In these tough times where no one has any money including all levels of goverment how can we piss away money??? I know lets build a fucking road where we absolutely don't need one. Lets take the best trout river in the state and see how fast we can destroy it.

I fished the gorge this morning and the middle lot is now closed off and filled with construction equipment. The tree that was in the lower lot holding the "road closed 1 mile ahead sign" is now gone to make way for the road is my guess. While fishing a riffled area by the middle lot I got to listen to the lovely sounds of heavy equipment.

Oh well guess whats done is done and all we can do is hope I'm over reacting and it won't be so bad when its done.

Nick this is from Gardenstatetrout.com from Rusty Spinner who works for TU, Figured I would save you 6 pages of reading people BS for the answer.



 
Re: Gorge Closed?

Postby Rusty Spinner on Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:03 am
Sorry I haven't been able to post sooner - just too busy at a river restoration workshop/project all week. I blew off this morning to catch up on my "regular work" and wanted to take a minute to post and let you know I spoke with John Piccolo, the person at the division in charge of this project. John was very forthcoming and we had some good dialogue. Some things we agreed on and some we did not.

It looks like the pressure brought about by those of us that bothered to be heard on the topic (both TU and non-TU alike) got the state to eliminate 2 of the 3 pavement sections. I believe that the # John gave me was that the first 148' of the upper road will be paved because there was no other way to stabilized the road with a material that will not be washed away in a flood event. They dropped the two sections of paving in the lower road over his objections because of the pressure he received from all of us and from Freshwater Fisheries. What bothers me most is that there is so much information that was not conveyed to us over the years which would most likely have diffused much of this controversy. John told me that parking and access is a requirement of the division whether we like it or not. Also, the local town(s) met with the division and insisted that the road be accessible for emergency vehicles (not for the stocking trucks although they would also obviously be able to use it as well).

I asked why the rt. 513 access was not considered and he told me it was, but due to the ADA (Americans w/Disabilities Act), the trail needed would have been too steep for safe access. Remember, I'm just the messenger here, feel free to take shots at the division all you want.

The two handicapped access platforms is where I dug my heels in because I think we all agree (I know Rick Axt agrees) that these will fail miserably in a flood and we'll be the ones picking up the broken sticks in the lower Gorge. John feels differently, that they will be fine as they were raised above the flood limits, but he also said that if they failed they would not necessarily be rebuilt. A small comfort, but I would have preferred they built them as TU did on the Flatbrook and Pequest because those can withstand the forces of a flood when built correctly and in the correct locations. These handicapped piers are another ADA requirement due to the # of parking spaces being built.

Most of this project is for drainage and for that TU is grateful. This is the one area we've been pushing the state to address for years so that whatever surface the road is made of will not simply wash into the river during high water events and so that the various springs seeping off the hillside don't pour silt into the river even during light rains as they do now. The road is not being "widened", it is to remain at 11' per John. I was impressed that the total amount of disturbance for this entire project is only 400 square feet, about the size of a large living room. The tree removal is only 3 trees - I think it was 2 at the Trestle parking area (those 2 in the middle of the lot) and one for the new lower parking area. Gates will be placed at the top, bottom and where the stone bridge is below the Trestle lot. That gives the division flexibility to close any or all sections of the road as conditions (mostly winter conditions) warrant. TU will make plans to plant trees where some of the historic parking areas are currently located so the 3 being removed will more than be compensated for. I realize some of you think that the drainage plans are bad ones, but I do not. I know Rick Axt who works in this area agrees with me and he's and expert. If we wind up being wrong, and I don't suspect that being the case, then we'll say so here.

John agreed as did Lisa Barno that plans need to be made for a long term solution to a full closure of the road which seems to refute some of what they are saying about the need to provide public access. We all need to be a part of that process because it is still not clear to me what "total closure" means. If that means necking the current road down to a walking trail to minimize the road's negative impacts, then what about the local town's concerns about access for emergency parking? Or do they just mean keeping all public cars off the road and keeping the same width as it is now?

Walking paths....I think alot of people go there for hikes, not walks on paved paths.. Anyone ever hear the saying if its not broke don't fix it.. Well there wasnt anything wrong with the gorge, so why play with it. I beleive screwing with mother nature will will bring nothing but ill effects.I don't know abuot anyone else But i dont go to the gorge because its easy to get around, in fact the road is beating the crap out of my car(two broken tie rods and a loose Control arm), and the rocky paths take alot of energry to walk on..Instead I go there for the reason that its simple and left to nature..And far as the handcap areas, its crap, we just gave away one of the best pools to a freaking ramp..A impromvent would be making two lots at either end(get rid of middle) and blocking off acess, other then walking.Whats this paved path going to look like after a few winters and tree roots getting at it?Will we be left with an eye sore? Someone mentioned the drainage issue, anyone ever think the mud comes upstream from farms? Sure some comes off the road but not much..That water is supposed to trickle, not forced down by mans hands.(thats how we wind up with the mud) **Fact** Drainage is never a good idea..And just for the record if i were in a god dam wheel chair Id never expect anyone to ruin such a peaceful place just so I could wet a line from a ramp.

Its really a shame but I can't say I'm surprised, this is how our lovely state works. Personally I think the whole thing is a bit strange I mean come in the gorge has been a state park for a long time and thay just recently decided they needed all this crap, yeah ok.

I agree with nutman, Tu bargined with them from what I hear, Just like a lawyer pleads a case down... Snakes in the grass I say! The freaking place is gonna look like the North Branch in Bedminster...Minus the hot house wifes walking..

I grew up on those rivers ,and I never got involved with tu there for one reason they were doing nothing for the river or the fish .there idea of helping the river was putting up kiosks .Nothing was being done to improve river habitat at the time .Sure some things were being planted along river banks here and there .No one was fighting all the put and takes there .Every river come mid june in the fly fishing areas looked like a trash dump for bait fishing ,mind you i use to bait fish back then to ( except i cleaned up after myself ) .The njdivision of fish and game is corrupt they have repeatedly ignored the sportmen .It was way evident in the bear hunt situation .which just showed how weak the sportsmen are .The government repeatedly has walked all over the sportsmen to push for a higher agenda ( to please the rich. It has been a city influx.
People move next to the farm but dont want to hear the chickens or the cows .They dont like that they cant drive down a road so they have to pave it .
The KLG should have been closed off to traffic years ago ,except for emergency vechicles .
Since they seem to be doing so much work on the musky maybe it is time to put your efforts there . take down the waterloo damn and the musky lake damn .it would be the only way to improve that river and for that matter the lake hopatcong damn which feeds that river in the first place .That is where all the pollution comes from ! Rivers they haunt me ! Sorry guys just trying to get you to look at larger picture .You can glorify yourself in a magazine ,about knocking damns down but they arent really improving the river .If the river gets colder all of asudden let me know !

Im going there today Ill take some pics, I told everyone a month ago that that they were starting in a few weeks..Its just a shame that are generation settles for convenince over preservation..Im still blown away on the fact that tu let this happen without a fight... Tu's little sign thing is gone now too, man all there hard work gone, wht a shame...lol.... I really believe that the members of tpo have more concern about the klg than tu. I think we should consider the fact that its are river now, we look after it, can't count on Tu.We should organize, the only way to stay in control is to stay connected, so we should start taking care of are spot!