Long Point Causeway

OCLP -- there is is no platform. Rather, the boaters on Pine Road put up the money to dredge the mouth of the Pine Road / Howey Ave. channel where it enters the Old Cut Channel ( known to many as "Kozack's Channel" )as shown in the photo below. The water depth there was less than 2' and the water is quite high, which means that by late summer/fall nothing but a canoe would have been able to get thru. This will not only benefit boaters / anglers, but hunters, too. The spoil will be leveled and it will make a great area for turtles to nest in.

GoogleEarth_Image-2.jpg
 
Glad to hear that Dave but you shouldn't joke about things like that,it's not very becoming. Also by now you should be aware of how to spell our family name.

It's a shame that work and money invested will be short term as you didn't really fix the problem. Boaters will have to reduce speed further out or erosion will keep happening. Also that large Popalar tree will eventually fall in blocking the channel.Then there is Mother nature to contend with as that strong sieche that we had about a week ago ate away at that corner pretty good. The incoming flow can only go so far up the Old Cut Point Channel then it backs up causing a terrific flow up "Kozak's" Channel into the marsh where there is room for all that water.

That's my 2 cents worth.
Chris
 
Sorry about the typo, Chris! All channel work is, more or less, short term because it's the nature of channels to fill in. Apparently, Granger dug a fairly big 10' deep hole, so it will take a while for that to fill in. And, you're right that boaters need to slow down when approaching that corner because the wake is what is eroding the west corner of the spoil bank, but I won't hold my breath waiting for that to happen.
 
I have said many times what the marsh needs is a chain saw taken to it . That popular tree will fall in the channel eventually and plug it up unless someone takes it down .When I look out from our deck I can see approx 12 trees growing out in the marsh between our cottage and #18 blind --a young energetic hunter could do the marsh and hunters a big favour and take them down.
Well Chris and I went for your bait like "a fat kid on a Smartie"
but apparently last night my Dad was getting phone calls from concerned neighbours most of the evening including Rick who's place is directly across from where Jim Granger leveled the sand.I guess if it were April 1st we would have been thinking differently but you hooked us good this time Dave.Maybe I'll have to give you a warm beer next time !
 
Personally I believe that the snakes and other amphibians come onto the road in the summer to lie on the heated asphalt since they are cold blooded. Why not create islands made out of asphalt or other environmentally friendly-heat absorbing material out in the marsh off the road edge that they can use instead of wasting tax payer’s dollars on culverts that I myself and others believe won’t work? Not like my opinion will matter on this forum without getting shot down, so when and where is the public meeting on the culvert topic so we can attend?
 
A bit of history about the Causeway and Big Creek; The Causeway was built by hand and horse cart back in the 1930's as a depression make work project and where Big Creek flows now was dug out as a shipping channel[ the date escapes me at the moment] so boats and barges could reach Port Royal easier.There was a prosperous lumber mill at what was called Rowan Mills located at the 2nd conn. by Big Creek which I assume played a big part as the pioneers of the locale cleared their land of all those "old growth "trees. Big Creek use to exit out into the Inner Bay approx where Sandboy Marina is but when the big storm of 1838 created what is the "Old Cut" it turned south and emptied directly into the lake.

So by putting in a route for those little guys to migrate back and forth is a "good thing" and it will save me from having to get out and drag some big ol'nasty snapper out of the way. Shame something can't be done about all the catapillers that are on the Causeway during the fall ?
 
I think that before it was channelized for the purposes described, Big Creek used to empty into the lake (not the bay), but I don't have the journals with me today.
 
Mike_the_Hunter -- You are right that snakes do go onto roads on sunny, but cold / cool days to warm up in early spring and in the fall. However, most movements of turtles and amphibians across the Causeway are migratory in nature as many of those animals hibernate in the bay and move into the marsh in spring and move back into the bay in fall. Turtles also come to the shoulder of the road to dig nests and lay their eggs. Most snake movement during summer is of snakes hunting for food.

Please consider that the Causeway is an artificial barrier to the natural movements of animals and water between the marsh and the bay. As I live on Long Point for part of the year, I certainly know the value of the Causeway, but I'm also very aware of the negative ecological impacts of it, too. Those impacts can be mitigated and that's what the Causeway Improvement Project is designed to do and please note that, to date, all money spent / allocated for this project has come from either donations, grants from charitable organizations, or from Provincial / Federal Endangered Species Programs.
 
There has been some good discussion on the causeway project in this thread and I have a much better appreciation of the project. Thanks for all the explanations.

As for the viewing stands... LOL:D



Paul
 
Mike the Hunter,

We had our FOCAS AGM yesterday at the Port Rowan Community Center between 1000 and 1200 hours. It was open to the public and a survey was circulated after the various options were discussed.

The next public information session is scheduled for the evening of June 02 at the Port Rowan Community Center.

You may want to check out the FOCAS web page for an alternative approach to The Causeway Improvement Project.

J. Katchin, D.V.M.
 
I'm Rick Levick, coordinator of the Long Point Causeway Project. I'd like to address the concern expressed by Old Cut Long Pointer and others members of the duck hunting community. The LPCIP has no intention or desire to interfere with the continuation of duck hunting in Zone B. The viewing platform referred to is conceptual only as a possible means of dealing with people wanting to look out on the bay for whatever reason and parking their vehicles off the roadway in the CWS parking lot. It would not proceed without agreement of CWS, MNR and the LPWA (Jim Malcolm, the LPWA president, is a member of the LPCIP steering committee.) If it were ever built, it would be designed to be closed off to public access during duck hunting season. Again, it is just a concept for dealing with traffic and parking concerns and is NOT intended to impact ducking hunting in Zone B.

Also note that there is an existing viewing platform at the south end of the Causeway at the MNR parking area north of Sandboy Marina.

Hoping this clears up any concerns duck hunters may have.

Rick
 
Thanks Rick for the reassuring comments. I'm also glad to hear that Jim Malcom is representing waterfowlers concerns regarding this project.

As I've stated I believe in the basic idea behind the Causeway Improvement Project but when I read words like "conceptual" and "if" ....well, it kind of brings out the cynic in me.

I am sure that between FOCAS and your Committee and general public input that in the end there will be something that will work for everyone.

Chris Kozak
Life long cottager and LPWA member
 
DFO is one of the many agencies that are being consulted as part of the Environmental Assessment process. In some instances, the Long Point Region Conservation Authority represents DFO's interests in terms of things like the federal Fisheries Act or Species At Risk Act. I am not aware of any specific concerns that DFO or the LPRCA have about the proposed ecopassages.

I would also note that the LPCIP has consulted with Ducks Unlimited for advice on the proposed aquatic culvert. DU worked with the Canadian Wildlife Service back in the early 1980s to design and build the large impounded pond in the Big Creek Marsh.

Rick
 
I was at the environment assessment meeting on May17/2011 at the Port Rowan Communnity Center held by Burrent& Associates.D.F.O (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) had a representative at the meeting and are definitely looking into concerns regarding these proposed culverts.

Secondly about Viewing Stands that are proposed for Zone B. I personally warned the LONG POINT WATERFOWLERS ASS. at our A.G.M. two years ago about the real threat to our Hunting Rights if Viewing Stands are erected along the east side of the causeway. I'm sorry Hunters and Non Hunters (Bird watchers,Peta etc..) Don't mix. I would be very sceptical of Rick Levicks wording as he is a paid employee of the Long Point Causeway Project. If Viewing Stands are only a concept and not going to exist why don't they come out and state that there will be no Viewing Stands on the east side of the causeway.

Brent Taylor (Mudman)
 
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