Deadline
looming for Winter Paddle Florida on the Peace
River
Our first Winter installment
of Paddle Florida takes place on the Peace River
next month over the MLK, Jr. weekend. The deadline
to register is January 1st. We begin in Ft.
Meade on Friday night, January 15, 2010. After
a safety briefing and overview of the trip, we
will camp there before setting out on Saturday
morning for a 13-mile paddle to Paynes Creek
Historic Site in Bowling Green, where will spend
the night, have dinner and breakfast, before
proceeding to Pioneer Park in Zolfo Springs,
an easy 10-mile paddle. After we sample the
hospitality of Hardee County, we will finish
the trip on Monday, January 18th with a 19-mile
paddle to the Gardner boat ramp. A Paddle Florida
registation for that special outdoorsman or woman?
What a great Christmas gift idea!
For our spring and fall trips, groups of 5 or
more can take advantage of the 'company retreats'
discount. Please call us at 352.377.8342 352.377.8342
for more information. In both cases we will
be staying at several state parks and some private
sector providers, but one thing's for sure; no
one who participates will ever forget their time spent
on Florida's Peace River and the majestic Suwannee
and Withlacoochee Rivers.
Featured Paddle Club: West Florida Canoe and Kayak Club
Our club provides informative
programs, and, most importantly, wonderful trips
to some of our region's beautiful rivers, creeks,
bayous and bays. Our club meetings are held in
Pensacola, Florida and our paddling trips are generally
in northwest Florida, southern Alabama and southern
Mississippi.
Northwest Florida is a destination for paddlers
from around the world. We are fortunate to call
this region home.
Our photo gallery helps us to show off the scenic
beauty of our waterways as well as the native wildlife.
Read trip reports to learn about some of our most
recent outings. An archive of past trip reports
is also available.
You can also find contact information if you are
interested in joining us, either as a guest on
one of our outings, or as a member. A membership
application can be found on the site as well. We
would enjoy having you paddle with us.
Keep in mind that paddling, or
any water related activity, is inherently dangerous.
Our club encourages safety above all else. If you
are uncertain of your paddling ability, it is recommended
that you participate in an American Canoe Association
class. In addition, our trips are rated based
on the level of skills necessary. Due to fluctuating
water levels, hazards or unexpected pull-overs,
even easy trips may prove challenging for inexperienced
paddlers.
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Paddle
Florida finalizes 2010 trip schedule
Paddle Florida is excited to
announce that our 2010 trip
schedule is complete and can
be viewed and accessed on our
website at www.paddleflorida.org
We have tweaked the website
a bit and now it is really easy!
Check out 'blog' section
of Paddle Florida website
For
a 'child's eye' view of
the Fall Paddle Florida
event we did in October,
visit the Paddle Florida
website' s 'blog' section.
Kayla Smith, aged 10, kept
a journal during the 7-day
trip on the Suwannee in
October. Her writing and
youthful style is a sweet
rendering of her experiences
on the trip. |
 
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Southwest
Florida Water Management
District to assist with
Peace River trip
The Southwest Florida Water
Management District (District)
was created in 1961 by a special
act of the Florida Legislature
to be the local sponsor of the "Four
River Basins, Florida Project." This
was a major flood control project
sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers (Corps) after Hurricane
Donna caused massive damage to
southwest Florida in 1960. The
project included flood control
structures and water detention
areas, and encompassed a 6,000-square-mile
area. We continue to cooperate
with the Corps today in maintaining
and operating portions of this
flood control system.
Our responsibilities expanded
in the mid- to late-1960s when
regulatory programs for regional
wellfields serving the Tampa
Bay metropolitan area were initiated,
and again in 1972 when the Florida
Legislature passed the Water
Resources Act. The Act significantly
furthered the transition from
strictly flood control to a more
broad-based policy of resource
management and service to the
public. The Act was in response
to a growing need for a more
comprehensive approach to water
management in the State, and
received recognition as a model
water statute from the National
Water Commission for its regional
approach and comprehensive scope.
The District's duties and responsibilities
have increased over the years.
Some of these new duties were
the result of legislative action;
others came about through delegation
by state agencies; while others
were initiated by the District
under existing authority in response
to evolving water management
challenges. While our mission
has remained essentially the
same since passage of the Water
Resources Act — to manage and
protect water and related natural
resources — the areas of responsibility
now encompass water supply, flood
protection, water quality management
and natural systems management.
Moreover, there is growing recognition
that the integration of all these
areas is essential to effective
planning and management of the
resource.
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Florida
Paddling Trails Association
The
FPTA: An opportunity to
give back
Most Sunshine
State Paddlers will agree that
Florida has some of the most
outstanding paddling trails
in the world. The Florida
Paddling Trails Association
(FPTA) was created to help
keep it that way and enhance
paddling opportunities across
the state.
The FPTA was established with
the help of the Florida Office
of Greenways and Trails in
2007 as a 501 (c)(3) volunteer
organization to act as stewards
for Florida's water trails,
including the 1,515-mile Florida
Circumnavigational Saltwater
Paddling Trail. Since that
time, the FPTA has been growing
into a state-wide network of
paddlers, clubs, outfitters
and other water trail supporters,
fulfilling a goal of knitting
the paddling community together.
The group has been likened
to being a Sierra Club for
water trails.
The FPTA seeks to enhance paddling
experiences throughout the
state and offer paddlers a
unique chance to give back
to the sport of paddling, the
environment, and local communities
along the water trails. They
do this in a variety of ways,
including:
* Offering
links on their interactive
website to more than 150 paddling
trails throughout the state
along with 73 paddling clubs
and 166 outfitters. Also, trail
keeper reports enable paddlers
to view photos and learn more
details about the more than
100 overnight stops on the
circumnavigational trail.
* Helping
to maintain and enhance water
trails through clean-up efforts,
developing campsites, and promoting
the establishment of compatible
launch facilities.
* Distributing
a free on-line newsletter that
highlights items of interest
to paddlers, such as the recent
paddlers' "listening sessions" sponsored
by the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission.
* Promoting
activities and education concerning
the ecosystems along water
trails. This includes the development
of a Paddler's Environmental
Toolkit that enables paddlers
to recognize environmental
problems, solve the small problems
and report the large ones.
The FPTA likens this to "Paddling
With a Purpose." The FPTA has
also partnered with NOAA concerning
plankton monitoring in Florida
waters, and with the Ocean
Conservancy with regards to
their annual coastal cleanup.
* Boosting Local Communities.
Each region of the FPTA is
working with local communities
to develop ways that water
trails can be used to help
boost tourism and local economies.
This includes planning special
paddling events to showcase
Florida's water trails as recreational
end environmental Florida gems
to be enjoyed by people who
live and visit the state.
* Building
relationships with paddlers,
paddling clubs and outfitters
throughout the state and providing
a website calendar for all
Florida paddle events. The
FPTA seeks to partner with
(not take over) existing organizations
regarding service projects
that will benefit all paddlers
in the state.
For more information
on the FPTA and how to get
involved, log onto www.floridapaddlingtrails.com.
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