SPRINGS WATCH PADDLE ON THE WEEKI WACHEE RIVER - LEVEL 1+
When: Meet at 9AM on Saturday, May 11.
Trip leader: Jill Lingard, jill.lingard@gmail.com, 352-665-1776
Description: Interested in deepening your understanding of Florida springs? Join SpringsWatch team leader Jill Lingard on a citizen science paddling trip down the Weeki Wachee River. The Weeki is a clear, meandering, spring-fed stream, offering paddlers opportunities to see manatees, a colorful diversity of fish, submerged eelgrasses, and water birds like ibis, anhingas, storks, and herons.
From the launch at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park to the take-out at Rogers County Park 6.5 miles downstream, the group will stop at 10 stations to take measurements of water temperature, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, light attenuation, water clarity, and submerged vegetation. Paddlers who enjoy snorkeling can also participate in an optional fish count along a third of a mile stretch of the river. Jill will provide on-the-job training on the various meters used for water monitoring.
Any kayak or paddleboard will work for this trip. The "+" in the trip's rating is due to the distance being a little over 5 miles...but we'll be stopping 10 times and paddling in calm, protected waters. Jill is happy to provide instruction on turning strokes on the river's upper half, which are likely to come in handy while negotiating our twisty path and avoiding boaters on the lower half.
A new Springs Protection Zone is now in effect on the Weeki Wachee River, which means we cannot beach our boats/boards on sandbars along our route. Bring snacks and plenty to drink, but our lunch will likely need to be a floating affair.
Location & Schedule: Launch from Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, located at 6131 Commercial Way in Spring Hill. Meet at 9AM at the picnic tables in front of the paddling concessionaire. We will unload boats and gear and arrange our own shuttle to Rogers County Park. We usually finish up the day by 3PM.
Trip Capacity: 5 paddlers
