Amphibious Trail Crew; West Neck Creek Clean-Up
Details
Amphibious Trail Crew; West Neck Creek Clean-Up; Saturday, August 22, 2026, 9:30 am - 1:00 pm
Where: Dozier Bridge Kayak Launch, Princess Anne Road, north of VB Municipal Center
Online Sign-Up: [https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F45A5AE29A1F5C61-65124923-amphibious](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F45A5AE29A1F5C61-65124923-amphibious&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw3jZPFOa4F92GLGmiuxkgVw)
Contact: John Oakes, 757-748-8560, john.oakes@1970.usna.com
Description: With the advent of warmer air/water temperatures, we'll start the Amphibious Trail Crew 2026 season with a West Neck Creek clean-up. Please arrive at the put-in by 9:30 so that we can off-load boats from cars and be ready for a 10 am put-in.
We'll work north from the Dozier Bridge kayak launch (approx. 3 miles). Objectives are to clean up any trash along the banks and clear any blockages to ensure that the creek is passable for recreational paddlers in canoes & kayaks. This involves picking up trash along the banks, clearing floating "trash-rafts" that have been trapped overhanging branches and snags, removing blow-downs and submerged/partially submerged snags from the water, and cutting back alligator grass that blocks the creek.
Trash bags will be provided but participants must bring their own canoes/kayaks, PFDs (required for all working on the water), trash grabbers, rakes, saws, loppers, lines, etc. needed to get the job done. Removing some items from the creek requires a team effort by a waterman and a bank-man. The waterman stays in his boat to bring floating debris to the creek banks or attaches a line to larger items and brings the line to the creek bank. The bank-man, who has gotten out of his boat and climbed ashore, takes things from the waterman and pulls them ashore to a safe location where they won't float back into the creek at the next high tide. Bank-men, as a minimum, should wear high waterproof boots that won't come off in the mucky creek-bed, Waders work well if you own a pair. All trash collected will be brought back to the put-in and hauled off for disposal.
After the clean-up, we will retire to the New Realm brewery for the usual TATC post-event fellowship, and libations event.