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The following reports have been collected from Lorraine Winters, WSM to alert anglers and boaters as to the type of situations that the Rangers have been encountering. This is shared in an effort to minimize problems and educate all as to what is occurring at Hoover.
4/18/12 - We are excited to resume the weekly reports to the HFR! It has been a very busy spring with ongoing preparations for the boating season. Rangers have been deploying and adjusting navigational buoys at all three reservoirs. The lack of ice cover at Hoover this past winter, though not good for ice fishing, was kinder to the navigational buoys and most markers were still in the same locations. In the last two weeks rangers have addressed two incidents of anglers parking on the shoreline. One individual boating near Twin Bridges, was educated by rangers and ODNR for throwing a large wake within 100’ of the shoreline. We appreciate ODNR’s early presence at the boat ramps. Rangers will also be at the ramps and on the water to offer free courtesy boat safety inspections. You can be one of the first to get a new 2012 inspection sticker (if you have the required safety equipment of course!) This weekend is the spring rowing regatta. You may have seen the large orange mooring buoys marking the lanes of competition. Most of the congestion associate with this large event will be south of the Smothers Bridge, along Sunbury Road. Event participants will be setting up on Friday so it would be a good idea to avoid this stretch if possible.
4/25/12 - It was an eventful week at Hoover with the blustery winds creating some challenging situations. Strong winds and wave action broke the dam safety cable late Sunday night, and several of the orange floats travelled over the dam. The system will be repaired when conditions permit, and may be replaced with a better design. Strong winds also resulted in a breakage of the dam safety cable at Griggs Reservoir, and a tree which fell on an angler’s car at O’Shaughnessy (no injuries). Back at Hoover, Rangers responded to incidents ranging from a dog attack at the Lower East Dam, a medical emergency at the Upper East Dam, unpermitted water withdrawal by a hydroseeding operation, and an overturned port-a-jon at Oxbow. Last week’s warm weather brought crowds of happy crappie anglers to the boardwalk, but many unhappy reports of litter. Please pay extra care to secure items from blowing away – whether intended or not, littering is not permitted. Last week I forgot to mention a boat rescue provided when a ranger helped capture and secure a boat which drifted away from the Redbank courtesy ramp. Until next week….
5/2/12 - This week rangers found various park violations including several curfews, vehicles parking in turn-arounds at the Hoover Marina and Oxbow, and reports of ATV use on city property. At Hoover Area N rangers found a fire and evidence that a visitor used their vehicle to push a port-a-jon away from the parking area and into the woods (seeking more privacy or making an additional parking spot??). Rangers are working with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office in an investigation of tires dumped at Alexander Road. Monday night, rangers responded to a single vehicle accident near Sunbury and Smothers where a vehicle drove off road, into the rip rapped area near the bridge abutment. In wildlife news, a strange bird is attracting attention near the Hoover Marina. A California Gull has been spotted well away from its normal habitat and is being admired by many binocular-toting bird watchers. In other wildlife news, a few weeks ago ODNR was in the north end of Hoover collecting a sample fish population to check for the presence of the VHS virus. ODNR staff and a supervising veterinarian processed the collected fish at the Watershed Management office. Though ODNR did not expect to find the virus, it was important to test before collecting the brood stock of white bass used in the hybrid striped bass stocking program. Results of their testing did not find evidence of VHS.
5/9/12 - Pleasant weather resulted in high park visitation over the last week. Rangers responded to reports of swimming, fishing off docks and multiple curfew violations. Rangers evicted an angler fishing in the Hoover Nature Preserve, and provided tow assistance to a stranded boater in the Hoover south pool Blendon Township Police assisted rangers with the report of littering and alcohol consumption in the Hoover Dam lower parking lot. Speaking of the dam, new lights have been installed along the east side of the dam, and Recreation and Parks staff are troubleshooting a problem with the lights in the Hoover Marina.
5/16/12 - Yesterday numerous thefts were reported by boat slip renters at the Hoover Marina. At least ten boats were subject to thefts, tampering or vandalism with missing or damaged items ranging from batteries and gas, to fish finders and a pontoon railing. We believe the thefts occurred late Monday or early Tuesday. Boat slip holders should check their boats and call Blendon Twp. PD to report damages or loss. Outside of this incident, rangers responded to one incident of excessive horsepower, three incidents of fishing off docks and/or parking in a boat launch, and many curfew violations. Rangers educated an angler at the Hoover Marina who was found with undersized crappie, and redirected a boater attempting to launch their pontoon from the Hoover Marina. A bronze placard was stolen from a monument near the lower west shelterhouse.
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