GULF STURGEON IMMERSION XVI 16th ANNUAL GULF STURGEON RESEARCH WORKSHOP SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT – 15 SEPTEMBER 2014 Frank Parauka?? Come-On! Actual First Gulf Sturgeon Workshop For the 16th year, researchers and natural resource managers will convene to report on Gulf sturgeon investigations and conservation efforts – and consider future sturgeon restoration issues – particularly water issues. The 2014 meeting will be hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey, Southeast Ecological Science Center. Host Committee: Ken Sulak, Mike Randall, Melissa Price, Jared Jacobini – partnering with Annette Long of ‘Save Our Suwannee’ and Fritzi Olson of ‘Current Problems’ We want to get the ball rolling early with this initial announcement. Mark your calendar!!! Please reply regarding your probable attendance, intent to present, probable accommodation need, and potential participation in paddle trip. MEETING DATES: 12-14 November 2014 (Wednesday-Friday) PLACE: Cerveny Center, Camp Weed, cervenyconference.org LOCATION: 5 mi east of Live Oak, Florida – off U.S. Highway 90 NEAREST INTERSTATE EXIT: I-10 Exit 283 (U.S. Highway 129 South, Live Oak) APPROXIMATE DRIVING TIMES FROM: St. Petersburg, FL Mobile, AL Vicksburg, MS Tallahassee, FL Jacksonville, FL Panama City, FL Eglin Air Force Base, FL 3 hr 15 min 4 hr 45 min 8 hr 30 min 1 hr 30 min 1 hr 30 min 3 hr 15 min 3 hr 30 min Ocean Springs, MS Hattiesburg, MS Baton Rouge, LA New Orleans, LA Gainesville, FL Atlanta, GA NEAREST AIRPORTS: Gainesville, Tallahassee & Jacksonville, FL 1 5 hr 30 min 6 hr 30 min 7 hr 45 min 7 hr 1 hr 15 min 4 hr 15 min Location of Camp Weed AGENDA REGISTRATION: In the COURTYARD outside the meeting room (inside if rainy or cold). Desk will be open 11:00AM-1:00PM Wednesday - and all day Thursday. We will have a number of eco-focused NGOs participating and offering sales of nature theme T-shirts and local nature artist items on Thursday. Single-day visitors frooutside the core sturgeon research community are welcome. REGISTRATION COSTS: To be paid on site by cash or personal check (no credit cards) to ‘Save-Our-Suwannee’, Workshop co-host, not to Camp Weed or USGS. Registration costs, as follows (meals are separate – see below): Full 3-day Workshop (includes one T-shirt and social) $50 Single-day with T-shirt & Wednesday social $40 Single-day with T-shirt only $23 Single-day attendee $8 AGENDA: WEDNESDAY 12 NOVEMBER 11:00-1:00PM Room check-in; Workshop registration desk open 12 noon to 1:00PM Lunch at Camp Weed 1:00-5:00PM FIELD TRIP: Upper Suwannee River paddle trip, Woods Ferry to Suwannee Springs, easy 9 km paddle down current along high limerock banks. Guided by Ken Sulak 6:00PM Dinner, followed by distinguished speaker John Moran, Florida nature photographer extradinaire, and Springs Eternal Project co-leader: “The plight of Florida’s springs and ground-water” (a core Gulf sturgeon habitat quality issue for now and coming decades). 2 AGENDA: THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER 08:00-5:00PM 08:30-08:45AM 08:45-09:15AM. 09:15-10:30AM 10:30-10:45 AM 10:45-12:00AM 12:00-1:00PM 1:00-3:00PM 3:00-3:15PM 3:15-5:15PM 5:15-6:00PM 6:00PM onward Registration desk open, ‘Save-Our-Suwannee’ and “Current Problems” at the helm. Display tables of participating NGOs and Natural Resource Agencies open. T-shirt, artwork, and information tables open. Welcome Keynote Presentation by Dr. Ann Shortelle, Executive Director, Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD): ‘Mission and Scientific Role of SRWMD’. Keynote Presentation by Megan Wetherington, Scientist, Suwannee River Water Management District: ‘Hydrology and Status of the Suwannee River’. Gulf sturgeon 15-min reports/presentations (5) Break Gulf sturgeon 15-min reports/presentations (5) Lunch Gulf sturgeon 15-min reports/presentations (8) Break Gulf sturgeon 15-min reports/presentations (8) Prep for Dinner/Social BBQ STYLE DINNER & SOCIAL featuring ‘Old Acipenser’ Ale & Kentucky Sleepy Hollow Bluegrass band. AGENDA: FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 9:00AM – 12:00PM – Strategy & Opportunities looking forward: Agency (USGS Fisheries Program Director lead off) briefs, resource manager, and scientist announcements on LCCs (Glenn Constant), USFWS research thrusts, initiatives, collaborative opportunities, data sharing, and funding opportunities. PRESENTATIONS – 15-min per oral reports. If you wish to speak, please complete the accompanying fillable REPLY FORM with your name and presentation title before 15 October. Posters can also be accommodated in the meeting room. Speakers are encouraged to focus upon or include consideration of water issues critical to sturgeons in our various river populations – if possible. Please provide a brief abstract (250 words) as a Word file (no pdfs) with one accompanying figure file – if desired. Please send figure as a separate .jpg or .tif file. CONTACT PERSON coordinating the presentations and abstracts: MELISSA PRICE 352-2643506 mprice@usgs.gov 3 MEETING ROOM, LODGING, DINING WORKSHOP SITE – Young Meeting Room, Cerveny Center, Camp Weed, Seating capacity 120. SETTING – Modernistic-Rustic Camp Weed Cerveny Center lies within largely hardwood forest in unusually hilly terrain (for Florida). The Center faces a large shallow lake - catch and release fishing allowed, Florida freshwater license is required (Obtain online at https://license.myfwc.com). A 3-day nonresident costs $17.00). For obligate runners and joggers, there are about 2 mi of shaded sand roads winding through and around Camp Weed. LODGING AND DINING IS ONSITE – Cerveny Center double occupancy modern motel-style guest rooms immediately adjacent to the meeting room. 53 rooms are available, 40 are on hold for the Gulf Sturgeon Workshop for the nights of 11, 12, 13 November. ROOMS ARE PRIORITIZED FOR THE CORE GULF STURGEON GROUP (RESEACHERS & ASSOCIATED RESOURCE MANAGERS). OTHERS PLEASE USE LOCAL MOTELS. WiFi access provided only in those rooms within the main Cerveny Center complex, and in the meeting rooms and front office area. Six-bunk (open group sleeping setup) cabins are also available within short walking distance. Nearest off-site motels are at Exit 283, I-10, Live Oak. Typical Camp Weed Room CAMP WEEK LODGING RESERVATIONS (CORE GULF STURGEON GROUP): Reservations are to be made by individual attendee, in advance, no later than 12 days before the meeting (i.e., by 31 October 2014). Contact: Jeanie: 386-364-5250 jeanie@campweed.org Identify: Gulf Sturgeon Workshop Tax Exempt is honored for state and federal personnel – Provide tax exempt number at time of reservation (with approved travel orders if agency pre-approval is required to document official travel). Room Cost: Double Occupancy - $37.50/night; Single Occupancy - $75.00/night Cabin Cost: Inquire of Camp Weed reservations contact. 4 CAMP WEED CERVENY CENTER at CAMP WEED 5 ONSITE MEALS PROVIDED BY CAMP WEED in Varn Dining Hall, opposite Young Meeting Room MEALS PROVIDED: Wed (L, D); Thurs (B, L, D), Fri (B) Wednesday: Lunch 12:00 noon, Dinner (& Social) 6:30PM Thursday: Breakfast 8:00AM, Lunch 12:00 noon, Dinner 6:30PM Friday: Breakfast 8:00AM MEAL COSTS: Breakfast $9.00; Lunch $12.00; Dinner $15.00 OPTIONS: Vegetarian Option available; Inquire when making reservation. OFFSITE MEAL OPTIONS There are a number of small restaurants in Live Oak (15 min drive), including a BBQ, Chinese buffet, and a southern style family restaurant. A few of the best locally-owned non-chain eateries are the Brown Lantern, Dixie Grill & Steer Room, Downtown Café, and Angel Wings. CAMP WEED BEVERAGE POLICY Onsite consumption of alcohol is allowed. Beverages will be provided for Thursday social. No onsite sales. BYOB otherwise. PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS ROOM AND MEALS CHARGES are to be paid directly to CAMP WEED. Camp Weed Front Desk will itemize your bill, as needed. REGISTRATION: See above. PARTICIPATING NGOs AND NORTH FLORIDA RESOURCE AGENCIES ‘Save-Our-Suwannee’ Annette Long, contact ‘Current Problems’ Fritzi Olson, contact ‘Springs Eternal’ Dr. Lesley Gamble and John Moran, contacts ‘Friends of the Lower Suwannee and Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges’ Jay Bushnell, contact ‘Our Santa Fe River’ Merrillee Jipson, contact ‘Suwannee River Water Management District’ Dr. Ann Shortelle & Megan Wetherington, contact ‘Florida Wildlife and Conservation Commission’ Lake City Karen Parker, contact 6 FIELD TRIP – SUWANNEE PADDLE ADVENTURE Guided by Ken Sulak. The launch and retrieval sites are 15-20 min away from Camp Weed. Kayaks or canoes, paddles, vests, transportation and kayak shuttle to and from Camp Weed will be provided by ‘Adventure Outpost’ – Lars Anderson (naturalist, author, and Florida historian] outfitter. OR bring your own kayak, life vests, paddles - and use your vehicle to help shuttle. We may use a few agency trucks to do the kayak and people shuttle back to the Gibson Park launch and return to Camp Weed. And/or we can have ‘Adventure Outpost’ do a shuttle with 15 person van and 15-kayak carrier, depending on number of people who sign up. If you intend to join this paddle trip, PLEASE RESPOND AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE using the attached pre-meeting questionnaire. We need to arrange logistics early. Fill out and return to MELISSA PRICE mprice@usgs.gov. Refer questions either by email or telephone to Melissa (352-264-3506). Along this reach of the Upper Suwannee, the river cuts through rugged Karst rock, exposing Swiss-cheese limestone and steep banks. The trip starts at Gibson County Park, historical location of a hand-powered cable ferry, Nobles Ferry. Paddling a few hundred meters upriver you pass over the main Gulf sturgeon spawning ground in the Suwannee River. Then, with some effort against the outflow, enter the Alapaha Rise, a first magnitude spring pouring into the river. Dramatic 30 ft vertical walls ring the springhead. Turn around and get pushed back into the River and downstream. The steep south bank is a portion of the Cody Scarp, the Florida seashore during the Pleistocene Inter-Glacial sea-level high stand. A few hundred meters downstream, pass by concrete and steel remnants of the old ferry landing and early bridge pilings, then the confluence of the Alapaha 7 River – which dries up in summer (actually goes underground for its last 50 rkm). The big permanent eddy here – appropriately called the ‘gar-hole’ by locals – spins in a 65 ft deep hole with a pickup truck at the bottom – angry wife’s revenge. Downstream at rkm 210 you go around a tight bend in the river, emerging in a chute (rapids when the river is low) adjacent to Indian Ledge, a sturgeon spawning ground. In low water years, this gravel-covered rock platform is high and dry – chert arrowhead and hide scrapers can be found here. Just before the canoe takeout at Suwannee State Park, rkm 205, you pass ‘Balance Rock’ and then the small, but strongly-flowing, deep and crystal-clear Lime Sink Spring, emerging on the same side of the river. If you take the River Trail along the south river bank, then Lime Sink forest trail, you arrive at Lime Sink, a large sink hole pond ringed by 200yr old live oaks, and populated with Suwannee Cooters and a family of otters. Your trip ends at State Park ramp, where the muddy Withlachoochee River joins the tannic blackwater Suwannee River. Male sturgeons stage here in spring, awaiting females headed up to spawning grounds. The high bluff above was the site of a Confederate fort and artillery position guarding the Suwannee River and the railroad crossing (bridge built before the Civil War). Original earthworks are intact. The trading and logging town of ‘Columbus’ has disappeared. Ruins of a 19th Century concrete spring house lie on the opposite shore, high and dry – evidence of a generally higher Suwannee River historically. NOTE: AS OF 10 SEPT, THE GIBSON PARK RAMP IS CLOSED FOR REPAIR. IF NOT RRE-OPENED BY 12 OCTOBER, AN ALTERNATIVE PADDLE ROUTE WILL BE TAKEN. Costs (tentative depending on number of participants): Use your own kayak/canoe and gear, own shuttle: Use your own kayak/canoe and gear, AO shuttle: Use ‘Adventure Outpost’ kayak and gear, AO Shuttle: no cost ~$20 ~$30 Bad Day for Gulf Sturgeon on the Suwannee Wilderness Canoe Trail 8
© Copyright 2024