May 2014 Volume 1 Number 2
ACTIVE LEARNING & LIVING OUTDOORS Our goal is to connect people of all ages and skill levels to a healthier lifestyle through fun activities like kayaking, cycling, hiking, rock climbing and other nature based programs. Get up, get outside and let Rock Hill PRT be your guide to a better quality of life.
Contact Information: City of Rock Hill Attn: C.C. Williams P.O. Box 11706 Rock Hill, S.C. 29731 803-329-5527 alloutdoors@cityofrockhill.com
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MAY IS NATIONAL BIKE MONTH! The Rock Hill Bicycle & Pedestrian Task Force invites you to join some of these National Bike Month rides! There is something for all skill ages and skill levels! For more information please email bikerockhill@cityofrockhill.com
National Bike to School Day Wed. May 7th Help increase kids options to be active by teaming up with your school to promote Bike to School Day. For tips and resources on how to support Bike to School Day, please visit www.walkbiketoschool.org Track Racing at the Giordana Velodrome Every Thursday at 7 PM All Summer! Come out and watch the Olympic sport of Track Cycling at the Giordana Veldodrome. Track racing will be held on Thursday evenings beginning at 7pm. Riders must be certified to participate. Admission is free for spectators. For more details, please visit www.giordanavelodrome.com
Join cyclists worldwide in honor of those who have been injured or killed Mayor’s Youth Ride & while cycling on public roadways. The Open House at the Velodrome Ride of Silence will be a 10-mile ride Sat. May 10 from 9 to 11:30 AM led by the Rock Hill Bike Club at a pace up to 12 mph. Participants Bring your bike and helmet and should have some experience with Join Mayor Echols as he leads local youth (ages 12 and under) around the group road riding. Helmets are reapron of the track followed by demon- quired. strations from the Rockets Youth CyNational Bike to Work Day cling Program and Adult racers conFri. May 16th cluding with an open house. Mother’s Day Sweet Treat Ride Sun. May 11, 2pm – 4pm Glencairn Garden Learning Center Parking Lot (825 Edgemont Ave.) Treat mom to a sweet treat on this family friendly 6 mile ride from Glencairn Garden to Manchester Village and back. Led by the Rock Hill Bike Club, this ride will begin with some group riding safety tips and introduce participants to a new bike route that combines quiet city streets and existing greenways. Helmets are required.
Rock Hill Bicycle & Pedestrian Task Force Partners
www.cityofrockhill.com/alloutdoors
Ride of Silence Wed. May 14th, Begins at 7pm Wells Fargo Parking Lot on Main St.
We want to know about your ride. Join thousands across the country by riding your bike to work on May 16th and email the distance, route and other details about your experience to bikerockhill@cityofrockhill.com Old Town Family Ride and Skills Clinic Sun. May 18th, 2pm – 4pm Meet at Swim, Bike and Run parking lot (153 E. White St.) for a skills/ safety clinic followed by a 4 mile family friendly ride around Old Town and Winthrop Lake. Helmets are required.
May 2014 SUN
MON
TUE
WED 1
May is National Bike Month!!! 4
5
12
2 PM Mother’s Day Sweet Treat Ride
6 pm Indoor Rock Climbing
18
19
6
7
8
13
14 7 PM Ride of Silence 8 pm Moonlight Kayak Trip
20
21
Lily Fest at Landsford Canal State Park 2 PM Old Town Family Ride & Skills Clinic
25
26
FRI
SAT
2
3
9
10 Free Fitness Saturday
7 PM Track Racing at the Giordana Velodrome!
National Bike to School Day! 11
THU
27
28
7 PM Track Racing at the Giordana Velodrome!
15 7 PM Track Racing at the Giordana Velodrome!
Mayor’s Youth Bike Event at the Giordana Velodrome
16
National Bike to Work Day
17 BloomFest at Glencairn Garden Level 2 Essentials of River Kayaking
22
23
24
7 PM Track Racing at the Giordana Velodrome!
2:00 PM Rocky Shoals Spider Lily Kayak Tours
9:00 AM & 2:00 PM Rocky Shoals Spider Lily Kayak Tours
29
30
31
7 PM Track Racing at the Giordana Velodrome!
Quickstart to Kayaking on Lake Wylie Flatwater Kayaking Safety & Rescue Clinic
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It’s that time of year again! Duke Energy is scheduled to begin their regularly scheduled recreation releases from the Lake Wylie Dam this coming weekend. As you gear up to get some long overdue paddling in be sure to check the release schedule and/or current streamflow for the section of river you plan to paddle. The information below covers the basics of the Duke Energy release schedule and current streamflow for the Catawba River below the Lake Wylie Dam. For more information about understanding river features & hazards, streamflow, and more contact C.C. Williams at alloutdoors@cityofrockhill.com or 803-329-5527. Release Schedule from the Lake Wylie Dam Duke Energy publishes when they plan to release water three days at a time on their website. http:// www.duke-energy.com/lakes/scheduled-flow-releases.asp. While the release schedule will tell you when they plan to release water, it does not tell you is how much water they plan to release or if they plan to release water at any other times during the day. Duke Energy releases water many times throughout the day without prior notice or warning (other than a brief siren at the Wylie Dam). The standard recreation release from the Lake Wylie Dam is roughly 3,000 cubic feet per second from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM on the following dates. This release schedule is NOT guaranteed and is subject to change. ALWAYS check river levels prior to putting on the river. May 1 - June 15: Fri/Sat/Sun/Memorial Day June 16 - July 15: Fri/Sat/Sun/July 4 July 16 - August 31: Sat/Sun September 1 -30: Fri/Sat/Sun/Labor Day October 1 - 31: Sat/Sun Current Streamflow for the Catawba River below the Lake Wylie Dam at Hwy. 21 in Rock Hill The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has several gauging stations on the Catawba River. Most river gauges measure both water gauge height (measured in feet) and the rate of flow (measured in cubic feet per second or cfs). For example, if the gauge displays that at 12:00 am there was 2,000 cfs in the Catawba River that would mean that the volume of flow is equal to 2,000 ‘cubes’ of water one foot high, one foot wide, and one foot deep flowing a distance of one foot in one second.Streamflow information from gauging station on the Catawba River near Hwy. 21 in Rock Hill can be found at http:// waterdata.usgs.gov/sc/nwis/uv?site_no=02146000. Get current streamflow for the Catawba River at Hwy. 21 by texting 02146000 to waternow@usgs.gov. So, what does all this information mean to you? Every river section changes character as the water levels change. On the Catawba River below the Lake Wylie Dam river levels changes almost constantly throughout the day with little to no warning. The dramatic, constant, and unannounced changes in river levels are leading cause of incidents on this section of river. As water levels and the speed of the current increases maneuvering your kayak and effectively rescuing a paddler in distress becomes more difficult. It is important to “know before you go” and accurately match your skill and experience level to the river section and water level. If you are interested in learning more about kayaking, river rescues for paddler’s in distress, river reading and more sign up for our American Canoe Association Level 2: Essentials of River Kayaking or Essentials of River Safety & Rescue 1-day clinics.
www.cityofrockhill.com/alloutdoors
June 2014 National Get Outdoors Month SUN 1
MON 2
TUE 3
WED 4
9 AM Nature Navigators
8
15
9
10
6 pm Indoor Rock Climbing
9 AM Nature Navigators
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17
23
24 9 AM Nature Navigators
29
30
5
FRI 6
6 PM Afterwork Kayak Trip on the Catawba River 11
12
18
19
13
20
6:30 PM Family Kayak Trip on Lake Wylie
25
26 6 PM Afterwork Kayak Trip on the Catawba River
SAT 7 Level 2: Essentials of River Safety & Rescue
8 pm Moonlight Kayak Trip
9 AM Nature Navigators
22
THU
14 FREE EVENT!! 9:00 - 12:00 Get Outdoors Day at River Park 21 9 AM Stumpy Pond Kayak Tour
27
28 Great American Backyard Campout at the RHOC Greens