Volunteer Divers needed for the underwater park

[JDR]

The EUP is always looking for volunteers.
Come join us and Dive!
I’m back in town and I’ll be volunteering at the Edmonds Underwater Park this weekend. It’s easy, meet us at the Edmonds UW Sports store at 9 AM, Saturday and Sunday. If no one is at the store on Sunday, then check at the park. Bruce Higgins drives a distinctive red pickup which is always full of dive gear, lift drums and items for the park. The Edmonds UW Sports store is a great supporter of this effort and donates airfills for the park volunteers.
Show up, learn to do something underwater, get some exercise, and enjoy the camaraderie of some great people who are making a difference in Puget Sound.
Questions? Contact me.

[Tangfish]

JDR, can you tell us more about what the volunteer work involves? Is it identifying fish, picking up waste, laying steel cable?

[sparky]

I for one can speak for the grate work the volinteeres do at the PArk in fact if JDR is the same JDR i know it is largly do to his efforts that the diving at Cove 2 are so nice

these guys work there butts offf and do a grate job wish I lived closer so I could join in


Grate bunch of divers.
its largly do to divers like JDR that we have boats I beams and the like to atract the critters to our dive sites

Sparky

[Sounder]

Where does the group get authorization to put new stuff into the water - the ecological licenses etc. Is Edmonds already considered "ok" to put stuff in (I mean real stuff that furthers the park by an authorized group) so the responsible group can do it?

What if there was a group of divers who wanted to, say, put some new fish-friendly structures off Alki or somewhere else to provide additional artificial habitat? Cement structures and cinder block structures are easy and cheap to make, would be totally safe for wildlife, and would create some great dive site additions (so long as they weren't just "dropped" into the water damaging things - I'm talking about carefully putting them in using lift bags and a dive team etc).

Anyone know where the proper approval comes from? I'm sure there's also the "just put it there and don't take credit for it" philosophy too. I just would hate to see someone make an addition to a site and get slapped for "littering."

[JDR]

JDR, can you tell us more about what the volunteer work involves? Is it identifying fish, picking up waste, laying steel cable?

This year the projects I know of are:

>Hauled a hundred or more cinder blocks out into the park to continue laying the "Erratic Way" trail out to the Boundary.
>Run a few thousand feet of rope through those blocks to make the trail.
>placed buoys at the edges of the park to establish the cautionary zone.
>re-located many tons of rocks from the intertidal zone further out into the park to provide habitat.
> the Split Shot, a fiberglass boat, to replace an existing boat. Was placed about 40 feet North of the intersection of Jetty Way and Telegraph Way it was used to ferry materials into the park and was filled with concrete blocks and parking lot dividers, etc.
> extending Erratic Way out to Boundary Way, this has taken a lot of cinder blocks and a mile or so of rope.
> lifting Jetty way out of the sand - it's a continual battle to dig out the section extending from the Jetty out to Telegraph Way on an annual basis
> re-inforcing Jetty Way with multiple rock piles to make the trail more visible in low visibility and increase habitat
> building additional rock piles near Erratic Way and the Reef Balls
> reworking trails, laying more rope, building new features
> last weeks project was building a plastic pipe bridge extending to the top of the Cathedrals....
> replacing the buoy on the Edmonds Fishing Reef
These projects and many, many more have been taking shape at the EUP. These are only the projects for 2006 that I have been involved with. There have been many others.
divers of all skills and abilities are welcome. Come out and join us.....

[JDR]

Where does the group get authorization to put new stuff into the water - the ecological licenses etc. Is Edmonds already considered "ok" to put stuff in (I mean real stuff that furthers the park by an authorized group) so the responsible group can do it?

What if there was a group of divers who wanted to, say, put some new fish-friendly structures off Alki or somewhere else to provide additional artificial habitat? Cement structures and cinder block structures are easy and cheap to make, would be totally safe for wildlife, and would create some great dive site additions (so long as they weren't just "dropped" into the water damaging things - I'm talking about carefully putting them in using lift bags and a dive team etc).

Anyone know where the proper approval comes from? I'm sure there's also the "just put it there and don't take credit for it" philosophy too. I just would hate to see someone make an addition to a site and get slapped for "littering."

The work crew at Edmonds has a working relationship with the City/State etc. extending back over 30 years.

The group of us involved with the Seacrest boundary effort have been working with the City of Seattle for a few years. We have made inquiries asking to be allowed to place something in the water. Thus far our efforts have not been rewarded with permission to do anything other than place the boundary rope and buoys at Seacrest.

To place something legally gets very complicated very quickly. Every inch of bottom in Puget Sound seems to be owned by someone and regulated by everyone. Owners include City/State/Fed Gov/private owners etc. Regulators/Permitters include more departments and government entities than I can remember WDFW/Ecology/tidelands/Parks/etc./ etc./ etc.

PS - You won't get slapped on the wrist for "littering". You will receive a "cease and desist" order which will proclaim that the State may exercise the option to have the offending items removed at your expense. This will involve permits, commercial divers, government oversite, etc.... Definitely a Mega dollar solution none of us could afford.

[Sounder]

I ask because of projects like Reef Ball: http://www.reefball.org/ Evidently there are some at Edmonds?

I figured it would involve a ton of red tape, a bunch of dollars, and other BS. My fiance is a US attorney who could potentially help with the red tape, but on the other hand, she can't be involved in anything "under the table."

Sounds like if the government wants to sink a ship, they tell someone to do a study that says "yes, it'll be fine" and do it, but if private divers want to build a habitat, they're subject to citation. ](*,)

However, the Justice System requires burden of proof, which means they have to connect you to it beyond a reasonable doubt (not suggesting anything though)!
I guess we just have to be happy with what we've got. I think the Edmonds project is great - I'll start coming in the next couple months to help. It sounds like a great time!

As for adding things to other parts of the Sound - the recommendation is that nothing be added without proper authorization, and CERTAINLY clubs shouldn't take on projects outside of areas like Edmonds.

Thanks for the info - I thought it might be something like that, but had wondered.

[JDR]

Yes there is a pile of ten reef balls in the park. They are on Erratic Way near the 17 piles of boulders we have placed there in the last couple of years. The name for the boulder piles on the current map is "The Erratics".

I would certainly encourage clubs to take on projects outside of Edmonds, as long as they go through the proper channels. I would also encourage each club to host a quarterly dive at Edmonds to join the volunteers and work on the park. This will give them valuable experience, make them more confident underwater, and give them a sense of giving something back to a sport they enjoy.

Governments do many things which are in their best interest. The trick seems to be to convince them that the effort required to sink a ship is in their best interest. From a Financial standpoint the tourist dollars from diving charters and shops,hotels, airfare, meals, fuel, rental cars, etc make a strong case for a major ship to be prepped as a diving recreation site and placed in Puget Sound.

[DiverDown]

Then I propose a nwdive club volunteer day at EUP. Preferably on a sunday Whos in?

[Joshua Smith]

I'd be up for that, I think.

[Tom Nic]

EUP is kind of far north for us Lakewood / Tacoma folks... but we are interested. Please keep us posted.

And for closer projects, if we can schedule it we'll be there!

[JDR]

Then I propose a nwdive club volunteer day at EUP. Preferably on a sunday Whos in?

I'm always up for it.

[BASSMAN]

Sunday Afternoon?
Like, 4:00 pm ?


Now that's an interesting use of these Emoticons

[JDR]

Come join us at the EUP. Volunteers for the Edmonds underwater park are always needed. Meet us at 9 AM at the Edmonds Underwater Sports store. Basic Scuba certification and gear are required! Experience is not required. I started volunteering at the park two months after I started diving and I've been volunteering there off and on for the last 9 years.

Unfortunately volunteers for the park, in this region of 3.8 million people, are few and far between. Schedule is easy - no notices, no e-mail chain, no phone calls required. Just show up at the Edmonds Underwater Sports store at 9 AM on Saturday or Sunday. That's right folks, a mere 104 opportunities a year to go diving.....
Saturdays there are typically 2 to 4 volunteers, Sundays are typically just Bruce Higgins or Bruce and a single volunteer. Bruce is there leading dives over a 100 days a year.

Come out on any weekend, join the work crew and support one of the best divesites in Puget Sound.

Bruce Higgins has been leading the effort as the unofficial Underwater park caretaker for the last 29 years at Edmonds.

He drives a distinctive red pickup which is always full of dive gear, lift drums and items for the park. The Edmonds UW Sports store donates airfills for the park volunteers.
Show up, learn to actually do something productive underwater, get some exercise, and enjoy the camaraderie of some great people who are making a difference in Puget Sound.

[DiverDown]

I would still be interested in helping out at the UWpark. This weekend wont work for me nor next weekend. But I still think that we should put something together.Im sure there are a few of us on this board that would be willing to help out also..

[JDR]

Its an easy schedule - every Saturday and Sunday. 9:00 Edmonds Underwater Sports store. Come out and join the volunteers.

[jeff98208]

or maybe even here on the north end, as i'm here in everett. i'd like see something new at mukilteo. like putting a stop sign at 100ft. and more barrels for crabs and octos to hide in. later!

good day!
jeff

[JDR]

Come join us at the EUP. Volunteers for the Edmonds underwater park are always needed. Meet us at 9 AM at the Edmonds Underwater Sports store. Basic Scuba certification and gear are required! Experience is not required. I started volunteering at the park two months after I started diving and I've been volunteering there off and on for the last 10 years.

Unfortunately volunteers for the park, in this region of 3.8 million people, are few and far between. The Schedule is easy - no notices, no e-mail chains, no phone calls required. Just show up at the Edmonds Underwater Sports store at 9 AM on any Saturday or Sunday all year round. Bruce Higgins is there leading dives over a 100 days a year. Come out on any weekend, join the work crew and support one of the best divesites in Puget Sound.

Bruce Higgins has been leading the effort as the unofficial Underwater park caretaker for the last 30 years at Edmonds. He drives a distinctive red pickup which is always full of dive gear, lift drums and items for the park. The Edmonds UW Sports store donates airfills for the dives at the park.

Show up, learn to actually do something productive underwater, get some exercise, and enjoy the camaraderie of some great people who are making a difference in Puget Sound.
__________________

[jeff98208]

deal, i'll try to attend this week end! providing the wife is not working. the younglings still need the guidance of a parental unit. but i'll try to come out.

[JDR]

I'm working today, but I'll be there tomorrow. Bruce is always there!

[Sounder]

I have a boat that would make a great addition to the park (all clean of oils etc, and ready for scuttling). Does Mr. EUP (Bruce) have an email?

[JDR]

I have a boat that would make a great addition to the park (all clean of oils etc, and ready for scuttling). Does Mr. EUP (Bruce) have an email?

No, he doesn't. Best Advice? Show up on a Saturday/Sunday and talk to him. 9 AM at the store.

[Sounder]

Thanks. It'll make a great addition to any reef, completely eco-friendly too!

[JDR]

Come out and join us anytime. The EUP is always looking for interested volunteers. The opportunity to help work on the park is available every Saturday and Sunday. Meet the crew at the Edmonds UW Sports store at 9 and find out what the plan of the day is. Bruce is very accomodating to all divers and all skill levels. Come join us and give something back to a sport you love.