Riverbank Dumps at Dan River Shores Community

Assessing the 1st dump site

Saturday morning, March 19, 2011 dawned with the promise of a beautiful and warm Spring day. In the parking lot of the Dan River Company people with a purpose gathered with happy greetings. The purpose – clean up 2 riverbank dumps that boaters on the Hanging Rock section of the river have been tolerating (and griping about) for a decade or more.

Separating the metal

The dump sites began, ostensibly, as a home made erosion control project with objects like old bed springs, metal pipe, a few rocks and broken bits of concrete. Having taken on the appearance of a dump, others apparently began contributing construction debris and household trash.

In the ditch at site 2

Once our number rose to 11 at the DRC lot we loaded into three vehicles for the 2 mile trip to the riverside development. We armed ourselves with a few shovels and rakes supported by a big roll of trash bags and plenty of gloves provided by Stokes County Big Sweep coordinator, Sara Jo Durham. Bottled water provisions were supplied by Hanging Rock General Store.

A sign of improvement

After a brief evaluation of the situation, we fell to work bagging the trash and extracting the larger items. Plenty of wallboard and broken lumber along with heavy sewer and water pipe. We also collected a few stuffed animals and unidentified, mud-caked textiles. A microwave oven and birdhouse were among our more interesting "finds".

Two local residents, Greg Tahtinen and Philip Dodson, came down to chat, thank us for our efforts, and pitch in. We discussed what might be done to discourage further dumping and found out about other dump sites in more discreet locations. There is definitely more to be done in this unique development on the river.

Unloading at Sizemore Rd.

Many thanks to Mark Larimore (co-owner of Sheppard Mill) and Randy Young for providing their own trucks to haul everything to the county's Sizemore Rd. facility. Thanks again to Sara Jo Durham for taking care of the paperwork and to the County for waiving our tipping fee. Stokes County values healthy and clean rivers!

A happy, hard-working group

I also want to extend special thanks to Alan Wood, Stokes County Economic Development Director, and his son, Jacob, for taking time out of a precious Spring Saturday to show their support for the river. And, of course, Ben and Allison Kelble, Jimmy Newsome, John Davis, and Vanessa Melvin – thanks for pitching in!

Discussions are underway to post some “No Dumping” signs in the Dan River Shores community as a reminder for folks. No one wants to clean up the same dump site twice! Dealing with the erosion, streambank stabilization and trespassing issues will take more time and coordination among the residents and property owners in the development.

The Dan River Basin Association's Stokes Office is organizing two upcoming river sweeps in April and May in addition to sweeps by the Tarheel Paddlers Association and High Point University's outdoor program.

Hart's Access at Highway 704

Spring 2010 Paddler Cleanup

More than 20 years ago a group of people in Stokes and Rockingham Counties joined together to establish a network of public river access sites along the Dan River Trail.

Creating and protecting access to the Dan River for fishing and floating over the intervening years has demanded the vision, initiative and cooperation of many people and institutions. Success in maintaining the network has seen its ups and downs. The first week of March 2011 the Dan River Trail had another major success.

Late Summer 2010
Grading & Gravel

Spring 2011
NC Wildlife Kiosk & building
slated for demolition.

The river access known as “Hart's Access” at Highway 704 near Francisco, NC, is coming to the end of its 25 year lease agreement with the county. Since the late 1990s when the county budget could no longer stretch to provide maintenance many different groups and individuals have taken it upon themselves to maintain this and other access sites. Most recently a coalition of local canoe and kayak clubs graded and graveled the steep driveway and parking area. But an old, half-burned house – full of the childhood memories of the Hart family – needed to be removed. For Joann Hart, who owns the property with her brother, Johnny, the site had become a danger that needed to be fixed.

Spring 2011
NC Wildlife Res. Comm at work

A partnership was formed between the Harts, the County, and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) to remove the building in exchange for another 15 year lease.

Spring 2011
Building removed

This past Monday a NCWRC crew of two arrived with equipment. With the addition of a county dumptruck and driver, the site was leveled and hauled off. By 4pm Tuesday all that remained was a seeded and strawed clearing in the woods. As Darren Wade, NCWRC Engineering Services Chief, prepared to head off to the next project he told me (with a big smile), “as long as we're keeping access open and helping folks get out in nature I'm tickled to do what I can.” A man who loves his job.

Spring 2011
Darren Wade, NCWRC, Engineering

Following is a short list of those who have supported this small project to improve and save Harts Access:

• Kin Hodges, Fisheries Biologist, NCWRC
• Jimmy Boles, Enforcement, NCWRC
• Darren Wade, Engineering Services, NCWRC
• Alan Wood, Stokes Economic Development
• Frankie Burcham, Fire Marshall
• Mark Delehant, County Operations
• Brandon Joyce, Stokes Environmental Health
• Don George, attorney
• Triad River Runners
• Smith River Valley Canoe Club
• Tarheel Paddlers Association

and especially

• Johnny Hart and Joanne Hart, owners of the property where Hart's Access is located.

Thanks to all who help keep access open to outdoor recreation!