GULF STURGEON IMMERSION XVI
16th ANNUAL GULF STURGEON RESEARCH WORKSHOP
SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT – 15 SEPTEMBER 2014
Frank
Parauka??
Come-On!
Actual First Gulf Sturgeon Workshop
For the 16th year, researchers and natural resource managers will convene to
report on Gulf sturgeon investigations and conservation efforts – and consider
future sturgeon restoration issues – particularly water issues. The 2014 meeting
will be hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey, Southeast Ecological Science Center.
Host Committee: Ken Sulak, Mike Randall, Melissa Price, Jared Jacobini –
partnering with Annette Long of ‘Save Our Suwannee’ and Fritzi Olson of ‘Current
Problems’ We want to get the ball rolling early with this initial announcement.
Mark your calendar!!! Please reply regarding your probable attendance, intent to
present, probable accommodation need, and potential participation in paddle trip.
MEETING DATES: 12-14 November 2014 (Wednesday-Friday)
PLACE: Cerveny Center, Camp Weed, cervenyconference.org
LOCATION: 5 mi east of Live Oak, Florida – off U.S. Highway 90
NEAREST INTERSTATE EXIT: I-10 Exit 283 (U.S. Highway 129 South, Live Oak)
APPROXIMATE DRIVING TIMES FROM:
St. Petersburg, FL
Mobile, AL
Vicksburg, MS
Tallahassee, FL
Jacksonville, FL
Panama City, FL
Eglin Air Force Base, FL
3 hr 15 min
4 hr 45 min
8 hr 30 min
1 hr 30 min
1 hr 30 min
3 hr 15 min
3 hr 30 min
Ocean Springs, MS
Hattiesburg, MS
Baton Rouge, LA
New Orleans, LA
Gainesville, FL
Atlanta, GA
NEAREST AIRPORTS: Gainesville, Tallahassee & Jacksonville, FL
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5 hr 30 min
6 hr 30 min
7 hr 45 min
7 hr
1 hr 15 min
4 hr 15 min
Location of Camp Weed
AGENDA
REGISTRATION: In the COURTYARD outside the meeting room (inside if rainy or
cold). Desk will be open 11:00AM-1:00PM Wednesday - and all day Thursday. We
will have a number of eco-focused NGOs participating and offering sales of nature
theme T-shirts and local nature artist items on Thursday.
Single-day visitors
frooutside the core sturgeon research community are welcome.
REGISTRATION COSTS: To be paid on site by cash or personal check (no credit
cards) to ‘Save-Our-Suwannee’, Workshop co-host, not to Camp Weed or USGS.
Registration costs, as follows (meals are separate – see below):
Full 3-day Workshop (includes one T-shirt and social)
$50
Single-day with T-shirt & Wednesday social
$40
Single-day with T-shirt only
$23
Single-day attendee
$8
AGENDA: WEDNESDAY 12 NOVEMBER
11:00-1:00PM
Room check-in; Workshop registration desk open
12 noon to 1:00PM Lunch at Camp Weed
1:00-5:00PM
FIELD TRIP: Upper Suwannee River paddle trip, Woods Ferry to
Suwannee Springs, easy 9 km paddle down current along high
limerock banks. Guided by Ken Sulak
6:00PM
Dinner, followed by distinguished speaker John Moran, Florida
nature photographer extradinaire, and Springs Eternal Project
co-leader: “The plight of Florida’s springs and ground-water”
(a core Gulf sturgeon habitat quality issue for now and coming
decades).
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AGENDA: THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER
08:00-5:00PM
08:30-08:45AM
08:45-09:15AM.
09:15-10:30AM
10:30-10:45 AM
10:45-12:00AM
12:00-1:00PM
1:00-3:00PM
3:00-3:15PM
3:15-5:15PM
5:15-6:00PM
6:00PM onward
Registration desk open, ‘Save-Our-Suwannee’ and “Current
Problems” at the helm. Display tables of participating NGOs
and Natural Resource Agencies open. T-shirt, artwork, and
information tables open.
Welcome Keynote Presentation by Dr. Ann Shortelle, Executive
Director, Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD):
‘Mission and Scientific Role of SRWMD’.
Keynote Presentation by Megan Wetherington, Scientist,
Suwannee River Water Management District: ‘Hydrology and
Status of the Suwannee River’.
Gulf sturgeon 15-min reports/presentations (5)
Break
Gulf sturgeon 15-min reports/presentations (5)
Lunch
Gulf sturgeon 15-min reports/presentations (8)
Break
Gulf sturgeon 15-min reports/presentations (8)
Prep for Dinner/Social
BBQ STYLE DINNER & SOCIAL featuring ‘Old Acipenser’ Ale &
Kentucky Sleepy Hollow Bluegrass band.
AGENDA: FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER
9:00AM – 12:00PM – Strategy & Opportunities looking forward: Agency (USGS
Fisheries Program Director lead off) briefs, resource manager, and scientist
announcements on LCCs (Glenn Constant), USFWS research thrusts, initiatives,
collaborative opportunities, data sharing, and funding opportunities.
PRESENTATIONS – 15-min per oral reports. If you wish to speak, please complete
the accompanying fillable REPLY FORM with your name and presentation title
before 15 October. Posters can also be accommodated in the meeting room.
Speakers are encouraged to focus upon or include consideration of water issues
critical to sturgeons in our various river populations – if possible. Please provide a
brief abstract (250 words) as a Word file (no pdfs) with one accompanying figure
file – if desired. Please send figure as a separate .jpg or .tif file. CONTACT
PERSON coordinating the presentations and abstracts: MELISSA PRICE 352-2643506 [email protected]
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MEETING ROOM, LODGING, DINING
WORKSHOP SITE – Young Meeting Room, Cerveny Center, Camp Weed, Seating
capacity 120. SETTING – Modernistic-Rustic Camp Weed Cerveny Center lies
within largely hardwood forest in unusually hilly terrain (for Florida). The Center
faces a large shallow lake - catch and release fishing allowed, Florida freshwater
license is required (Obtain online at https://license.myfwc.com). A 3-day nonresident costs $17.00). For obligate runners and joggers, there are about 2 mi of
shaded sand roads winding through and around Camp Weed.
LODGING AND DINING IS ONSITE – Cerveny Center double occupancy modern
motel-style guest rooms immediately adjacent to the meeting room. 53 rooms are
available, 40 are on hold for the Gulf Sturgeon Workshop for the nights of 11, 12, 13
November. ROOMS ARE PRIORITIZED FOR THE CORE GULF STURGEON GROUP
(RESEACHERS & ASSOCIATED RESOURCE MANAGERS). OTHERS PLEASE USE
LOCAL MOTELS. WiFi access provided only in those rooms within the main
Cerveny Center complex, and in the meeting rooms and front office area. Six-bunk
(open group sleeping setup) cabins are also available within short walking
distance. Nearest off-site motels are at Exit 283, I-10, Live Oak.
Typical Camp Weed Room
CAMP WEEK LODGING RESERVATIONS (CORE GULF STURGEON GROUP):
Reservations are to be made by individual attendee, in advance, no later than 12
days before the meeting (i.e., by 31 October 2014).
Contact: Jeanie: 386-364-5250 [email protected]
Identify: Gulf Sturgeon Workshop
Tax Exempt is honored for state and federal personnel – Provide tax exempt
number at time of reservation (with approved travel orders if agency pre-approval
is required to document official travel).
Room Cost: Double Occupancy - $37.50/night; Single Occupancy - $75.00/night
Cabin Cost: Inquire of Camp Weed reservations contact.
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CAMP WEED
CERVENY CENTER at CAMP WEED
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ONSITE MEALS
PROVIDED BY CAMP WEED in Varn Dining Hall, opposite Young Meeting Room
MEALS PROVIDED:
Wed (L, D); Thurs (B, L, D), Fri (B)
Wednesday:
Lunch 12:00 noon, Dinner (& Social) 6:30PM
Thursday:
Breakfast 8:00AM, Lunch 12:00 noon, Dinner 6:30PM
Friday:
Breakfast 8:00AM
MEAL COSTS: Breakfast $9.00; Lunch $12.00; Dinner $15.00
OPTIONS: Vegetarian Option available; Inquire when making reservation.
OFFSITE MEAL OPTIONS
There are a number of small restaurants in Live Oak (15 min drive), including a
BBQ, Chinese buffet, and a southern style family restaurant. A few of the best
locally-owned non-chain eateries are the Brown Lantern, Dixie Grill & Steer Room,
Downtown Café, and Angel Wings.
CAMP WEED BEVERAGE POLICY
Onsite consumption of alcohol is allowed. Beverages will be provided for
Thursday social. No onsite sales. BYOB otherwise.
PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS
ROOM AND MEALS CHARGES are to be paid directly to CAMP WEED. Camp Weed
Front Desk will itemize your bill, as needed. REGISTRATION: See above.
PARTICIPATING NGOs AND NORTH FLORIDA RESOURCE AGENCIES
‘Save-Our-Suwannee’ Annette Long, contact
‘Current Problems’ Fritzi Olson, contact
‘Springs Eternal’ Dr. Lesley Gamble and John Moran, contacts
‘Friends of the Lower Suwannee and Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges’ Jay
Bushnell, contact
‘Our Santa Fe River’ Merrillee Jipson, contact
‘Suwannee River Water Management District’ Dr. Ann Shortelle & Megan
Wetherington, contact
‘Florida Wildlife and Conservation Commission’ Lake City Karen Parker, contact
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FIELD TRIP – SUWANNEE PADDLE ADVENTURE
Guided by Ken Sulak. The launch and retrieval sites are 15-20 min away from Camp
Weed. Kayaks or canoes, paddles, vests, transportation and kayak shuttle to and
from Camp Weed will be provided by ‘Adventure Outpost’ – Lars Anderson
(naturalist, author, and Florida historian] outfitter. OR bring your own kayak, life
vests, paddles - and use your vehicle to help shuttle. We may use a few agency
trucks to do the kayak and people shuttle back to the Gibson Park launch and
return to Camp Weed. And/or we can have ‘Adventure Outpost’ do a shuttle with
15 person van and 15-kayak carrier, depending on number of people who sign up.
If you intend to join this paddle trip, PLEASE RESPOND AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE
using the attached pre-meeting questionnaire. We need to arrange logistics early.
Fill out and return to MELISSA PRICE [email protected]. Refer questions either by
email or telephone to Melissa (352-264-3506).
Along this reach of the Upper Suwannee, the river cuts through rugged Karst rock,
exposing Swiss-cheese limestone and steep banks. The trip starts at Gibson
County Park, historical location of a hand-powered cable ferry, Nobles Ferry.
Paddling a few hundred meters upriver you pass over the main Gulf sturgeon
spawning ground in the Suwannee River. Then, with some effort against the
outflow, enter the Alapaha Rise, a first magnitude spring pouring into the river.
Dramatic 30 ft vertical walls ring the springhead. Turn around and get pushed back
into the River and downstream. The steep south bank is a portion of the Cody
Scarp, the Florida seashore during the Pleistocene Inter-Glacial sea-level high
stand. A few hundred meters downstream, pass by concrete and steel remnants of
the old ferry landing and early bridge pilings, then the confluence of the Alapaha
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River – which dries up in summer (actually goes underground for its last 50 rkm).
The big permanent eddy here – appropriately called the ‘gar-hole’ by locals – spins
in a 65 ft deep hole with a pickup truck at the bottom – angry wife’s revenge.
Downstream at rkm 210 you go around a tight bend in the river, emerging in a
chute (rapids when the river is low) adjacent to Indian Ledge, a sturgeon spawning
ground. In low water years, this gravel-covered rock platform is high and dry –
chert arrowhead and hide scrapers can be found here. Just before the canoe takeout at Suwannee State Park, rkm 205, you pass ‘Balance Rock’ and then the small,
but strongly-flowing, deep and crystal-clear Lime Sink Spring, emerging on the
same side of the river. If you take the River Trail along the south river bank, then
Lime Sink forest trail, you arrive at Lime Sink, a large sink hole pond ringed by 200yr old live oaks, and populated with Suwannee Cooters and a family of otters. Your
trip ends at State Park ramp, where the muddy Withlachoochee River joins the
tannic blackwater Suwannee River. Male sturgeons stage here in spring, awaiting
females headed up to spawning grounds. The high bluff above was the site of a
Confederate fort and artillery position guarding the Suwannee River and the
railroad crossing (bridge built before the Civil War). Original earthworks are intact.
The trading and logging town of ‘Columbus’ has disappeared. Ruins of a 19th
Century concrete spring house lie on the opposite shore, high and dry – evidence
of a generally higher Suwannee River historically. NOTE: AS OF 10 SEPT, THE
GIBSON PARK RAMP IS CLOSED FOR REPAIR. IF NOT RRE-OPENED BY 12
OCTOBER, AN ALTERNATIVE PADDLE ROUTE WILL BE TAKEN.
Costs (tentative depending on number of participants):
Use your own kayak/canoe and gear, own shuttle:
Use your own kayak/canoe and gear, AO shuttle:
Use ‘Adventure Outpost’ kayak and gear, AO Shuttle:
no cost
~$20
~$30
Bad Day for Gulf Sturgeon on the Suwannee Wilderness Canoe Trail
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