FYI

This is the first I’ve heard about Hoppies having problems (came from Active Captain email)
We stopped there on our trip down the inland rivers.....

Two years ago, the ACoE constructed three new dikes south of Hoppies
Marina. The effect of these dikes has been that the water depths at the
marina have silted over from 12 feet to 4 feet. Owners Charles and Fern
Hopkins have already been forced to greatly shorten their dock space.
If something is not done, their marina which has been in business for
77 years, will be forced to close altogether.

suggested action....

We have spoken with Fern to determine how the ActiveCaptain community
might help. She stated that they have been meeting with Senators to
gain support but that the cause could be helped greatly by boaters
contacting the players involved also. So if you have done the Loop,
hope to do it one day, or just do not want to see a boating landmark
close, please take a moment and send a message of support to the
following Senators and to the ACoE:

Missouri:
Honorable Roy Blunt (US Senator), www.blunt.senate.gov
Honorable Claire McCaskill (US Senator), www.mccaskill.senate.gov

Illinois:
Honorable Richard Durbin (US Senator), www.durbin.senate.gov
Honorable Mark Kirk (US Senator), www.kirk.senate.gov

Army Corp of Engineers:
Thomas E. O’Hara, Jr., Colonel, U. S. Army, District Commander,
TeamSTL-PAO@usace.army.mil

Let's make sure that Hoppies Marina is there to help the next
generation of boaters safely experience the Great Loop. Let's
put a bunch of emails into Colonel O'Hara's inbox letting their
organization know that this is just, plain, wrong.

Everyone,
I know this area very well.  If Hoppies were to close, doing the Loop with any a "gasser" will be next to impossible.  Kidd's in Cape has only delivered diesel for the last few years which already has presented challenges to most gassers... Hoppies closing would make the trip near impossible.  Most slow diesels would even have issues coming up from KY Lake to St. Louis with Hoppies not being around.  So.. Yes, please lend your support!

-Matt
M/V Distinctly Lost

-----Original Message-----
From: great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com [mailto:great-loop-bounces@lists.trawlering.com] On Behalf Of Quinces
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 8:17 AM
To: great-loop@lists.trawlering.com
Subject: GL: Hoppies dilema

FYI

This is the first I’ve heard about Hoppies having problems (came from Active Captain email) We stopped there on our trip down the inland rivers.....

Two years ago, the ACoE constructed three new dikes south of Hoppies Marina. The effect of these dikes has been that the water depths at the marina have silted over from 12 feet to 4 feet. Owners Charles and Fern Hopkins have already been forced to greatly shorten their dock space.
If something is not done, their marina which has been in business for
77 years, will be forced to close altogether.

suggested action....

We have spoken with Fern to determine how the ActiveCaptain community might help. She stated that they have been meeting with Senators to gain support but that the cause could be helped greatly by boaters contacting the players involved also. So if you have done the Loop, hope to do it one day, or just do not want to see a boating landmark close, please take a moment and send a message of support to the following Senators and to the ACoE:

Missouri:
Honorable Roy Blunt (US Senator), www.blunt.senate.gov Honorable Claire McCaskill (US Senator), www.mccaskill.senate.gov

Illinois:
Honorable Richard Durbin (US Senator), www.durbin.senate.gov Honorable Mark Kirk (US Senator), www.kirk.senate.gov

Army Corp of Engineers:
Thomas E. O’Hara, Jr., Colonel, U. S. Army, District Commander, TeamSTL-PAO@usace.army.mil

Let's make sure that Hoppies Marina is there to help the next
generation of boaters safely experience the Great Loop. Let's
put a bunch of emails into Colonel O'Hara's inbox letting their
organization know that this is just, plain, wrong.

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I  wish them well.  They could attempt to conduct maintenance dredging.  The
joint state/federal application process is nothing short of making one's
ears bleed.  If the USACE on the Miss is anything like the Buffalo sector
covering the Great Lakes, expect increased EPA requirements regarding
sediment sampling and testing for just about every known pesticide, dioxin,
PCBs and ...golly gee wizzz... most of the metals on the periodic chart.
And if the testing indicates contamminant levels beyond their Tier 2 levels,
expect to do bioassay testing.  You know, see how long those slimy
creatures, a few inches below the muck where they have been comfortably
living for thousands of years, can live in the same stuff you want to
remove.  Thank the Birkenstock crowd.

Tain't pretty, and they don't give a hoot if the sediment was from erosion
150 miles upstream and as they have told me, their charter covers commercial
traffic and navigation.  The small business owner or private interest is of
no interest to them.

The cost to go through the approval process is huge for the SBO and that
doesn't include the cost to dredge.

Maybe it's different on the Mississippi.  I certainly hope so.

Sour grapes today....
T