We are now listed with American Whitewater as an affiliate club. This should help bring extra awareness to our club. Visit the American Whitewater club affiliate page to check it out.

Tags: American Whitewater | Membership

Mark your calendars and don't miss out on the first annual Bardstown Boaters Winter Meeting.

Saturday, January 28th 2006
at Bardstown Mills
204 West Muir Ave.
Bardstown, KY 40004

Tags: Meeting | Bardstown

I saw a bald eagle during the Thanksgiving break at our house in Frankfort along the Kentucky River. Very cool to see such a majestic bird. I only got this long range picture above, of her.

Tags: Environment

What features would you like to see on our homepage? I have been trying to add things like the BoaterTalk and American Whitewater RSS feeds to make this site your one stop access point for all things boating related to us Bardstown Boaters. But if there is something I am missing, something that you use regularly and would like to be able to access from right here at BardstownBoaters.com, please let me know. Use the "comments" link below do this. Get creative, help me think of new ways to make this site better.

Tags: Website | Membership

from Jay Thomas:

We are planning a trip this weekend, the beginning of the journey from one end of the Commonweath to the other.  We have the gear, the transportation, and the will.  All we lack is the weather.  The forecast is cold, mid forties for highs, upper twenties for nightime lows.  Also saturday carries a thirty percent chance of rain.  Cold I think that I can handle, but I don't want to get wet.  We will watch the weather and make a determination on Wednesday whether or not to postpone.  I would like to start at the beginning of the trail in Tennessee at the Picket State Park.

Google says that it's little over five hours drive to Picket State Park.  We could try that or we could try something closer and a little more familiar to us, like the Red River Gorge section or the Rockcastle River section.  I ordered a good guide book that should give us a better idea of the sections.  I'm down with any.

Tags: Sheltowee Trace | Hiking

This Thanksgiving I am thankful that there is an organization out there like the Team River Runners.

Team River Runner (TRR), established in August 2004 by kayakers in the Washington, DC, area, is an all-volunteer organization run by a council of nine kayakers and overseen by a board of directors.

Working in partnership with The Wounded Warrior Project and Disabled Sports USA, TRR helps veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) find health, healing, and new challenges through whitewater boating on the Potomac River.

While the focus of TRR’s work is on soldiers recuperating at WRAMC, TRR also provides whitewater boating opportunities for family members as well as for other wounded veterans.

Tags: Safety | Charity

So I have been looking for a Thule 56 Fit Kit to put my old rack on my new Ranger. Well I thought I should brag a little about what a steal I got off of eBay. Normally it's $50 but I got it for $1 on eBay. Now I just need to complete the bed with the Yakima Outdoorsman and I'm all set.

Tags: Gear

by DAVID MANN

City leaders will decide in January if mandatory water rationing will be necessary in Bardstown, following a report by city engineer George Greenwell. The city of Bardstown’s primary water supply, Sympson Lake, is still down — as it has been for the better part of the last five months. Bardstown Mayor Dixie Hibbs said they will continue to monitor the situation and agreed to make a decision on mandatory water conservation by Jan. 15.

“At that point we have to determine which way we have to go,” she said. “There is no reason to panic at this point.”

Though the lake level is close to three feet lower than “full,” November and December are typically wet months for the region, she said. Additionally, water demand is lower in the fall and winter when residents aren’t as concerned with watering their lawns and gardens. The city is currently under voluntary water conservation.

“We asked for voluntary because we were treating and delivering so much more than we anticipated,” Hibbs said.

The water supply in Nelson County has been a concern of late for both city and county leaders. Earlier this fall, Nelson Fiscal Court announced it wanted to work together with the city of Bardstown to solve the issue. Citing recent water supply concerns and recent calls for voluntarily conservation, Nelson Fiscal Court announced its intention to find a new water source in September. The city supplies about 90 percent of Nelson County’s water. The city also pumps water from the Beech Fork River.

Right now, the Beech Fork supplies the city with about 3 million gallons per day.

Tags: Bardstown | Whitewater Park

We plan to run 2 rivers in 2 states in honor of Jay getting married. This will be the weekend before Easter.

Thursday April 6th - Sunday April 9th 2006

Chattooga River, Georgia
Section 2 class II 7 miles
Section 3 class III+(IV) 13 miles
Ocoee River, Tennessee
Middle Ocoee class III+

The Plan
Drive down on Thursday, camp and setup.
Paddle section II on Friday, camp.
Paddle Section III on Saturday, drive to Tennessee.
Paddle Ocoee on Sunday and head home.

Tags: Chattooga | Ocoee

This was taken from a post at BWA's forum:

Premium Coal Co., a coal company from Kentucky, wants to blow up Buffalo Mountain in the New River watershed. Not only will the mine destroy five intermittent streams, it will destroy the watershed on the mountain and result in a massive release of sediment into Ligias Fork.

Ligias Fork is a direct tributary of the New River, which was recently designated critical habitat for five species of endangered mussels. Mussels require pristine waters and will die if the water becomes sedimented. That means that Governor Bredesen and TDEC are about to violate the Endangered Species Act (applicable to state agencies) by issuing a permit allowing Premium Coal to murder five endangered species and annihilate their critical habitat.

Even worse, however, the New River joins with Clear Fork to become the Big South Fork, one of Tennessee's (and Kentucky's) most beautiful wild rivers and the centerpiece of the Big South Fork National Recreation Area, managed by the National Park Service. Designated an Outstanding National Resource Water by TDEC, the Big South Fork is supposed to be protected against pollution and degradation. Indeed, federal law and TDEC's own rules forbid new discharges of pollutants, including sediment, into the Big South Fork, unless the discharger can affirmatively demonstrate that the discharge will not result in degradation or pollution.

Unfortunately, however, TDEC and Gov. Bredesen have embarked upon a pattern and practice of throwing the Clean Water Act, the Tennessee Water Quality Control Act and TDEC's own rules out the window. TDEC and Bredesen have already issued illegal permits to allow the destruction of tens of thousands of feet of headwaters in the New River watershed and for the discharge of untoward amounts of sediment. In doing so, they've ignored both the plain language of the Tennessee Water Quality Control Act and the pleas of the Park Service to address the cumulative impacts of the mining in the watershed on the Big South Fork.

Premium Coal's mine will destroy even more headwaters and result in the release of even more sediment into the New River and the Big South Fork. This will cause pollution in violation of the Water Quality Control Act and degradation in violation of the Clean Water Act, the Water Quality Control Act, federal regulations and TDEC's own rules. In other words, the only way that TDEC and Bredesen can issue these permits is to flagrantly break the law.Don't let them continue to get away with it. The only way to make them stop is to speak out and tell them "No."

Tell TDEC and Bredesen that their duty is to uphold the law and protect the public and citizens' rights to unpolluted waters and to use and enjoy one of Tennessee's most beautiful wild rivers and National Recreation Areas. Come to the public hearing and stop Premium Coal Co. in its rapacious, coal grubbing tracks.

What: Public Hearing on Premium Coal Co.
When: 7 p.m., November 15, 2005
Where: Cove Lake State Park

Tags: Big South Fork | Environment

Don't F with a Jury.



Twin or no twin, he'll lop all your hair off!

Tags: Membership

I'm back from Dominica so it's time to get things going again on here. I have a video slideshow from my trip, I hope to put some more video together later on.



Dominica does have whitewater and probably much more of it than I even saw. Most of the rivers were too low while I was there, but during the peak rainy season I am sure there is plenty of it. Dominica has lots of rocks in the rivers and steep drops, high class stuff. Beautiful rivers though.

Also more photos from the beautiful Dominica can be seen in the picture gallery.

I also registered us as an American Whitewater affiliate club today. I don't know if I have received my new journal yet, but we should be in the next one sent out, not the new one.

Tags: Dominica

The membership fund raising is going very well.  Soon I will have us listed with American Whitewater as an affiliate club.

Also last night Justin and I discussed the January meeting a little further, so be ready for that come this winter.  We'll make this an annual event and from now on this is when we can renew memberships.  We may start raise club funds so we can expand club operations.

The first goal in that field will be to hold winter roll sessions in Bardstown.  Justin is going look into Nazareth and try to get the pool there once a month.  It'll be around $5 to help cover the cost of renting the pool and to raise money for the club.

So get ready for these up coming events!

January 2006 - Winter Meeting
*Paddle Pick-Up Report
*Membership
*Club Trips
*2006 Expedition Trip
*Roll Sessions
*Gear Swap

December 2005 - March 2006
Rolls Sessions at Nazareth Pool
$5 per person

Tags: Membership | American Whitewater

Our dear friend Beastie has been lost in Frankfort, KY. She has been missing since Friday October 21st. Hopefully she will return soon. She is the best damn river dog that ever was and we need her back.

Tags: Beastie

Canoeing, Kayaking, Camping

Canceled due to lack of water, but we hope to reschedule this for November.

This is a trip for anybody of any level.  It will be in honor of Jay's 31st birthday.  The Rockcastle is an amazing and beautiful place.  If you haven't been you should really check out this Kentucky jewel.

It's a 16 mile run that we will cover in 2 days.  Day 1 consisting of calm class I water, great scenery and a cool night camping.  Day 2 will have the whitewater and the excitement.  Class II and III drops through an awesome gorge. The Rockcastle is hella fun through here!



You can choose to run only day one stuff and/or you can give the narrows a try.  We'll be taking canoes and kayaks.  Maybe we'll even give the raft a try if we can squeeze it through.  They don't call it the narrows for nothing. If you have been watching this website, seeing us do these paddling trips and wishing you had joined in, this is the time join us. The Rockcastle is my favorite place and it is close to home. Only 2 1/2 hours away.

Go to the forum and let us know that you want to go to the Rockcastle in honor of Jay's 35th birthday.

Tags: Rockcastle River

Our resident Bardstown Boaters check in from Hawaii:



Hey Everyone, I have seen and done so many things over the last couple of weeks its hard to explain it all. Here is kind of a run down, There are classic pictures of the infamous chair jumping party in evansville. My personal favorite is of the chair jumping champion himself, i wanted to get his autograph but he brushed me off. So i named my fantasy football team and this email after him. If you dont understand this explanation, give me a call and i will gladly catch you up on it.

The next set of pics are from my trip to Reno NV were Jack let me fly the plane over Tahoe, These pics are beautiful but it should really make you wonder about the status of our nations homeland security when a yahoo like me can pick up the sticks and cruise around. Seriously, thanks jack and christy for the time of my life.
The next set of pics is of the USS Missouri. Check out the guns on this bad boy. It is nicknamed the Mighty Mo and for good reason. This day was awesome because for those of you who may not know. this is the ship where the Japanese surrendered WWII. Really cool stuff. In the background you can see the USS Arizona that was sunk during the attack on Peral Harbor.


 
The other pics are going to be kind of hard to pick out. Some of the pics (like the sun sets and the spearfishing guy) are from the North Shore. Check out the cloud that looks like Kentucky. I poured a splash of beer out to pay homage to the homeland. just kidding that would be wasteful. The pics that look like they are airial shots of Hawaii are from on top of diamond head. That was simply amazing. The pics of the waves splashing on the rocks are from the eastern side of the island called the windward side. Words cannont discribe this, you have to see it
There should be one pic left to talk about. that is the urinal. This is special because if you will notice it has a headrest. Not just any head rest, a very used head rest. im sure there have been times in my own life where i could have used a headrest. Bless the man that thought that up. lol

Well thats about it. i expect to see all of you out here with in the next two years.
love to all

Zach

Tags: Hawaii

John checks in from Hawaii:

Tags: Hawaii

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 8:21 AM EDT
DAVID MANN The Kentucky Standard

Nelson Fiscal Court and Bardstown City Council want to work together to solve a perceived water shortage in the county.

County Judge Executive Dean Watts said Tuesday during a meeting of Nelson Fiscal Court the two bodies will schedule a joint meeting to address the issue.

Court members as well as councilman John Royalty, who attended Tuesday's Fiscal Court meeting, agreed a joint meeting between the two bodies would be productive.

A date has not been set.

Bardstown Mayor Dixie Hibbs could not be reached for comment. Watts, pointed out however, that she approached him for the meeting. She also mentioned the potential joint meeting at last week's City Council meeting.

Citing recent water supply concerns and recent calls for voluntarily conservation, Nelson Fiscal Court announced its intention to find a new water source.

The Court approved a motion last month allowing Watts to seek federal grant money for a feasibility study to find new sources of water for the county.

For now, Watts said, federal money will have to wait. Congressman Ron Lewis is asking the federal leaders to halt spending on local projects because of hurricanes Rita and Katrina, he noted.

The city supplies about 90 percent of Nelson County's water, according to Hibbs.

Sympson Lake is the primary source of that water. The city also pumps water from the Beech Fork River.

The Beech Fork supplies the city with about a day's supply of water, around 6 million gallons. There are limits, however, on how much the city can take from the source.

According to the Center of Urban and Economic Research, county population is expected to increase by more than 80 percent in the next 30 years.

Watts said last month he would prefer a lake as a solution to the shortage.

A lake would give the community self-dependence and provide an additional recreational area, he said.

Tags: Whitewater Park

During our past camp trip we decided that for next year we may try to install $10 membership dues. Then use the money to get us listed as an official whitewater club with American Whitewater. This cost $75 per year. Thus giving us more exposure by being listed on there website and in there bi-monthly magazine and hopefully a larger membership base.

We want to also organize another charitable event, maybe something tied in with the Bourbon Festival next year so we can get exposure by being listed in their literature and website as an official bourbon festival event. Something like a Bourbon Float. "Travel down the old Beech Fork river to see the old dam where Evan Williams was first distilled". Something like that.

2006 is all about adding new membership and promoting paddling to the Bardstown community.

Tags: Membership