FYI NWA paddlers!!

[OzarkTom]

Hi Folks, This was forwarded to me today by a concerned individual. I would recommend making your voices heard if you are not in favor of this happening.

If you want more information, I believe you could contact:

Steve Caraway
The Morning News
Northwest Arkansas Newspapers
479-872-5045
scaraway@nwaonline.com

Steve covers Springdale Politics and could probably point you in the right direction.


Tom


On the Springdale City Council agenda, a resolution will ban canoes and kayaks from Murphy Park Lake and Lake Springdale. I'm not sure if that would be something the club would oppose. Murphy Park Lake is a little small for anything, but Lake Springdale, it seems to me, would be a good place for roll sessions.

I'm not sure if anyone from the club has paddled on Lake Springdale. I believe the Boy Scouts have cleaned the lake out of canoes for a project.

Would you let me know if there might be any opposition to the move. The council is moving fast, first bringing it up on March 5 and then planning the vote for March 13.

[Eric Esche]

Hope someone will adress this issue. I tried the email address and it came back void. I will be out of town on the Buffalo tomorrow so no chance for me to check it out.

Why do they want to ban canoes and kayaks?

Thanks, Eric Esche

[Fish]

Often it's fishermen who lobby to get paddlers off "their" lake/river/creek. Not sure that's the case here, but if there's fishing going on then that's a likely source of tension. I remember trying to get the boatball fee structure lowered on Lake Fayetteville - we wanted to be a recognized recreational group - a simple process. City council had two avid fishermen on it who both worked hard to block us. When I talked with some other council members they said both of them had tried to outright ban kayaks and canoes several times. Of course, fishing boats with small motors were fine.

- Fish

[tomOzarkVideo]

Update:

Meeting is Monday, March 19th.

The following was found here: http://www.springdalear.gov/docs/agenda ... Agenda.pdf


AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE USE OF BOATS, CANOES, KAYAKS, OR OTHER SIMILAR VESSELS ON ANY BODY OF WATER IN SPRINGDALE PARKS; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
WHEREAS, there are two bodies of water contained in parks withm the City of Springdale, Arkansas;
WHEREAS, these bodies of water have been used for fishmg and the City Council finds that the bodies of water were never intended to be used for boating, canoeing, kayaking, or any other similar activity;
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that these type activities described in the previous paragraph should be prohibited within the parks of the City of Springdale, Arkansas;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY TEFE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF SPRINGDALE, ARKANSAS, that Sec, 78-55 shall be added to the Code of Ordinances of the City of Springdaleas follows:
Sec. 78-55. Boats, canoes, kavaks, or other similar vessels are prohibited from be in^ used on anv body of water within parks.
It is unlawful for any person to use a boat, canoe, kayak, or any other similar vessel on any body of water within any park withtn the City of Springdale. However, this prohibition does not apply to any government official or agent thereof using a boat. canoe, kayak or similar vessel in connection with an official government function.

Emereencv Clause. It is hereby declared that an emergency exists and this ordinance, being necessary for the preservation of the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Springdale, Arkansas, shall be in effect immediately upon its passage and approval.

The city attorney has already signed the document.

Now for my pointless <.02$
I have lived within a mile of these bodies of water for 30 years and I believe neither of these ponds are safe to wade, stand or swim in.
The only time I have launched a boat into Murphy was in 1995 to camp on the little island (with the mayor's direct permission) It's shallow, dirty and full of debris from the surrounding area. It really is a fishing hole at best.

"lake" Springdale has been set up by P&R to be really difficult to access for boating ever since it's beautification. It has never seemed to be a very interesting place to paddle. Sadly, this is not a surprising move by the Springdale public machine. Still, kind of a bummer since I can practically carry a boat there from my house.

Again.. IMHO.

Now, Spring creek..The little stream that runs next to lake Springdale.. That's another story

[Eric Esche]

Bad precedent if they get away with this.

Eric Esche

[okieboater]

Old middle eastern saying, something like below:

"If camel gets nose in tent, soon entire camel asleep in tent"

[Fish]

"Used for fishing" - only... This is probably not about safety. Someone should go speak for the paddlers here, hopefully someone from Springdale. Most safety concerns that can be addressed by some cheap, simple signage and ACC could offer to pay for the signs and their maintenance. If it's about safety and not banning a one user group in favor of another (emergency clause probably circumvents potential comment/waiting period?), then we should be able to work out how to address that issue. If it's just another instance of officials favoring one public resource user group over another, boaters should stand up for their rights. Springdale boaters pay their taxes just like everyone else.

- Fish

[Half Ton]

Never been to Murphy. Been to lake( read pond) Springdale enough to know that when lined with fisher folk it would be dangerous to be a boater. Not a spot to be that's out of range of a bank cast.

It is littered with line, hooks, and woody debris. If a person wanted to carry a boat a 1/4 mile they could put it on the dirty and unsafe lake to: fish from a boat, clean trash from the areas it is not possible to get trash picked up otherwise from bank, and even have a leisurely paddle I guess.

I really would not encourage roll practice there, but maybe for some folks it's all they have?

I heard the mayor has a canoe in his garage by the way.

I like what fish said about taxes. Maybe an option should be offered for Springdale to consider creating a nice venue for paddlers exclusively

[Fish]

I'm not saying I want to paddle there - I'm with you in thinking it's a better fishing spot than canoeing spot. But if someone does want to launch a canoe there, they shouldn't be banned. There won't be a horde of boaters on the lake anyway anytime soon, so why does big bro needs to run off the very few that do want to go there. Government gotta protect those boaters from themselves - and keep the fishes happy.

- Fish

P.S. - the mayor can still use his canoe on the lake - official business is exempted.

[Half Ton]

This could be an entertaining occupy the lakes movement.