Trash Day

Last Saturday the waders went on... but a fly rod was not in hand.  Instead, two commercial sized 60 gallon trash bags were in tow. 

Working on an upstream area of Rock Creek, an area that has been previously mentioned in Trashless Wild posts, it took about fifteen minutes to fill the first bag.  Most of the trash that is found on Rock Creek still seems to be coming from the same area. 

Although it is disheartening to continually find mounting piles of trash after previous trash recovering efforts, I remain determined to make Rock Creek one of the cleanest little creeks in Oklahoma. 


The pile of trash pictured above was recovered in an area that measured maybe 10' by 10'.  Unfortunately, not all the trash could be recovered because it was strewn down a steep hill and I had old shoes on without any grips attached.


After the first bag was filled, another stretch of water was explored.  The second area was within the boundaries of the National Park System, and I'll have to say it was pleasantly void of trash.  There were only a few plastic bottles and Styrofoam cups recovered.  A lot of plastic bags hung in the tree limbs and all of those were removed.  The people at Chickasaw National Recreation Area do a good job in policing the area. 

One more trip will be made to reclaim the trash from the troubled area that has already been cleaned several times.  After that, it's time for a letter of diplomacy asking for help in remedying the problem. 

Guess I better brush up on diplomatic discourse. 

Sustaining The Prairie Ocean

Officials of the Chickasaw National Recreation Area, part of the national park service, announced new plans for management of the famous Vendome Well.

The Vendome Well was drilled in 1922, and since has served as a welcoming sign and centerpiece to the one million annual visitors to the park.

Officials plan on reducing the flow of the well by one-third. This will be accomplished by reducing the flow of the well by 50% daily from midnight to four o'clock a.m. This action will save 108 million gallons of water annually.

Park officials expect little or no degradation to the downstream waters and the life therein.

This new management plan is part of the effort to bring sustainability to the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer - the lifeblood of the prairie ocean.

If only such a plan would've been put in place many years ago.

The Eagles Soar

You know... we almost destroyed the American buffalo in the late eighteen hundreds, and then a short time later we put the bald eagle through the same process.

Fortunately the day came when there would come men and women with the foresight, resolve, and leadership to call out and gain ranks and not only was the buffalo spared but we have now seen a remarkable redemption of the eagle.

Fly-fishing for me is a vehicle... a way that I choose to spend time in nature. If asked the question "Or you a fly-fisher first or an outdoors man first?", the answer would be quick and sharp. No doubt, outdoors man first and foremost.

Some of you might be interested in the guided trips watching the bald eagles that will be soaring over the Prairie Ocean quite soon. The rangers at the Chickasaw National Recreation Area are offering such a program. Not only can you see the bald eagle at Chickasaw, they can also be spotted at the Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge and quite possibly over our sweetest...Blue River.

Here is the information and invite from the folks at Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

Bald eagles are flying once again over Lake of the Arbuckles at Chickasaw National Recreation Area. The annual return of the bald eagles to this area is always a cause for celebration during the winter season.

This year park rangers at Chickasaw National Recreation Area would like to invite the public to attend Bald Eagle Watches scheduled for Saturday, January 16 and 30, 2010. The day will begin at 9:00 am with a program at the Travertine Nature Center. After the program the group will caravan with park rangers to the Lake of the Arbuckles to locate and observe eagles in the wild. Those attending should dress for the weather; bring a camera and binoculars, and a sack lunch. To learn more about this annual event, please call the Travertine Nature Center at 580 622-7234.

The American bald eagle almost reached the point of extinction, but the combined efforts of many private citizens, elected officials, and government agencies led to the removal of bald eagles from the endangered species list in 2007. This increase in the eagle population allows us the privilege of seeing these birds in the wild. Come join us at Chickasaw National Recreation Area for Bald Eagle Watch 2010!