Who opened the outflow?

[Lake View Too]

If that doesn't work, we could always use signs and ropes and posts and chains and...oh wait....never mind...

 

[Will B]

or throw the chairs into the outflow to stop it up!

 

[Jimmy T]

We could always start a rumor that all the coastal dune lakes have been infected with
flesh eating bacteria and sea lice and that the highest concentrations of the critters live
in wet sand around the outfalls.

 

[Lake View Too]

Dangital, three times in this thread we have tried to come up with a good use for vendor beach chairs and three times we have failed. Methinks there just ain't no good use for them.

 

[Lake View Too]

Enough fun, now here is my serious take on kids digging out the outflows: First of all, if it's capable of being dug out by a bunch of kids, that outflow was probably 48 hours or less from busting out by itself. In mother nature years, that is an infinitesimally small amount of time. Second of all, it doesn't harm the lake. It's a Coastal Dune Lake, for crissakes! it's suppose to break out! And three, it's a gorgeous event for a kid to be able to see, and remember for the rest of his life.

 

[Will B]

Heck...Sowal's own version of white water rafting is an inner tube, a six pack, and a dune lake outflow.

I will cop to digging out Draper Lake several times as a kid and having a blast in the rapids.

My personal feeling is that it's not that harmful to the biology of the lake. It's more of an issue to the tourons that the gulf is brown and doesn't look like a postcard.

All frivolity aside...
Complaining on the board about seeing somebody digging out a lake accomplishes nothing. If you see it and if it posses yiu off, do something about it.

I will get off of my soapbox, now...

 

[Teresa]

I will only add that the strong currents of the newly dug outflow may be dangerous for children. I know it's fun but hopefully adults are very close by.

We've all seen how fast the water can flow.

 

[sunny850]

My best childhood memories at the beach involved working day after day to create trenches for Eastern lake outflow, not quite making it before sundown, only to come back in the morning to start over again. We used those little pails and shovels and made friends with different kids each day who joined in to help. Every now and then we (or so we thought it was us- more like Mother Nature) were successful and what fun that was playing in the "Rapids". That was early 70's. My kids did the same thing in the late '90s. A highlight was the day the owner of the home being built right on top of the dunes came down to tell us how we were destroying nature. His property had a "these dunes aren't made for walking" sign on it sitting next to a bulldozer that was clearing his lot. My kids took a picture of it because even as children, they could see the irony in that!

 

[Rainlr]

Was enjoying the beach with family visiting from out of state at Stallworth. Had a nice spot by the lake. Lots of paddlers using the lake to meander to the beach then some nitwit opens up the lake so his kids could have 15 minutes of fun rafting to the gulf. Not only did it drain the long part of Stallworth where it meanders to the beach so the paddlers couldn’t get back to the lake without walking their kayaks and canoes it also deprived a quiet safe place for children to swim. When confronted by one of the paddlers the man denied doing it (even though there were witnesses). I understand the temptation and how some have posted fond memories from years gone by but the lakes are under an enormous amount of stress now and I thought federally protected too. I did notice too that Oyster Lake is low. Is it due to tourists opening the outflow? I know there has always been a natural intake and outtake that’s what makes our lakes so special but how much damage will this do to our beautiful lakes in the long term? It doesn’t seem to be an isolated occurrence any more.

 

[Matt J]

It's almost like someone built giant homes around the lakes and now it's causing problems...