DRBA Annual Celebration March 5th

Dan River Basin Association's Annual Celebration Saturday, March 5, will feature Philpott Lake as well as major elements of group's mission-preserving and promoting the region's rivers and culture through education, recreation and stewardship.

 

The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Henry Community Center in Henry.

After refreshments and time to view displays, the short business session will include recognition of exceptional volunteer service, election of board members, and staff reports on the association's extensive activities in Virginia and North Carolina during the past year, as well as a glimpse of the year ahead.

Featured as the celebration's speaker will be Craig "Rocky" Rockwell of Bassett. As operations project manager at nearby Philpott Lake, Rockwell is uniquely qualified to present a program on his topic-"Philpott Lake: Past, Present, and Future."

                                  
Nestled in the rugged foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains at the juncture of Franklin, Henry, and Patrick counties, Philpott Lake is described as "a scenic wonderland."

The 3000-acre lake, created when Philpott Dam was completed on the Smith River in 1952, was built to control flooding, generate hydroelectric power, and provide recreational opportunities on the water and along its 110 miles of shoreline. Boating accesses, camping and picnic areas, and hiking trails are among the amenities provided alongside the lake.

Among the most popular is the Jamison Mill Park, named for a three-story gristmill built in the late 1880s and operated until about 1950.

Hazel Via Hale, granddaughter of Robert Carter, the miller at Jamison Mill for over 50 years, is author of "Memories: Jamison Mill Era."

According to Hale, until the mill was demolished for the lake, it was a gathering place for the whole community where people came for miles to have corn ground into meal.

Nowadays, another community group comes from miles around to the Jamison Mill area: the Friends of Philpott, who have put in many volunteer hours building and maintaining trails at Jamison Mill Park.

Organized in 2007, Friends of Philpott has the mission to provide environmentally responsible use, development and protection of the natural and recreational resources at Philpott Lake through community involvement and education.

Friends of Philpott will join Dan River Basin Association volunteers in providing hospitality and refreshments for the celebration.

Members and guests will hear reports from the association's staff, including Brian Williams from Dan River Basin's Virginia office in Collinsville; acting executive director Jenny Edwards from the Eden, N.C. headquarters office; Dale Swanson from the Stokes Field Office in Danbury, N.C.; and Chad Hall, North Carolina program manager, whose office is in Yanceyville, N.C.

Following the meeting and a picnic lunch provided by each participant, members and guests will carpool to the newly extended Jamison Mill Trail, about six miles away.

Coordinators for the 2.5-mile hike will be Linda Drage of Friends of Philpott and Mary Lawson of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers staff, who can tell about the history of the mill, development of the trail, and interesting natural features of the site.

Participants are asked to bring a picnic lunch to be eaten at the community center. Those joining in the after-lunch hike should wear hiking boots or walking shoes and dress in layers.

To reach Henry Community Center, 5241 Henry Road, Henry, VA_(36.842172,-80.024966), drive on US 220 north of Martinsville for about seven miles past the traffic light at Bassett Forks. Turn left on Henry Road (Route 605). Drive about eight miles to the Henry Community Center, also housing the volunteer fire department, on the right.

Meetings and outings of the Dan River Basin Association are free and open to the public.

For information about the celebration or the hike, contact Wayne Kirkpatrick at 276-694-4449 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              276-694-4449      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or wynbtyk@embarqmail.com.

Membership information is available at www.danriver.org.

Blue Ridge Ski & Outing Club - Gravely Hike

On November 6th, 15 people (and one dog!) enjoyed a Blue Ridge Ski and Outing Club hike at the Gravely Nature Preserve, Henry County’s first and, at present, only interpretative park. The 75-acre Preserve is a part of the Smith River Trails system which includes multiuse trails, riverside parks, and boating access points at intervals along the entire river through Henry County and into North Carolina, where the Smith converges with the Dan River.
The group started the hike on the Jones Cliff Trail that follows a ridge 200 feet above the Smith River going by a century old tobacco barn and passing through a mature hardwood forest.

Then they split off from that trail to descend on the Rhododendron Trail to the Smith River and walk beside the chattering river rapids through a tunnel like canopy of rhododendrons. They ascended on the other end to rejoin the Jones Cliff Trail and visit the Burgess Family Cemetery dating back to the 1800’s. It was a lovely sunny day for our 2-mile adventure.
The club plans to return in the spring when the rhododendron is in bloom!

Tis the Season for Trout

The first week in December is an exciting time in our region.  Students across the Smith River Valley have anxiously awaited the arrival of a special package that heralds the beginning of a new season. They arrive as small wet bundles wrapped in cheesecloth containing hundreds of tiny pink eggs. The deliveries to schools across the area mark the beginning of another season of Trout in the Classroom.   Over the next six months, students in local area schools will take on the responsibility of caring for these brown trout as they hatch and grow into fingerlings for release into our local rivers. 

The Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program started in 2005 and this year marks the beginning of the sixth season for what has become one of Virginia’s top watershed education programs.  The brown trout eggs that were picked up last Friday are provided by The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) from the state hatchery at Wytheville, VA.  Butch Bates, hatchery manger welcomes TIC coordinators across the state and has been instrumental in the support of the program since 2006. 

This award-wining program was originally conceived by Trout Unlimited over 20 years ago but was first introduced to Virginia classrooms by Dr. David Jones, a Martinsville area Orthodontist and has become an institution here in Southwest Virginia as one of the largest single TIC programs in the country.  

 TIC staff and volunteers make the trip across 3 counties and back to pick up thousands of trout eggs and deliver them to schools participating in the program.  These eggs are just the beginning and students and teachers will be raising the trout throughout the school year as they hatch from the fragile eggs and grow into healthy young trout under their watchful care. The trout eggs are delivered  to classrooms usually around the first week in December.   

Dr. Jones, Brian Williams of the Dan River Basin Association and volunteer TIC helpers have been making the journey to the hatchery each year and according to Brian, “It’s great way to kick off the start of each season.  The students are always excited when we arrive with eggs and you can see that it really sparks an interest in learning about the trout.  It’s amazing when you think how many kids have been through the program here in our region and now it has grown to 140 tanks across the state from Richmond on through to the Blueridge.”  

 This year, Brian and TIC volunteer Lisa Hall, a local dental hygienist and member of Smith River Trout Unlimited, made the journey to Wytheville to pick up the eggs.  This is volunteer Hall’s first year helping with the program. “Wow, this program is incredible and the trip to the hatchery was a fantastic experience.  We saw the huge parent trout that provided the eggs for this year and delivering  to schools was very exciting…the kids are really excited to get their eggs, “ said Lisa. 

 TIC could not be possible without the help of the VDGIF and Butch Bates, hatchery manager at Wytheville according to Brian Williams.  “Butch has really made a difference in the program and has been extremely helpful with his knowledge of rearing trout fry. 

“I love it !, says Butch. “ With just a small investment of time we can provide these eggs that help thousands of students learn about their local watersheds and why clean water is important to the health of our rivers” We raise a lot of fish for our stocking program but TIC is one way we can really make an impact on so many kids with so little effort, its great!”  The eggs should be hatching just before Christmas break and will remain in the baskets for about 3 weeks.  Trout need cold, clean water to survive and one of the major lessons the student learn is how a healthy stream has lots of food for trout and clean water.

Egg deliveries to Henry, Franklin and Pittsylvania school began on Friday with each school receiving a bundle of 200-250 eggs.  “The program has grown to over 30 tanks in four counties and with so many schools in the program now, we don’t even make it to them all in one day and some eggs are held in tanks and delivered in the next week, “ according to Brian.  Wayne Kirpatrick, president of the Dan River basin Association and Rozina Turner of Woolwine Elementary,  will be picking up and delivering eggs for all Patrick County Schools on December 14^th. Patrick County has the distinction of having a trout tank in every one of its schools this year.

Across the country, Trout in the Classroom programs are sponsored by local organizations and funded locally as well.  The Martinsville / Henry County TIC program continues to be supported by the resources from the Harvest Foundation, Dr. David Jones, the Dan River Basin Association staff and volunteers, and local civic organizations.   

The real dedication comes from the teachers and students as they are responsible for the care, feeding and eventual release of trout into the Smith and Dan Rivers. 

According to David Jones, “The teachers and students are the heroes of this program and the key to its success.  With their support, dedication and love for the program we are beginning to see the results.  

Students are learning about our local rivers and beginning to understand the importance of water quality and how it impacts to quality of life and even our economy. We have also see amazing results in attendance and learning and development in classrooms exposed to this program.”   

An avid fly fisherman and strong conservationist, Lisa Hall has seen the program in action and is anxious to help students and teachers this year.  “What a great way to start the holiday season…all I want for Christmas is hatching trout !”

For more information on the local program visit:

http://www.danriver.org/Education/TroutClassroom.htm

For information on Trout Unlimited and the national Trout in the Classroom Program visit:

http://www.troutintheclassroom.org

Podcast - Nick Long talks with VDOF forester, Andrew Brown

Listen to this episode
Nick Long, General Manager of WHLF 95.3 in South Boston Virginia, talks with Andrew Brown, Forester, Virginia Department of Forestry, about sustainable forestry practices that help landowners protect their land, gain top dollar for their trees (if they wish to timber), and protect clean drinking water---all at the same time. For instance, by using a consulting forester, landowners are more likely to get more for their timber and keep their land from washing down stream; stop pollution from getting into rivers; and provide wildlife habitat. Sound forestry practices make good economic sense. This podcast make possible with support from DRBA members, WHLF 95.3, Virginia Environmental Endowment, and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. This project also received funding from the Environmental Protection Agency's 319 Nonpoint Source Implementation Grant Program at the Virginia Department of Conservation (DCR), via grant number 319-2008-14-SR.

Fall Paddle and Hike on the Dan

Fall is the perfect time to be on the riverGet out there and enjoy the scenery and the cool weather
For now, enjoy this short video from Andy and Barbara Parker
A paddle and a hike at Hanging Rock

Fall on the Dick and Willie Passage

The weather is turning cooler and it is the perfect time to get out on area trails !

 The newest offering in Henry County is the scenic Dick and Willie Passage.  Enjoy the beautiful fall foliage while walking or biking the 4.5 mile  paved trail along the historic Danville & Western Railroad. 

Mile 0 is the Virginia Avenue trailhead and the 4.5 mile mark is reached at the current end of the trails (for now) over Mulberry Creek. 

The trail is open from dawn to dusk and can be accessed from five different trailheads with parking and restroom facilities

• 1094 Virginia Avenue
• 699 Liberty Street
• Depot Street
• 220 Doyle Street
• 815 Fisher Street 

 

 Visitors and residents may borrow a bicycle and helmet to use on the trail for free through the Bike MHC program. Bike MHC is held at the Doyle Street trailhead. Contact Activate MHC at 276-403-5086 for more information about this service.  

• Tuesday 10 am to 2 pm
• Thursday 3 pm to 6 pm
• 1st, 4th and 5th Saturday 8 am to 12 noon
• 2nd and 3rd Saturday 10:30 am to 1 noon

                                 

Canoe Rental Program at Beaver Creek Reservoir

Martinsville Parks and Recreation will start renting Canoes at Beaver Creek Reservoir for $30 a day plus a $10 deposit, which is refundable after key, paddles, and life jackets are returned to Main Office at 746 B Indian Trail. The public must come to the Main Office to fill out a short waiver and be sized up for paddles and life jackets which will be at this particular location. (Participates are required to wear their life jackets at all times while paddling on the Lake). Then the person will receive a key specific to the canoe rented, e.g., numbers 1-8. Canoes are “only” allowed to be put in at the Reservoir Lake and returned back to the canoe rack which is stationary at Beaver Creek Reservoir and locked back into position. For more information on MPR’s new Canoe Rental Program, call our office at 276-403-5140.

Submitted by: Gary Cody