SUMMER FUN AT WIND CREEK

A canoeist enjoys an outing on a sunny summer day at Wind Creek State Park

Summer fun at Wind Creek State Park

STORY & PHOTOS BY BETSY ILER

The director of Alabama’s state park system, Greg Lein last month met with engineers and architects at the third most profitable state park to discuss options for improvements and campsite renovations. Lein said the meeting at Wind Creek State Park was advance planning for funding that may be available if a bond issue for system-wide improvements is approved by voters next year. Improvements at Lake Martin’s state park are a priority, Lein said, as cabin and campsite rentals, which more than doubled at the park last year during COVID-19 travel restrictions, continued to rise into summer 2021.

“Wind Creek is a core park. Most of its revenues come from camping and day use. That’s different from the resort parks in the system, which are designed around other amenities,” Lein said. “I think we’ve turned the corner here to attract people in the shoulder seasons and in the winter, as well. We’d like to see more of those winter customers, and I think we may find that many of the visitors to those resort parks may find this park, which is on a lake, attractive also.”

Lein said last month’s conversation focused on upgrading at least one section of existing campsites to include 50-amp electrical service and adding more cabins. These accommodations at Wind Creek are filled to capacity almost year-round now, according to the park’s superintendent, Bruce Adams.

While the park contributed some $377,304 in profit to the state system’s bottom line in pre-COVID fiscal year 2019, profits soared to $922,784 for the fiscal year ended September 2020. Adams said the park is busier this year than it was last year and is on track to top last year’s camper numbers.

“We had a lot of new campers last year, and I think they figured out they’re liking it, and they’re coming back,” Adams said.

Campers park their boats on the banks below their RV sites

That’s the story for Montgomery’s Randy Taunton.

“We go to the beach, and it’s not like this. There’s nothing like being at Wind Creek,” Taunton said. “There’s no traffic. This is just relaxing. We love the campfires in the evening, the smell in the air of people cooking. Everybody here is neighborly.”

Taunton had snagged a site midweek last month and was preparing for a visit from his grandchildren over the weekend.

“I’ve taught them how to fish, and they love it. Taught them how to bait their hook, how to throw. Right now, I’m just looking for a good fishing spot to take them to here this weekend,” he said.

Local guests like Taunton make up a high percentage of the park’s overnight guests, Adams said. The majority of the 183,482 nights rented in cabins and campsites last fiscal year were rented by Alabama residents, like Alexander City’s Robert Meniefield and his family.

The Meniefields rented a cabin over Mother’s Day weekend, but they come as often as they can to cook out and enjoy the recreational activities the park offers, including a large, multi-feature playground in the campground.

“I give this park a 10 out of 10,” said Meniefield’s son Zy, “because that’s as high as it can go. If it went higher, I would give it more.”

But out-of-state visitors have discovered the park as well, Adams said.

“We’re getting a lot more winter business from out of state than we used to,” he said.

Six-year-old Abbie and her older brother, Braxton, who live in Georgia, spent three days at the park, riding their scooters, swimming at the beach, making s’mores, watching the fish in the lake and playing on the putt-putt course that park volunteers built in June of 2019.

“We came last year for the first time. It was a good place to come during COVID-19,” said their mother, who watched her children play from the shade of a covered pavilion beside the playground. “They loved it, so we decided to come back again this year.”

The putt-putt course is one of several value-added amenities offered by the park. Last fiscal year, more than 3,200 park patrons played a round of mini-golf on the course. More than 9,500 patrons used the boat launch at the park marina, and more than 25,500 customers visited the on-site country store.

Fishing tournaments launch from the marina yearround, several of which have been televised on national networks, including professional Bassmaster Elite Series events.

“The marina did $411,000 in sales in 2020 and $151,000 in boat rentals,” Adams said.

Boat and RV storage revenues last year were nearly $150,000.

“Our storage is not covered, so we can’t charge what these new places going up around the lake can charge, but we stay full,” Adams said.

The park also partners with concessionaires, private business owners that operate within Wind Creek State Park and pay a percentage of their revenues for the privilege.

Creem at the Creek, a seasonal snack bar in the

Clockwise from top left: Campers pitch tents on the waterfront; ice cream is a popular treat at the day-use snack stand; the editor's husband casts a line after work; birthday partygoers play cornhole at their rented pavilion; the Meniefield children love the big slide; Alice sits atop a playground platform at the pavilion

day-use area of the park, grossed more than $13,000 in the U.S. All campsites include water and electrical within the first few weeks of operation this year. The hook-ups; 268 sites also include sewer, and 157 are right Screaming Eagle Zipline canopy tours also contribute to on the water. There are 39 premium campsites – known the park's bottom line. locally as the Hollywood section – that have been

The canopy tour offers 11 ziplines and six skywalks renovated with 16-foot wide and 60-foot long concrete in the trees above the day-use areas of the park – some pads with 50-amp electrical service, waterfront access, 20 to 70 feet in the air and up to 650 feet in length. Visit cable and Wi-Fi. Pets are welcome, but check at the park alapark.com/parks/wind-creek-state-park/zipline-canopy- office for rules regarding pets. Rates vary according to tours for costs, age and weight limits and to make reser- season and accommodations. vations. Make campsite

The park offers a reservations online variety of additional at reservealapark. recreational opportuni- com. While premium ties as well. Waterfront section sites must be campers can launch reserved online for kayaks or tie up boats seven days in season, below their campsites, other sites in the park taking advantage of can be reserved for sunny afternoons to shorter periods of paddle, explore, bird time, and the park watch or admire the staff is happy to beauty of the lake. upgrade a camper to a Others float mats, premium site for fewer inflatable chairs or than seven days if a tubes in the water to premium site is availsoak up the rays and able upon check-in. cool off or spend warm This policy has helped early evenings catching to keep premium sites fish. occupied on week-

Riding bicycles is days. another popular past “We try to be as time and great exercise, accommodating as as Wind Creek has possible,” Adams more than enough miles explained. of roads inside the Taunton said he campground gate alone. watches the online

It’s easy for campers reservations for the to make their own fun campground’s premier at Wind Creek State sites daily and pouncPark. David and Kim es upon cancellations Patrick of Prattville whenever he can make spend two weeks at the the trip. park three times a year. Alabama State Parks Director “We’re always When the weather is Greg Lein discussed ready to come up here promising, they bring possible improvements at any time,” he said their turquoise 1958 at WCSP last month with a smile. custom built teardrop Outside the campcamper, which they pull ground, Wind Creek with a restored 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air in the same color hums with family reunions and birthday parties in the (see the photo of page 7). They have owned the car for picnic areas, and the swimming beach rings with laugh25 years and go all out with the 50s-era color with their ter and cheers from sun up to sun down. Pick-up volley tent, chairs, rugs and other comfort items. ball games are popular at the beach as well, and the park

Devon Ragsdale of Sylacauga and his family come to offers more than 30 miles of trails for hikers, bikers and the park once a month to spend time with his children’s horse riders. grandparents. Ragsdale cooks a big breakfast on the grill Vulcan Orienteering Club hosts two events at the park when they visit, and the delectable aroma of bacon fills each year, and a number of riding clubs organize horse the morning air. rides and competitions. A military vehicle display also

With more than 560 campsites, Wind Creek’s camp- visits the park each year. ground is one of the largest state-operated campgrounds Managing the park is the responsibility of Adams,

Day-use visitors play a rousing game of volleyball at the park's beach

who is assisted by Larrmy Warren and a full time staff of 17. Seasonal employees swell the ranks to 26, along with a group of dedicated volunteers that, among other tasks, plan and host some of the park’s most popular seasonal events. These include the annual spring Easter egg hunt and the October Fall Festival, which is attended by thousands of visitors in costume every year.

Throughout the summer, a schedule of activities unfolds for campers, visitors and guests. Nature hikes, movies, games, watermelon carving and rock painting are among the activities offered.

In addition, park personnel are heavily involved in the lake community. The park is the busiest of fourto-six locations where dumpsters are available during the annual Renew Our Rivers cleanup each year. An Alabama Power program that is coordinated locally by Lake Martin Resource Association, ROR has removed more than 122 tons of trash from Lake Martin. In addition to hosting volunteers during the event, park personnel retrieve volunteers’ bags of trash on area roadsides. They participate in local tourism efforts, and last year, the park contributed $198,311 to the local communities through lodging taxes.

The community supports the campground with resources as well. During organized cleanups, the community turns out to help keep the park clean, especially groups of school children and Scouts, Adams said.

“The street department in Alexander City occasionally helps us fill pot holes, repair guard rails and deal with major water or sewer issues. Russell Lands has helped us and Russell Do it Center. Alabama Power is great to us, especially with upgrading. They don’t just repair what’s broken when something needs attention: They upgrade it.

“And when tornadoes came through the area a few years back, people just showed up to help us clean it up. The Home Depot brought a pallet of water and rakes.”

Local businesses advertise annually on the map brochure that is distributed to campers at the registration office, which keeps costs down for the park and encourages campers to visit stores and contribute to the local economy.

The local Walmart also stocks an aisle with RV supplies.

The upgrades that Lein would like to see at Wind Creek State Park could be available to park patrons as early as 2023.

“Wind Creek is very important to the state park system. It is a great example of where we come from. It is not a resort park but a core park. It’s main attractions are camping and day use, and so many people enjoy coming out to this park,” he said. “We just want to support that.”

NATURE OF THE LAKE

BY KENNETH BOONE

About 1,700 species of Water Striders are known to science

Water Striders

Surface tension and hydrophobic legs are the keys to this insect's ability to walk on water

IIf you’re on Lake Martin, there are almost certainly weight to be distributed by its legs across the skin of the tiny insects nearby with an amazing, Biblical talent. water. Water Strider legs have a huge number of micro-

In fact, there are probably a whole lot of them, but scopic hairs – several thousand per square millimeter – because they are so small and so inconspicuous, most that are grooved to hold air and repel water. Water Strider people don’t pay them much attention. legs are so buoyant that they can hold up about 15 times

Water Striders are tiny bugs that walk on water. the insect’s weight.

Really. In fact, if a wave submerges a Water Strider, the air

Anyone who has ever done a cannonball off a pier trapped in its leg hairs is buoyant enough to float this knows that there is no way water will hold up a person. insect back to the surface. We just crash right through the water’s surface and go A Water Strider has four long, thin legs attached to under. the middle of its body, and two shorter appendages that But because Water Striders are so light and have spe- are near its head. Its hind legs are used for steering while cially adapted hydrophobic legs, they are able to float its middle legs are used for rowing, pushing backward above the water’s surface with just their legs making against the water, which moves the strider forward. Its contact. If you look very closely, you may be able to see front legs have claws that are used to grab prey. dimples in the water, called a meniscus, where their legs The powerful paddling legs allow a Water Strider to push against the surface. move extremely quickly, up to a hundred body lengths Water molecules are attracted to each other. When per second. A 6-foot-tall person would have to swim at water molecules are at the surface, that attraction creates over 400 miles an hour to match that relative speed. a tension that makes a thin, flexible membrane. It’s kind These bugs go by a number of common names, you of like how pudding forms a skin on the top that is more can probably guess one of them: Jesus bugs. They are solid than the pudding below the surface. also called Pond Skaters and Water Skippers. That slight extra tension allows a Water Strider’s There are many species of Water Striders – about

1,700 are known to science now – but they are all members of the same family, Gerridae, and they are collectively known as gerrids.

Most gerrids live in fresh water, but about 10 percent of the species live in marine environments of saltwater and brackish water.

They are found in almost any body of water you’re likely to come across, but they are much more likely to be found in still or slowly moving water.

These small insects look sort of like spiders. The word “strider” also sounds a lot like “spider.” And to make it even more confusing, there are “water spiders.”

But spiders and striders are two very different creatures.

If you ever have any doubt about what critter you’re looking at, count its legs. All spiders have four pairs of legs that they use for walking and another pair they use as arms to grab prey. Water Striders have two pairs of legs used primarily for walking on water and two more that are used primarily as arms. So spiders get around on eight legs while striders only need four.

Water Striders eat small insects – anything from dragonflies to aquatic bugs – that they snatch off the water’s surface. Their front legs are hinged and have claws like a preying mantis, which allows them to quickly grab their dinner.

Their legs are very sensitive to ripples on the water, and when they feel an insect struggling on the surface, they race to grab it. Then the Water Strider will pierce its prey with its proboscis and inject it with enzymes that liquify the prey’s internal organs. It then sucks out the fluid and calls it a meal.

Here’s a fact that should make most Lake Martin residents appreciate these tiny predators – they are especially skilled at capturing mosquito larvae.

When a Water Strider is preyed upon, it is most often by birds. Fish and frogs will also eat striders, but researchers have found that birds are its primary predators.

Water Striders are territorial, and they communicate with each other by vibrating their legs at certain frequencies. Making fast ripples is a warning signal.

When males send out a warning signal and another strider doesn’t move away, it assumes the intruder is a female, and it will make slower ripples to court her. If she is in the mood, she will lower her guard and allow the male to climb onto her back. If she does not want to mate, she returns the warning signal.

Some Water Striders deposit eggs on the water’s surface. Other strider females submerge and lay their eggs on underwater vegetation. Most clutches are two to 20 eggs that are initially white or translucent but then turn bright orange. When the eggs hatch, the nymphs molt five times over 60-70 days before they reach maturity.

Some Water Striders have wings, while others do not. Striders in very calm water typically have larger wings than those in rougher water, where large wings can be easily damaged. Some species have wings or not depending on conditions in their environment. A parent Water Strider could have one brood in a stable pond without wings, but if that pond begins to dry up, its next brood could have wings, so the offspring would have the ability to fly away and search for another water source to colonize.

Two good ways to observe Water Striders are to either lay down on a pier and watch them from above, or get into the water right up to your nose and be very still and take a look at them from a strider’s viewpoint.

The back legs are used to propel the insect across the water

Hinged front legs allow the insect to quickly grab food from the water's surface

Water Striders may or may not have wings, depending on water conditions and species

Some information for this article came from Dr. Michael J. Rapp on bugoftheweek.com, the National Wildlife Federation, Cool Green Since and Wikipedia.