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Post by Ira Runyan on Feb 26, 2019 16:53:55 GMT -5
Harry Behret a ranger at the Viera Wetlands has reported that the Dan Click Ponds will no longer be accessible to the public and will remain CLOSED. His announcement is reproduced below.........
The "Dan Click Ponds" have been accessible to photographers for at least 20 years without incident, however the "Utility Services" have for a long time wanted them closed to the public. It looks like someone got some help from the state of Florida........
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Post by Ira Runyan on Mar 3, 2019 8:50:00 GMT -5
For many years now just north of the Viera Wetlands the two ponds used to store water from the sewage treatment plant in Viera, Florida was known as the “Dan Click Ponds” ever since employees at the plant, following the retirement of Dan Click (who was an active birder and he worked for Brevard County in Parks and Recreation and then in the Utility Services Department until retiring in 2008), placed a small sign with that name at the beginning of the first pond you arrived at, That sign could not be seen from the entrance to the ponds and many people had problems finding the ponds. During the latter months of 2014 the county closed the Dan Click Ponds sighting safety concerns due to high water levels. After several months, the county reopened access to the ponds, but in doing so they took down the little “Dan Click Ponds” sign. In June of 2015 the county put up a new sign at the entrance road gate to the ponds identifying them as the Viera Wetlands Storage Ponds. Two other signs were placed providing rules to be followed. The new name may more accurately describe the purpose of the ponds and the sign is placed where people looking for the ponds can see it, but to me, they will always be the “Dan Click Ponds”. In the first quarter of 2018 the county started suggesting that a bad unspecified safety condition existed at the Dan Click Ponds (Storage Ponds). During the month of April, 2018 access to the ponds were again closed to the public. The south pond had been pumped dry and a construction crew was making repairs to the west bank of the pond. The Viera Wetlands Volunteer's Information Web Site reported ever since that “The storage ponds are closed to the public due to construction”. Now, "Utility Services” say that they have been informed by DEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection) that the storage ponds fall under a statute that restricts public access, and the ponds will not be accessible to the public. The "Dan Click Ponds" have been accessible to photographers and wildlife lovers for at least 20 years without incident, however the senior managers of the "Utility Services" have for a long time wanted them closed to the public (if the truth were told, they really don’t want the public to have access to the Viera Wetlands either, it’s a sewage treatment facility, not a public park). I fear that they may have found the way to close access to the ponds for good this time using the DEP. It’s been suggested that contacting the Brevard County Commissioners may be of help, but who knows......
It appears that the only hope for reopening the Dan Click Ponds (Viera Wetlands Storage Ponds) is for public pressure on the management of the Brevard County Sewage Department by the thousands of photographers and wildlife viewers that have used the ponds for many years. You can contact them at their office at the sewage treatment plant. You can contact the news outlets in Brevard County and express your concerns. You can contact the Brevard County Commissioners, the names and contact information for the county commissioners can be found at: Brevard County Commissioners |
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Post by Tim Abbott on Mar 7, 2019 17:46:47 GMT -5
Wow, that was a neet place to cruise around. What a shame.
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