Bartram Canoe Trail December 2018

 Viewed from the Racetrack Road overpass showing

"the new bend" around and under the

 new construction areas..

 

This is "playing God" with a natural flowing creek system,

St. Johns County and Florida DOT will do whatever they care

to any waterway that gets in their way of progress..

 This is the view under the overpass looking south,

you see the current wall of water hyacinth overgrowth..

On top of the overpass looking south..

Bartram Canoe Trail Update August 2017

 

.. The natural flow of Durbin Creek and The Historic

Bartram Canoe Trail are now "Bent Around" the

rock pile of the overpass construction mess...

 ..The newly created "corner to paddle around"..

 The price of St. Johns County's urban sprawl has been 

unleashed upon Durbin Creek...

..Here is the harshest view of Durbin Creek's "reality check"

The arrow in the dirt was the actual line of where Durbin Creek
 used to flow naturally "and you know, minus a couple of 

centennial cypress trees whats the big deal?"

The Bartram Canoe Trail May 2017

 Here is the current view north on Durbin Creek from the new

 Racetrack Road Over Pass project from where there 

used to be a park and there used to be a creek...

 

..this is so incredibly wrong, look what's left of Durbin Creek..

 

 

 What a lovely job DOT and St. John's County 

have done with the creek!!!!!

 

We just can't wait to paddle the newly carved disaster of a 

local waterway called The Bartram Canoe Trail on Durbin Creek.

Just look how "your desire for progress" manifests itself

 on a natural beautiful area...

Goodby's Creek Waterway Restoration

 ..Smilin Jim Woods up the creek..

 

 ..This is Citizen Volunteer Waterway Stewardship..

 

..Working on the natural tree arch, Goodby's Creek

will need more work from us in the near future

to remain fully open for paddling...

..We had 2 canoe crews removing the smaller

 surface restrictions..

..We had an amazing group of volunteers!!!!

We are so very thankful to them all!

..The back side of the tree arch..

Paddling Goodby's creek even after all of the work we did, remains

 a challenge due to the tidal influence. During dead low tide 

even the launch area at Tomahawk Park is inaccessible...

Goodby's Creek Restoration Project 2017

 

...Sunday, February 19th 9am to Noon...

Join us for a gigantic one day clean up

 and restoration project of Goodby's Creek headwaters based out
of Tomahawk Park. City Council President Lori Boyer has asked 

us to take on this project as part of her initiative to get more
 people in Jacksonville out on our waterways.When we are done

 on this day you can paddle from Camp Tomahawk to the 

St. Johns River and beyond...

..This is the confluence of Goodby's Creek to the right and 

a disturbing outflow creek to the left flowing north to south..

 

..A close up of this outflow creek full of orange iron algae..

..The City designated Canoe and Kayak Launch...

..An example of many of the surface water restrictions that 

affect this tidal creek..

..This is the biggest job on the creek..

..This is another example of a great local creek that have become
 impassible to paddlers due to storm damage and no one 

maintaining the creek. Imagine a city this size of Jacksonville
 Florida and there is "no one you can call" to perform this
 kind of technical creek clearing except citizen volunteers!

..No big deal to us..

..This is the backside view of the downed trees
next to San Clerc Road..

..The current tree fall viewed from the bridge on San Clerc..

The Grand Centennial Bartram Cypress Tree is Dead

..This tree has stood for centuries and was cut down because it

was in the way of St. Johns County Urban Sprawl. The value of this

beautiful tree was not worth the county's or DOT's consideration

 to "wiggle the design" of the roadway
to save this historic treasure..

..St. Johns County Government, Florida Department of
Transportation and the developers of this massive plan

should be ashamed of themselves...

There once was a park...

..there once was a park... 

For now, the only place to launch and paddle Durbin Creek is 

from the boat ramp next to Clark's Fish Camp and

paddle a long 5 to 6 miles!

..you can't stop what's coming...

..there once was a canoe and kayak launch...

..The Bartram Canoe Trail Park....

 .."the old picnic table view" notice the survey marker
on the north side of the giant cypress, that's bad news for
this amazing tree..

..Take your last look at the grand centennial cypress tree...

State Road 9B Extension Construction

..This is the new bridge being built over Durbin Creek viewed 

from the east. SR 9B will connect I-95 with St. Johns Parkway..

 

 ..Durbin Creek in the foreground flows from left to right, 

which is, south to north...

 

..This Giant Fishing Spider hanging out on an old cypress trunk

wondering whats happening to his creek....

The Bartram Canoe Trail Park is Closed

...May 12th, 2011 to September 7th, 2016...

Due to the approaching road and bridge construction we shut down

The Bartram Canoe Trail Park as requested. Josh and I built the
 park and have maintained the park area and waterway for
5 years and 4 months now. We currently have no idea when the new
 launch area and parking lot will be built farther to the north. 

We'll keep you posted.

You can't stop what's coming

Soon, The Bartram Canoe Trail Park and Launch

as we know it will come to an end forever. We will have

 to remove the picnic table, garbage can, and signage

 to make way for what will be built in it's place.

The new launch area you will access through a lighted
intersection off Racetrack Road to a 20 space parking lot and

 then will have to carry or roll your boats down a very 

long board walk from east to west to access Durbin Creek.

The end is near.

The Giant Oak Tree

 ..I tried to tackle this beast today...

.."That's all for now folks" we're going to need some help here.

We have a 20 inch saw for a 40 inch tree! At least you can 

park in the road and get to the launch for now....

Tropical Storm Colin

..This is the view today from the entrance road to 

The Bartram Canoe Trail Park. The storm dropped

a 38 inch oak tree covered in poison ivy across the road. 

We wonder how many new trees might be blocking

 Durbin Creek from this giant storm?

We'll check it out soon...

6/8/2016 Durbin Creek is in flood stage and a great time to paddle, 

after we cut the tree...

Happy 5th Birthday!

Happy 5th Birthday to The Clean Waterway Society!

We want to thank our friends, volunteers and partners for helping

us celebrate our 5 year open house at our warehouse on May 20th
 2016. Many thanks to Tommy Lee of Lee & Cates Glass Company, 

Sonny's Barbecue, Jed Steele Wines, Champion Brands Beer,
Executive Chef Justin Bick of Ruth's Chris Steak House for our
Charcuterie Display and our terrific birthday cake! 

Photographer Doug Eng for his beautiful framed print and

volunteer photos, JSO Officer Jimmy Collins and 

Turning Point Kayaks.

We can't thank you all enough!!

Low Water Durbin 4/3/2016

 ..I paddled today with Dennis Thompson owner of 

Adventure Kayak Florida on Durbin Creek..

...Durbin Creek is really low..we need some rain!..

 ..Dennis and I had an amazing encounter with a pair of

Prothonotary Warblers that nest in tree cavities in April and May..

 ..We were lucky enough to watch him feed on a caterpillar!...

..Dennis Thompson in the noble shadow of a Gigantic

 Cypress tree on the banks of Durbin Creek...

If you are looking to book a paddling trip, please check out

http://www.adventurekayakflorida.com

facebook.com/adventurekayakflorida