Newsletter Index:
1999 Musical March For Umstead, Saturday, April 17, 1999
Duraleigh Road Connector: No Plans for Funding, but Still on Thoroughfare Map
Richland Creek Big Sweep and Streamwatch
Meet the Superintendent of Umstead State Park -- Martha Woods
Eno River Association Continues to Oppose Eno Drive
Wood Smoke – sleeping overnight at Umstead State Park
Permanent Noise Monitors at Umstead State Park Requested from RDU Airport
William B. Umstead State Park Visitor Center Programs
Umstead Coalition Winter/ Spring 1998/99 Hike Schedule
Enjoy a great walk/run through Umstead State Park’s Natural Area,
music, food, and environmental education exhibits.
AND, feel great about helping Umstead State Park!
We are happy to report that the Duraleigh Road Connector has not reappeared in the draft 2000-2006 Draft Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). It had been deleted from the current TIP. This is consistent with the reality of transportation funds being in high demand for other local priorities (e.g., NC55 and 64E Bypass), several high priority projects being delayed, and no local government requesting the Duraleigh Road Connector project.
The deletion of the Duraleigh Road Connector from the Thoroughfare Plan (the "map") is currently being evaluated under a Regional Planning – Transportation Plan Update, as well as an upcoming Air Quality Conformity Analysis for Wake County.
The draft TIP was released in November’98 for this 7-year planning document. Comments will be taken by NCDOT through May’99. Once approved by both local governments and the State NC Board of Transportation in July’99, the TIP will be a 2-year document.
The TIP is downloadable from the WWW and comments can be made on line Current TIP
(TIP from p.1)
Here are a few highlights in the Draft TIP that relate to traffic flow around Umstead:
The first combined BIG SWEEP/ Streamwatch Event along Richland Creek was held September 19th. It was a great success thanks to the hard work of dedicated volunteers: Frank Briden, Rod Broadbelt, Karl Brown, Robert Coxe, Allen Cruz, Doug Frederick, Scott Frederick, Shayne and Katina Gad, Barbara Harvey, Gary Hudson, Benson Kirkman, Doug Little, Ted and Binks Mew, Medhat Mohamed, Kirk Port, Richard Tibbs, Joyce Todd, Jean Spooner, and Dani Wise! Almost all of Richland Creek from its origins at Highway 54 to its confluence with Crabtree Creek was covered. Over 600 pounds of garbage was collected! Most of the trash was beverage containers: aluminum cans, plastic soda bottles, glass beer bottles, and those cute little one-shot liquor thing-a-ma-jigs. Assorted other plastics and Styrofoam were also abundant particularly along portions of Richland Lake. Do we need special signs and garbage receptacles near the lake to deter littering by fishermen and teenage party animals?
Other noteworthy observations included grading and in fill within 10' of the creek along its headwaters, illegal refuse dumping off of Mt. Vernon Rd., metal doors from a bulldozer, and a pile of furniture and appliance cartons dumped next to Reedy Creek Rd. by the lake. Shipping labels allowed us to trace their origin to the Sears Home Life Store on Hwy. 70. The manager was quite embarrassed and eager to identify the delivery driver responsible for this crime.
Aside from the garbage, photos were taken at strategic spots along each section of the creek. These will be repeated at least every 3 months to provide baseline data and monitor physical changes in the structure of the stream’s banks and beds. Due to construction at the Edwards Mill Road Extension and the Centennial Arena unbelievable amounts of sediment and storm-water runoff have surged into Richland Creek, altering its normal hydrology, eroding its banks, and covering its bottom in clay, silt, and gravel. We hope that our notes and photos my help us win some restoration/preservation funding in the future along the corridor. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that preventing environmental damage in the first place is much cheaper than repairing it down the road.
To see just how rapidly the landscape has been altered and how much sediment has been dumped into the creek, compare recent photos of the north side of Richland Lake to shots taken 12 months ago! Currently the lake is doing a wonderful job of allowing sediments to settle and filtering pollutants, not to mention that it is a gorgeous wetland and rich wildlife habitat. The problem is that the lake was intended to serve as a flood-control /sedimentation basin for many more decades and at the current rate that is laughable! As part of an overall system to control excess flow into Crabtree Creek and the Neuse River, Richland Lake is aging prematurely. Dredging has been mentioned, yet it is an expensive, intrusive, and ecologically destructive activity. Other alternatives are being explored. Wake County has contracted a study of the rate of sedimentation into Richland (and Shelly) Lake which should be completed by the end of the year.
The good news is that part of Richland Creek is still in good condition (compared to most streams in the Triangle, and most surface waters feeding the Neuse River). Especially downstream from Richland Lake, where there is still a good amount of wooded buffer, the water condition is admirable for an urbanizing county. Minnows and crayfish are abundant, as are mussels up to three inches long. Stream bank vegetation is lush and diverse, and there is ample evidence of wildlife. Allen Cruz collected shells and bones, deer and turtle skulls, for his middle school science classroom. At this point, one can say with conviction that Richland Creek waters flowing into Crabtree Creek are clean and life-supporting. It is our mission to keep them that way!
As part of our Streamwatch Program, we have received a Water Quality Testing Kit, on loan from the Neuse River Foundation. Richard Tibbs and Nina Baccanari have graciously agreed to conduct bi-weekly tests near Trinity Road and Ebenezer Church Road. So far all test results appear normal, no problems in terms of dissolved oxygen content, nitrate, ammonia, or phosphate levels. This is good, but not surprising news. In the Richland Creek corridor organic wastes and fertilizer runoff have never been a big concern due to the surrounding land uses – it’s sediment and channels in stream channel function we are most concerned about.
The biggest threats to the stream are not as much chemical as hydrological. By this I mean drastic changes in the speed and volume of water entering the creek. As upland vegetation is cleared and bare clay and asphalt replace fields and woodlands, storm-water is channeled into the creek in unprecedented amounts at unprecedented rates. Instead of filtering through the soil into the groundwater table, water is gullied and jettisoned into the stream corridor. It carries oil and sediment and travels at high speeds with greater force and volume, eroding banks and vegetation, downcutting and altering the channel, and covering the stream beds with clay and silt. This, in turn destroys habitat for existing plants and animals, especially bivalves, amphibians, and many insects whose early life cycles are aquatic. During flood stages, the water levels are higher than previous floods, and during drought periods the groundwater table is lower than ever. Although change is a permanent feature in the life of a stream and its surroundings, recent human activities have accentuated the range, frequency, and duration of changes in the Richland Creek environment. If we want to preserve the water quality and ecological value of the Richland Creek corridor, we must insure that change occurs within a manageable range. We must keep water flows somewhat consistent, rather than adopting the extreme patterns of a storm-drain or sewer pipe.
To do this, it is important to protect the lands along Richland Creek. By continuing careful monitoring of the Richland Creek Corridor, the Umstead Coalition hopes to attain the tools to do so. The next Streamwatch will be Saturday March 13. Please come join us to see what’s happening first hand, and to keep Richland Creek clean and beautiful!
Uli Gratzl
From left to right: Noah (dog), Binks Mew, Uli Gratzl, Ted Mew, Jean Spooner, and Richard Tibbs (part of the Umstead Coalition's Richland Creek Streamwatch crew)
Martha presides over the 5,400 acre State Park which offers tent and trailer camping, youth camping, three lakes, 20 miles of hiking trials and 11 miles of bike-bridle trails, three picnic shelters, a lodge and two main access areas (Reedy Creek Access off I-40 and Crabtree Access off US-70), and a brand new Visitor Center. Big Lake, the largest lake, provides rental rowboats and canoes and some of the best kept fishing spots for large mouth bass and catfish in the area. Also within the Park are two registered Natural Areas, the Piedmont Beech Natural Area and the Crabtree Creek Natural Area.
Many of the facilities at Umstead date from the days of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Projects Administration (WPA), circa 1935-1941. These facilities are registered as National Historic Landmarks. Improvements are planned for these facilities, which have suffered from the lack of funding in the past to maintain and repair the buildings. Thanks to Hurricane Fran, many of the cabins received much-needed new roofs. The Park staff has learned to look for the silver lining around all those Fran clouds! The three group camps, Lapihio which houses 120 and Crabtree and Whispering Pines, each housing 60, hopefully will be refurbished and made handicap-accessible as money becomes available.
Lots of volunteers help out at Umstead. Martha says the Umstead Coalition is very active in day-to-day activities at the Park, not only serving as a citizen’s "watchdog" group for things going on outside the Park, but also leading hikes, doing service projects, and providing displays for Interpretation and Education of the Park. REI (a Raleigh outdoor retail shop) has organized National Trails Day events for the last two years, build a major bridge and accomplished other trail work. Glaxo Welcome, Nortel, SAS, and CP&L have all contributed monetarily and with volunteer labor for several large projects in the last two years.
There are large numbers of nonprofit groups that utilize the group camps and volunteer while in the Park. The Church of Latter Day Saints, which has held several service days at the park, assisted in getting the group camps ready for rental after Hurricane Fran. Eagle Scout projects, through the Boy Scouts, have added many Park-wide improvements such as new display cases, an amphitheater, and good bridges. Martha is very aware that the staff at Umstead couldn’t get the extra things done without help from the many volunteers. She wishes she could mention them all, but is appreciative of the help and considers volunteering to be vital to the ongoing improvements to the Park.
Martha says, "There are many challenges in managing a Park which is surrounded by a rapidly developing urban area. But then, that’s why it is so special. It is easily accessible to thousands of people who seek nature and solitude, allowing them to escape from the asphalt and noise of the city. As the population increases, there are more and more requests for the use of the Park facilities from many different user groups. Maintaining that balance between use of the resource and protection of the resources is the greatest challenge today. Fortunately, two Recreational Areas, City parks, and County Parks offer more recreationally-based opportunities in the Triangle area.
"William B. Umstead State Park offers places where the Park visitor can slow down from the harried pace which is just outside the gates. They can see and enjoy nature, take in the sounds and smells of the forest, see wildlife, rediscover the joys of a wild flower, or just be with their thoughts. We all need green space."
Martha also is anxious to get more environmental education going in the Park. The new Visitor Center will be a big help. The auditorium and classroom provide the necessary space for Park Rangers and Educators to have such programs as the Park’s EELS " which is an educational curriculum for middle school students about soil erosion. A quite appropriate topic, since soil erosion is the reason Umstead is a State Park today."
Martha is back near her roots. She grew up in Orange County, attended Orange high school and then Radford University in Virginia for a degree in Health and Physical Education. She taught elementary Physical Education in Virginia, but then the federal funding ran out and she signed on with C&P Telephone Company. She worked as an installation technician for twelve yeas. She has always had a passion for the great outdoors, and spent her time off hiking, camping, and fishing. Seeking to make her work time closer to her leisure time, she sought a career with the NC State Parks and was hired at Eno River State Park in 1988. After four years at the Eno, she transferred to Pettigrew State Park and then was promoted to Superintendent at Goose Creek State Park. She came to Umstead in November of 1996 "right after Fran."
Enjoying being back near home, Martha says that she once again is having to fill her leisure time with camping, hiking, canoeing, and fishing because the responsibilities of Superintendent at William B. Umstead keep her in the office too much. Nevertheless, she says that she feels good about her job and career decisions because "one hundred years from now, the Superintendent at Umstead will still be wondering how to balance nature and people…."
Durham’s Joint City/County Planning Committee, made up of representatives from the City Council and County Commission, is currently examining possible alternatives to Eno Drive. NCDOT is accepting comments on their draft Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) which currently contains Eno Drive.
Comments on the Draft TIP can be directed to:
The Umstead Coalition has requested that the RDU Airport Authority establish permanent noise monitoring equipment in the areas around RDU Airport, including within William B. Umstead State Park. Specifically, we have encouraged the RDU Airport Authority to accept the recommendations of the Airport Authority’s Airport Noise Abatement Committee (ANAC) dated October 15, 1998.
The Airport Authority has agreed to "move forward" in refining the specific objectives and types of information that will be distributed to the public (November 19, 1999 Authority meeting). We are optimistic that they will move forward and install permanent noise monitors.
Temporary noise monitors have been placed in Umstead in 1993 at two locations: near Big Lake/Group camps and at the Family Campground. Other organizations have also given their formal support for permanent noise monitoring including, the North Raleigh Association of Neighborhoods, City of Durham, and the Town Council of Cary.
Providing citizens with facts on conditions which affect them is a policy which produces public confidence and ensures that the public "Perception" is consistent with the reality that good decisions are being made. Openness is always to be encouraged. Providing timely knowledge and education to the public (citizens and policy makers) dramatically improves the public’s ability to participate in discussion of issues in a constructive fashion, which in turn dramatically improves the decision-making processes.
The Umstead Coalition appreciates the efforts by the Airport Authority and Airport staff to assist with temporary noise measurements in the past and looks forward to working with the Airport Authority on utilizing permanent noise monitors as an informational and educational tool.
Jean Spooner
Congratulations to Keith E. Nealson, formerly General Utility Worker at William B. Umstead State Park, for his promotion to Park Ranger I position at Umstead. Keith has a degree in biology/chemistry from Northern Arizona University. He has been employed by the division since May, 1998.
Welcome to Bill Duke, a new General Utility Worker in Umstead Park.
January 16 - Birds of Prey. Meet at 2:00 p.m. at the Visitor Center for a talk on these magnificent flyers. A falconer will be on hand with live raptors.
January 17 - The Wonders of Water. Meet at 10:00 am at the Reedy Creek Parking Area at the end of North Harrison Avenue for a hike down to Crabtree Creek and discuss the importance the various forms of water play in life to land formation. Program is approximately one and one half-hour in length. Please call for reservations at 571-4170.
January 30 - History Hike. Meet at the Park Visitor Center at 2:00 p.m. to go on a hike to areas that are not frequented by the public. There will be a good chance to see wildlife so bring binoculars if you have them and dress warmly. Please call 571-4170 for reservations. Program will last approximately one and one half-hour.
February 6 - Walk in the Beech Forest. Hike the steep slopes of Crabtree Creek through the Piedmont Beech Natural Area with a ranger. Bring binoculars in case we see wildlife. Meet at the Reedy Creek Maintenance Area parking lot at 2:00 p.m. Program will last approximately one and one half-hours.
February 7 - What kind of tree is that? Meet at the Reedy Creek Parking Area off of North Harrison Avenue at 10:00 am. for a hike on Inspiration Trail. Learn to identify various trees in the winter common to the park. Call 571-4170 for details and reservations.
February 20- Where have all the animals gone? Learn about how the animals common to the park overwinter. Meet at the Park Visitor Center at 2:00 p.m. For details and reservations call 571-4170.
March 6 - Company Mill Site Hike. Meet at the Reedy Creek Parking Area off of North Harrison Avenue at 10:00 am to hike down to the Company Mill site on Crabtree Creek. Learn about the importance of a grist mill to a community at the turn of the century. Call 571-4170 for reservations.
March 13 - Creature Feature. Meet at the Park Visitor Center at 3:00 p.m. to learn about the wildlife found in Umstead State Park. Program will last approximately one hour.
March 21 - Birds of Prey. Meet at 2:00 p.m. at the Visitor Center for a talk on these magnificent flyers. A falconer will be on hand with live raptors.
All hikes are free of charge. For starting time and location, please call the designated hike leader.
Dec. 5 Richland Creek Maintenance. Uli Gratzl, 859-4095.
Dec. 12 Cook's Mill and eastern pre-park community remnants. Tom Weber, 380-7993
Jan. 9 Tour Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp ruins and other pre-park community remnants along main bridle trail. Tom Weber, 380-7993
Jan. 16 Winter Botany. Robert Coxe, 876-1690
Jan. 16 Park Trails (up to 17 miles, fast pace). Rod Broadbelt*.
Jan. 30 Nature in Winter. Frank McKay, 844-743
Feb. 6 Tour stone sites in northern area of park. Tom Weber, 380-7993.
Feb. 13 A Winter Walk (about 4 miles). Frank Briden, 844-1566
Feb. 20 Park Trails (up to 12 miles). Rod Broadbelt*.
Feb. 27 Hike to the Company Mill area, Camp Craggy, and other pre-park community sites in south of park. Tom Weber, 380-7993.
Mar. 6 Ecology Walk. Frank Mckay, 844-7436.
Mar. 13 Streamwatch and Threats to Richland Creek Corridor. Uli Gratzl, 859-4095 or Jean Spooner, 828-5859.
Mar. 20 Park Trails (up to 14 miles). Rod Broadbelt*
Mar. 27 Early Spring Botany. Robert Coxe, 876-1690.
Apr. 3 Ecology Walk. Frank McKay, 844-7436.
Apr. 10 Spring Wildflowers. Frank Briden, 844-1566.
*No need to call for Rod Broadbelt’s hikes. Meet at the parking lot at the end of Harrison Ave., in the Park, at 8:00 am. Bring your lunch. For further details, call 363-6611, before 8:00pm.
Membership Formrev. 3:00 PM on 3/21/99