Does Shoal Creek Need A Stream Team?

[FishinCricket]

seems like a good idea to me...

[Trout Commander]

I'm in.

[fishinwrench]

[markw]

yes it needs a stream team I'm in for that.I had a longer response after seeing what happened last week on shoal with annual float but deleted b4 I posted it..

[ollie]

I know you guys want to do this because of what happened and that is alright, but I know there are at least a dozen teams already on Shoal Creek. Doesn't mean you can't start another one however. It might actually be the best thing for that stream. Espcially between Neosho and Joplin. Some of you guys know the trash I am talking about. Just remember to walk the walk and not talk the talk when you decide to do this.

[FishinCricket]

I know you guys want to do this because of what happened and that is alright, but I know there are at least a dozen teams already on Shoal Creek. Doesn't mean you can't start another one however. It might actually be the best thing for that stream. Espcially between Neosho and Joplin. Some of you guys know the trash I am talking about. Just remember to walk the walk and not talk the talk when you decide to do this.

Sorry, I didn't clarify with my first post... I wasn't aware of a Stream Team already on Shoal Creek (this stretch didn't appear managed whatsoever)

Joining an existing Shoal Creek Stream Team would be much quicker than organizing one ourselves... Who should I contact?

[ness]

Before I commit to anything: were you thinking the "clean up the place" kinda stream team, or the "bug the sh*t out of Prater" kinda stream team?

[FishinCricket]

Before I commit to anything: were you thinking the "clean up the place" kinda stream team, or the "bug the sh*t out of Prater" kinda stream team?

Like you even have to ask... :roll_eyes:

I'm thinking:

Worst case scenario- We float through once a year cleaning up trash and politely calling the Sheriff IF ever a landowner decided to bother us

Best case scenario- Mr Prater is there at the end of the float to greet us and serve us hot dogs

Either way, I have a plan... Neither plan would include "bugging the dung" outta anyone.

[Al Agnew]

Maybe it doesn't need a stream team, but maybe EVERY river needs an ORGANIZATION of stream teams. Seems like most stream teams just do their own thing. For every stream, we need somebody to coordinate teams and other people into a river-wide group that tackles all the issues over the whole stream. The more people speaking with one voice and also tackling issues, the more power they have. You need such people to also reach out to the landowners along the stream, and get as many of them to go along as possible. Perhaps even figure out how everybody can police not only litter and pollution but also the pinheads and idiots that give the landowners problems.

Lots of people don't like to join groups, but if there is something in it for them, they are more likely to do so. A well-coordinated one day river cleanup each year, such as is done on the Meramec system, which is well-publicized and well-attended and covers the whole stream, would go a long way toward getting at least some landowners on the side of the group.

Here on the Yellowstone, the local Trout Unlimited chapter joins with the county environmental organization to do a river clean-up each year in April. I just participated in the latest one. There were guides furnishing boats and taking riders, landowners doing clean-up and cheering everybody on, and other people really scouring the areas around the public accesses. Each year, less and less trash gets collected. My buddy Tom and I floated about eight miles of river and only filled one trash bag with little stuff, although we dragged out several large pieces of metal, a roll of barbed wire, and one tire.

And everybody loves the groups who do the clean-ups. It's great landowner relations.

[woodman]

Yea.... The Renegade Stream Liberators----- ensuring the rite to fish Ozark streams unmolested.......