Currents June 2018

Did you know that the Great Lakes are the biggest freshwater source in the world? Lake Erie is the most productive for fishing of all the Great Lakes. Your support helps make our streams clean, clear and healthy so they can support this complex ecosystem. By donating to PCS, you help us reach our goals of restoring rivers that lead to Lake Erie beaches that promote fishable and swimmable conditions for generations.

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June

glopicJoin PCS this summer as we get the lead, line, and lures out of our waterways! Following the spring walleye run and white bass run on the Maumee River, the Get the Lead Out program helps ensure that fish and stream-dependent wildlife are healthy and viable. Fishing line can remain in the ecosystem for over 600 years and can be detrimental to fish and wildlife due to entanglement. Monofilament line is virtually invisible and therefore hard to remove from the banks and branches on which it gets caught. Our Get the Lead Out program removes this plastic-based pollution and debris from local waterways so wildlife can continue to flourish and people can continue to fish. Last year, our volunteers removed 6.6 pounds of line and lead from Side Cut Metropark and Orleans Park in Perrysburg, along with over 200 pounds of trash. The fishing line we collect during Get the Lead Out is sorted, cleaned, and sent to Berkley Conservation Institute. They recycle and repurpose the used line into fish spawning enclosures, helping support and sustain critical fish populations for the future.

We are looking for volunteers for six-scheduled Get the Lead Out events this summer. You can learn more about this program and register to volunteer for this program on our website.   Please wear closed-toe shoes you don’t mind getting dirty and dress for the weather. PCS will supply everything else for our volunteers and lead the cleanups. Give back to our waterways this summer and Get the Lead Out with us!

 

  • Wednesday 6/13 from 6-8pm @ Side Cut Metropark (Riverview Area)
  • Saturday 6/30 from 9-11am @ Side Cut Metropark (River Road and Jerome Road)
  • Wednesday 7/11 from 6-8pm @ Side Cut Metropark (Siegert Lake Parking Lot)
  • Thursday 7/26 from 6-8pm @ Orleans Park (Boat Launch Parking Lot)
  • Wednesday 8/8pm from 6-8 @ Side Cut Metropark (Blue Grass Island)
  • 6th GLO – TBD
  • if cancelled due to inclement weather, we will contact you directly and post it to our social media so follow us @PCSMaumee or Partners for Clean Streams

And don’t forget, you can always schedule your own trash cleanup along the water through our CYS365 all summer long! Sign up online for our CYS365 program.

rompswampCommunity Shares is hosting their annual Romp in the Swamp on Friday, June 8th starting at 6pm. This event is a fundraiser for Northwest Ohio Community Shares – a work-place giving organization that helps support local non-profits like PCS! Come Romp in the Swamp at Olander Park (Nederhouser Hall) and enjoy auctions, raffles, music, a catered dinner, and a cash bar. You can purchase your pre-sale tickets through Community Shares for $25 each or 2 for $40. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $30 per person. Get your ticket today to this fantastic fundraiser!

canoePaddle with PCS and Wood County Parks in Perrysburg! We will be co-hosting a public paddle on Friday, June 15th from 6:30-8:30 at Orleans Park. Explore Audobon Island and learn about local wildlife and the Scenic Maumee River. Registration is required to participate in this paddle and can be done online. The registration fee is $8 per person or $5 if you are a Friend of the Park District. Experience with canoeing is recommended and participants must be at least six years old to ride in the middle. Please dress appropriately for the weather and fill out a liability form with the Wood County Park District.  Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the only riverine island community in the Ohio state nature preserve system!

paddleLast month, the Maumee River Water Trail was officially dedicated by the Toledo Metroparks. This 107-mile trail stretches from the mouth of Lake Erie to the Indiana-Ohio border with 39 different access points. Paddlers in Northwest Ohio now have the opportunity to explore several state parks, local parks, Metroparks, and wildlife areas within one connected water trail. A detailed map with stream access points can be viewed here.

State and local agencies have been collaborating to create consistent signage, paddling resources, and safety precautions along the Maumee River. This year we are celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Ohio’s Scenic Rivers Act and what better way to acknowledge this milestone than making the Mighty Maumee accessible to all!

The ODNR is encouraging paddlers to explore Ohio’s waterways, especially the Maumee, with their Paddle Ohio program. You can earn a Paddle Ohio Pin by paddling four eligible waterways and submitting your forms either through mail or online. PCS is excited to be out on the water this summer through our paddling partnerships with Wood County Parks system and having an informational table at Paddle Palooza July 8th at Maumee Bay State Park.

With so many opportunities to get out on the water this summer, it is important that safety remain a top priority for all paddlers. Follow these guidelines for proper paddling and water recreation:

  • never boat alone
  • plan your course – determine your route before you go out and make sure you have a map with you
  • be weather-wise – if you wouldn’t swim in current weather conditions, wait to watercraft
  • always wear a life jacket that fits properly!
  • have a float plan – let someone know your expected route and when you should be arriving at your destination
  • bring water and emergency supplies
  • point your boat to the wake to avoid capsizing
  • be aware of other boaters
  • take a watercraft course – many of these are provided free of charge through Metroparks or your municipalities’ parks department
  • carry a spare paddle

We are excited that so many people are taking advantage of the excellent paddling and watercraft opportunities available in Northwest Ohio. If you don’t have your own kayak, you can rent one through River Lures. River Lures has kayak rental locations at Farnsworth and Middlegrounds Metropark and a retail & rental shop in Grand Rapids. Check out their website for more information. Kayaking is a great way to gain appreciation for our unique waterways in Northwest Ohio and have fun on the water. The Maumee River Water Trail actualizes the community’s desire to enjoy the outdoors and connect with our waterways. Please paddle safely this summer and be good stewards of our recreational water resources.

Currents: June 2018


Your donation, no matter how small, can make a huge difference in the long run. Every penny goes a long way in protecting your water.
 

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Terry Shankland

President of the Board
Private Citizen

Andrew Curran
Vice President
Assistant Scout Executive,
Boy Scouts of America

Joan King
Treasurer
First Solar

Kyle Spicer
Secretary
Private Citizen

Denise Fonner
Board Member
Private Citizen

Jeff Gibbs
Board Member
Private Citizen

Chris Smalley
Board Member
Park Services Supervisor
Metroparks of the Toledo Area

Bob Neubert
Board Member
Lucas Co. Engineers

Bill Hoefflin
Board Member
Private Citizen

Partners for Clean Streams Inc. is striving for abundant open space and a high quality natural environment; adequate floodwater storage capacities and flourishing wildlife; stakeholders who take local ownership in their resources; and rivers, streams and lakes that are clean, clear and safe