A more beautiful day than Sunday, Nov. 20, to go on the river would be hard to imagine. A totally cloudless sky, cool fall weather with colorful autumn foliage and crystal clear water were made to order for a joint OSFR/Sierra Club paddle of roughly 14 miles.
This sad tire was quickly replaced Soaring vulture in a cloudless sky
Eight like-minded people made the journey in under five hours, the only mishap being a flat tire on the boat trailer, soon fixed by johnny-on-the spot Doug Jipson. Few boats were seen, but two SCUBA divers were passed below Wilson Springs.
OSFR and Sierra Club members Diane and Don came from as far away as Deland.
It indeed was a perfect day for a paddle down our beloved Santa Fe River. It simply is too bad we were there because our government allows power companies and construction companies get away with murder. Murdering wildlife and the sacred waters that sustain our lives.
It indeed was a beautiful day to be on the Santa Fe River. The water was crystal clear and the sky was bluer than blue. The eight of us were also a bit blue when we viewed the 100 foot wide path of devastation created by the construction company putting the Sabal Pipeline in place. It is incomprehensible to me how thousands of miles of destructive construction can happen with so few people aware it is happening from northern Alabama (where those ugly fires are burning) to southern Florida. We also witnessed the fact the construction company won’t put out signs that say “Pipeline Construction” only “Construction” or “Road Construction”. They don’t want people to know what they are doing. I believe that peacefully letting people know what is happening in their own backyards is important. I also believe it is important that anyone who can act as a watchdog to make sure the construction crews stay within their boundaries and follow the DEP and EPA laws set forth for this type of construction do so carefully and diligently. Please, stay informed, spread the word and help where you can. If you can’t help in person then donate a few bucks to keeping our sacred waters clean. Please, before it is too late.