Little River Canyon was running again this 4th of July weekend and the boaters were there in mass. New addditions to the area were “No Tresspassing” and “Private Property” signs surrounding the put-in for Johnnies Creek (an Alabama classic Class IV creek run with one awesome Class V, Gorilla Constrictor).
This is a beautiful put-in with the entrance rapid being a 30′ slide to a 10′ drop into a big pool. Unfortunately, the land owner and local trustees got sick of the trash being thrown around and into the creek by swimmers, hikers, sunbathers, fishermen, and other LRC Preserve users (the last clean-up netted 17 full industrial size trash bags).
After speaking with the Superintendent of LRC Preserve, John Bundy, and Mr. Howard Holland, who is watching the property for the land owner, whitewater paddlers have been granted full access to the put-in at Johnnies Creek. In the coming months and probably a few times each year, we are going to have a Johnnie’s clean-up day. If you are paddling Johnnies, please help us keep it clean throughout the year.
In addition, local boaters are going to be working along with David Walker and other LRC Preserve Rangers in the Fall to mark 4-5 little known trails along the river to aid in the emergency exit or evacuation from Little River Canyon.
Please thank Greg Lawrence, AW’s Alabama Regional Coordinator, for his work on resolving this access issue.
For more information about Johnnie’s Creek, please visit the AW StreamKeeper page:
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/rivers/id/2897/