Hill canoe ramp (lower end of Special Reg Section, near Rte 666 Bridge) at 8:30 and use this location as our headquarters with tent, trash bags, canoes and trucks to help transport trash, drinking water, etc. We will have signs to help guide you to this location.
 
Depending on how many show up we will initially clean the "horseshoe" behind the Chair Factory. If we have a full crew we will send a 2nd team to clean the section from the Bassett Library upstream to Papa's Pizza.  We will continue working downstream using the bridges in Bassett as a reference points. If you arrive later then 8:30 just report to the clean-up headquarters at the Trent Hill canoe ramp and someone will point you in the right direction. (Don't forget your gloves and waders. Some jobs won't require them but most will)
 
The clean up will run from 8:30 am through 2:00 pm. This will give those that come from out of town to help an opportunity to fish later in the afternoon.  We will fire up a grill at the Trent Hill location from 12:00 noon to 2:00pm. All who participate will be treated to hotdogs, hamburgers and soft drink.
 
We anticipate and welcome participation from all river users, local organizations,  landowners, residents, fishermen and others. This is a great opportunity for you folks who shake your head in disgust when you see trash on the river to help make a difference.
 
SRTU member Darrin Doss admin@dossphoto.com  is straw bossing this cleanup. He is being backed up by Paul Fogle pwoolley@centurylink.net  and Al Kittredge aakitt@earthlink.net

[dossphoto]

Here is a little motivation for yall!!  The Smith River runs though Bassett, Fieldale, and Martinsville.  The vast majority of the people in this area have no clue how important this river.  That coupled with the fact that Martinsville and Henry County has NO storm water management policies to speak of, leaves the river to be the catch all for litter and parking lot run-off.  If it blows out of the bed on your truck, drips off of your engine, or is thrown out the window of your car, it ends up in the Smith River somewhere. 

The clean-ups that have been held in the past usually tally up to several TONS of trash and debris ultimately removed from the river.  All of that 'stuff' takes many hands to make it happen.  So if you want to come help out that day, get with myself, Al or Paul.  The more people we get with boots on the ground equals more river miles we can help. 

If nothing else, we want to make sure we have enough to eat after the clean-up is over!


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[Al]

Bumping this to the top again.................

Recent sampling suggests we are moving in the right direction with the Smith. You may find bigger fish elsewhere but you will not find prettier brown trout on the east coast - and there are lots of them. Someone said, "if you can catch fish on the Smith you can catch them anywhere". I'm not sure if that is true but it is certainly a greater challenge then your average DH stream. Once you learn the area, the trout sections of the Smith is easy access and the great thing about it is it's the closest trout water to most of the folks who live in Eastern NC and much of VA.

Unfortunately it also has a reputation as a "trashy river"  - Saturday, August 21st from 8:30 to 2pm is a good time to put your muscle where your mouth is and help clean up some of that trash. Bring your rod and we will go fishing afterwards.

[jwgnc]

My home river in Michigan has a similar clean-up effort. 

I found over the years that my most satisfying days on the river were those where I gave something back, putting the river back toward the conditions we remember when we first fell in love.

We all stand around afterwards with our trash bags full of beer cans, t-shirts, cooler lids, and xxxxx -  proud of our catches.

Join in - you will be pleased

[rjs123]

I was supposed to be in Kansas City then but I may be here after all and not have to leave for KC to after that weekend.  If I am here in Virginia Ill be there for sure!

[Al]

One last bump to top before I head out for a little fishing.

Hope to see lots of you folks at the Smith River Clean-Up Saturday morning.

 While you're there I want to talk with you about weekend river flows - we may have some movement in getting a burp back in the works during the warm months.  Do a little work - get fed and put your 2 cents in all at the same time.

[Al]

We had a great turn out for the Smith River Clean Up  - Saw many of the faithful and a few new folks who I now consider as allies for the betterment of the river. Also have to report I did not see several who should have been there to put a little "sweat equity" into the river.

Rather then me bore you with my pathetic attempt at writing I am providing links to articles about the clean up in the Martinsville Bulletin  and a Dan River Basin Blog Site


http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=24976


http://rivers-trails.blogspot.com/

Thank you all who came out to help. A lot more to be done but we gave it a good shot.

[Woolly Bugger]

good work all!

[outdoorguy3]

I participated and it was really nice to see the numbers that turned out.  Thanks to all those involved in coordinating this event.  Several a year would be well worth the effort.

Thanks for letting me help.

Ralph