While I rarely post anymore, I do follow the website closely. The Summerville Saltwater fishing club has adopted the Bushy Park Cooper River access as a project to try and find a solution to the silting problems and hopefully a remedy. They did contact me and ask that I keep a low profile while they pursue options that they felt would be more productive than me getting vocal with the media and I agreed.
After seeing some of the conditions at the ramp on some minus tides the past month or so and not hearing of any progress being made, I think I need to start getting vocal with the media.
How many of you boaters out there that use Bushy, know that the average depth at low tide used to be 20 feet at the ramp and all the way out to the river? Check some old charts.
I am an old fart and actually that used that area to launch a boat when it was dirt. When Berkely County put the ramp and docks in, it was so poplar, there was almost no place to park. Almost no one uses it now. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think it’s time to start making some noise. I am willing and ready to hear input and I am also ready to start raising more awareness with the media. We have lost a resource that County residents paid for. We need to reclaim it.
I did a search of the Post Courier. Check out page 43 from 3/19/1989. Its what we used to have and how much it cost.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=0oeUc68sgesC&dat=19890319&printsec=frontpage&hl=en
The silting is serious. We went out today (Sat. 2/18) and put in at 11 a.m… Dead low was at about 12:15. We had between 3’ near the ramp but had to cross several low spots that were about 1.5’ to 1.2’. That is the way it was today. At dead low tide I would estimate the depth today to have been about 8". In most boats, you now have to avoid low tide at Bushy Park. We have to plan about 2 hours either side of low tide in order to get out without pulling a lot of mud through our motor. Something needs to be done about this. It is one of the best landings around and has become almost useless at dead low tide…even Kayaks have a problem on the minus tides. Let’s get together on this folks.
PioneerLouie
Pioneer Venture 175, Johnson 90
Summerville, SC
We all agree that the Bushy landing is in seriously bad shape. Speaking for SSWA, we have been at work behind the scenes with local and state politicians to come up with a solution to the problem, based on the notion that you get more with honey than with vinegar. I would say that we are very well informed on the subject. There are a number of issues; Including $$, environmental concerns, and a permanent solution that will not require re-dredging in another 5-10 yrs (the latter being one of the biggest concerns - no one wants a short-term solution). Our politicians know about the problem I can assure you that. Making your opinions known to your representatives (being the tri-county delegation) in the form of a letter would probably be your best option.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.sswaonline.com
Well said, Opt. QP, the politicians that can make things happen LOVE press - good press that is. We’ve actually had a dredging consultant attend a board meeting and he said one of the most detrimental things we could do is throw negative press at the politicians causing them to scurry away from the cause. In his professional opinion, that would only set things back if not kill the effort all together. He has us on a slow and steady political path towards a resolution, and the right people are aware of the concerns.
I feel your Bushy Park pain. My boat drafts deep and I actually hit mud either side of low tide at the closest landing to my house. The landing is useless to me as is.
Vinman
19.5 Triumph, 115 HP Honda
“Every saint has a past, every sinner a future”
www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
sswamembership@gmail.com
It’s all about bringing viable solutions to the table. Thanks to the members at SSWA for putting in the hours. Hopefully a solution can reached and that landing can be used to its full potential.
Seafox 187CC