Mike Hammond
Paddlers here in Lee County have a new launch. Well sort of. To many of us, the Telegraph Creek launch along North River Road is an old favorite. For many years, it was private property and the owner did not seem to discourage people from fishing or launching from the site. Then, the property was sold and a fence went up. Our Parks & Recreation office received many calls and emails from concerned paddlers asking if there was something we could do. All I could do was explain the site was private property and encourage everyone to use the W.P. Franklin Lock site nearby on the Caloosahatchee as a launch site to access Telegraph Creek. Many paddlers added the mileage to their paddle and crossed the river to the mouth of the creek. Others said they were not comfortable crossing the open river.
I continued to inform disappointed paddlers that the old launch was no longer accessible until our Lee County Parks & Recreation director informed me that the lot might be available to purchase. But then after I happily spread the good news, the lot became unavailable for purchase. Again, I thought the launch was lost and had to explain to paddlers that I did not know if we would ever have that access. But finally, it happened. The purchase was complete and Lee County Parks & Recreation took over the site!
The sad news is the llamas, zebras, and other exotic animals we enjoyed seeing along the creek seem to be gone. There is still plenty of native wildlife to view and the paddle is as beautiful as ever. Even when you can see homes along the creek, they seem to blend into the mature trees and other vegetation. Some properties are so inviting along the creek that people have gotten out of their boats and had picnics. Please do not do this. Not only is it discourteous to private property owners, but it also potentially jeopardizes our ability to gain more access to creeks around the county. Besides, the last thing we want to see on our pretty creeks is a bunch of no trespassing signs. Public property is marked by Conservation 20/20 signs a little over a mile upstream.
When people ask how far you can paddle up the creek, I tell them it depends on how motivated they are and on the water levels. The further you go, the narrower the creek becomes, and paddling around or over tree branches becomes difficult.
For paddlers who do not have their own gear or would like to join a guided tour, Gaea Guides offers both and knows the creek well. Contact Connie at Gaeaguides.com for more information. Also, keep an eye on local paddling clubs’ activities – this creek is so nice that groups plan trips there.
If you haven’t paddled Telegraph Creek, I highly recommend you get your paddling crew together and go out for a paddle. You are in for a real treat and possibly a new favorite. For everyone else, welcome back!