Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
When in doubt, paddle it out! It was only smooth sailing on the Autauga Creek Wednesday morning with the Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT) and the Autauga Creek Improvement Committee (ACIC).
Both organizations celebrated the Summer Paddle Series with ASRT choosing the Autauga Creek for their July Paddle. They also celebrated the ASRT Mile Marker Program, where the mile markers are now standing tall and proud along the Autauga Creek.
Participants paddled through paradise and had a sendoff from Prattville Mayor Bill Gillespie, City Councilman Marcus Jackson, the Prattville Chamber of Commerce, the Autauga Heritage Association and a local senator and state representative.
Senator Clyde Chambliss and State Representative Jerry Starnes were both present to send off the paddlers. Both Chambliss and Starnes were imperative in the funding for the Mile Marker Program, now fully installed along the Autauga Creek trail.
“Having grown up in Prattville all my life, one of the things I always wanted to do as a boy was get in a canoe and go all the way to the river. At that time, you couldn’t, as there were down trees and other things blocking the way. Then Skip Lobmiller and the ACIC board came in for many months and years of continuous effort. I’m proud to say that I’ve been all the way to the river from Prattville City Hall many times,” Sen. Chambliss said with a smile.
The previous mile markers were from 2011, and many of them had been lost to floods in the many years of use over the last decade, Lobmiller stated.
“Most of these waterways are primitive. There are very little navigational names out there to know where you are. Should you get in trouble and need a rescue team, the local fire department and other rescue teams know where all the markers are, and there’s foot trails from the markers,” President of the ACIC Skip Lobmiller said.
The ASRT is a statewide organization that promotes recreational use of Alabama’s fresh waterways. Executive director of the Alabama Scenic River Trail Andrew Szymanski stated. He added that Alabama has the most accessible miles of fresh water and the most biodiverse water systems in the country.
There are over 6,500 miles of Alabama waterways that have been adopted by ASRT, and without the support of local legislation, river trails could not be promoted as a planned natural outdoor recreation activity for our citizens and tourists.
“We are so very thankful for this opportunity and to be able to bring a bunch of water enthusiasts together here on this perfect day,” Szymanski said.
The kayaks and other vessels for the day were provided by Prattville Paddle Sports, and the paddle was organized by the ASRT. Their next paddle will be Aug. 14 at Terrapin Creek.
