Exposing Hogans Creek

[north miami]

Beautiful day today. We can do this or the more sportier McCoys Creek. Call me 904-434-0839 and we won't talk about it. We'll make it happen. huge campaign issue.

Keep score.

Many inches of snow fell throughout the US during the past couple of days and here we are in the midst of actually very typical weather-this is the kind of stuff that "puts us on the map" !

I am forwarding this MJ thread to Jim Bailey- Waterways Commission member and candidate for Mayor and Ron Littlepage.

keep score.

[Noone]

Doing a double today. Taking someone under the TU then we'll be heading over to Hogans Creek. For those of you in this area of Downtown if you post the color of the kayaks that we will be paddling on this thread I'll treat you to a meal at Roberts eatery at 8th and Ionia.

No guessing the color of the kayaks. But you can guess who will be the Jacksonville city council member that will introduce legislation that will keep the 680' Promised Downtown Public Pier separate from the 44 acres that was the failed Shipyards/Landmar. 2010-604

Keep score.

[Noone]

Fun paddle. 40 minutes on the water. Little clean up to then finished off at Robert's Eatery at 8th and Ionia.

[Dog Walker]

Noone, you should have started at Hogan's and then gone to McCoys.  The tide was really ripping in the wrong direction for you this morning.  I'm impressed that you could make progress against it.

[Noone]

DW, You are right about the tides. We put in at RCB then paddled over to the TU. The paddle going over wasn't to bad. But we went back to RCB and then drove over to Hogans Creek. Didn't paddle the whole way against it.

Once we came out of the darkness of the TU we hugged the shore and paddled against the current towards the Landing. Then we tracked over to RCB. The current is strong and it can be very dangerous.

[Noone]

Paddled Hogans Creek Friday. Another beautiful day. We had a blast.

More and more people are wanting to see this urban jewel of a waterway that connects to our St. Johns River an American Heritage River in the HEART of our Downtown Jacksonville Overlay Zoning District 2003-627

One of the biggest city council and mayoral campaign issues in the spring elections.

[Noone]

Paddled the Creek today with an out of town guest. Spotted two painted turtles on a log. First time that I witnessed that. We decided to just do Hogans and save McCoys for another day. Still haven't heard from councilman Gaffney.

[Noone]

Met councilman Gaffney last night at the neighborhood meeting of the unveiling of the Park View Pavilion in Springfield and asked him if he would be interested in seeing Hogans Creek from Washington and Liberty to the Maxwell House Plant and he said that he was going to pass. That is OK.

Heck I've never been on a train. Unless the skyway counts and once in Atlanta, Oh, and one time riding the subway in New York. But after being on this forum my eyes are opening to this other form of transportation.

So anyway who wants to paddle Hogans Creek? Elected officials and those running for office go to the front of the line.

[Noone]

So who wants to continue to Make it Happen? Just a quick shout out from whoever it was on this forum that went to Robert's Eatery at 8Th and Ionia besides CS Foltz. Robert gave me a call yesterday and said that someone came by his hot dog cart and they were  from Metjax. This forum makes it happen. Robert has his new banner up for the election season and the guy that made it did a nice job. Robert was bundled up and the wind was sporty but I had my sausage dog with some onions, slaw and a coke and I was good. Robert wants to see Hogans Creek too.

Anyone else want to see Hogans Creek during the Christmas break and be able to share with all the agencies throughout the state of Florida your familiarity with a Waterway that will be front and center in topic discussions from an environmental standpoint to an economic development engine. 

[Noone]

What a way to start off the New Year. Had the pleasure Friday sharing the waterway with Dougskiles and his son Jacob. Doug and his son had participated in a running event that morning and I was already playing in the water so when we met at noon we just headed up to Roberts Eatery at 8th and Ionia and had a much needed energy burst. After that sausage dog with slaw and a coke we were then ready to paddle Hogans Creek.

It was a low tide where we put in and so right from the beginning we knew it was going to be a sporty trip. We put in across from the Fire station and Police station so safety and security should never be an issue. The exposed creek at a low tide is a visual reminder of the scope of the cleanup that lies ahead in making this urban waterway more of an attraction of what an added benefit it can be for the people of Jacksonville.

After a few times of getting out of your kayak and finding some deeper water we hit a patch of Hogans Creek that had a white water rip. Thats right, the rapids of Hogans Creek. This potential 40-50 foot stretch of the waterway could be accelerated with the repositioning of some key concrete chunks. I know I'm excited.

Once we got past some of these minor challenges the water was calm and with the outgoing tide it was a relaxed paddle out to the river. There was activity all around us as we approached the river and exited under Bay street.

The paddle back to Washington st. and Liberty st. was met with the same low water challenges. I couldn't think of a better team to have done this trip at low tide. Doug and his son Jacob had the smile on their face when getting out and walking through to get to the deeper water. In true boy scout form we left the place cleaner than we found it. Doug and Jacob pulled out a bicycle tire and some other small pieces of garbage. Talk about making it happen!

I had a blast and look forward to Jacob leading the next trip. So whos next? Current elected officials and candidates for the spring election go to the front of the line.

[dougskiles]

That was a great trip Noone - thanks.  Jacob has been pestering me all morning about when we are going back.  His goal is to collect enough old bikes and parts to make a functional bike.  We are thinking about making it a regular Saturday morning event.

[Ocklawaha]

CAN YOU GUESS WHICH PHOTOS ARE OF JACKSONVILLE'S HOGAN'S CREEK?

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SOMEBODY PASS THE SOCO! DAMN JACKSONVILLE! JUST DAMN!

OCKLAWAHA

[Mueller]

Please Ock, you're making me hurt in this new year, that had started out so well.   

[Noone]

Ock, Thanks for the pics. The cleanup has begun. It won't be easy. Its hard to say that it will really be fun. But if we want to say "Visit Jacksonville!" It needs to happen.

So who's next?  Elected officials and those running in the spring election go to the front of the line. Don't think for one second just because your not running in District 7 that you can't participate in this activity. After January 4th and the swearing in of Governor Scott this issue can become an issue that will and should be on the radar screen for the new Governor.

[Miss Fixit]

Ock, thanks for posting those photos.  Most folks in Jax compare San Antonio's river to the St. Johns but clearly the scale of that waterway is much more similar to Hogans Creek. 

What a waste of an incredible natural asset....