Heavyopp helping restore the Lamington River

[Bucksnbows]

Heavyopp (Jeremy) is someone I met through NJH and he is also a poster here.  Long story short, my firm has been talking about training a new river restoration excavator operator as we both grow our business here in the East and as our 30 year operator, "Cowboy Ron", heads off for the retirement sunset after an amazing career restoring trout rivers and streams in many, many states the last 3 decades. Jeremy and I have been talking for many months and we used him on a small project on the Trump National Golf Course in Camden County a few months back.  We are considering using him more in the future, but when Ron's wife had a medical emergency this week, he flew back to Montana to be with her and Jeremy/Heavyopp jumped right in to help us finish this job.  He's doing some great work and not only for a rookie, but for someone seasoned.  Here is some of the work on the Fiddler's Elbow Country Club in Bedminster where nearly a mile of the Lamington River runs through the golf courses (3 course each with 18 holes).

 

Here's Heavyopp in action.........

 

 

 

 

We hope to be done by the end of the day on Monday in the rain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Haskell_Hunter]

Are you putting the channel against that high bank in the third photo or on the lower bank side?

 

And are photos 2 and 3, before and after?

[Bucksnbows]

Are you putting the channel against that high bank in the third photo or on the lower bank side?

 

And are photos 2 and 3, before and after?

 

Normally we would slam a river into those kinds of high banks, but in this case, there is nothing but ledgerock extending out into the river.  So we are able to chip away at it with brand new teeth on the big bucket, but out further into the channel and not up against the big ledge.  I'll try to post some before photos.  These are either post restoration or during.

[Bucksnbows]

This was what the entire channel looked like pre restoration - too wide and with too many vertical banks due to mowing grass to the river's edge and not having native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants holding those banks together.  

 

 

 

[Haskell_Hunter]

Yeah, nice bit of erosion chewing on that finely groomed lawn.

 

Love th photos and think it's great that you got another bucket guy to groom.

[Rayorsa]

Hey, get outa there soon!!!! I can look at the top of your heads from my tree stand!!! Just kidding...not really. Oh by the way....nice work.

[Bucksnbows]

Before:

 

and after:

 

Before:

 

After (but not yet greened up like it will be in spring '16):

 

 

 

[jakesbeard]

Are the last 2 pics at Fiddlers Elbo?

[Bucksnbows]

Are the last 2 pics at Fiddlers Elbo?

 

They all are from Fiddler's

[jakesbeard]

Never mind.

[jakesbeard]

I should learn to read before looking /commenting on pictures.

[jakesbeard]

What do you have planned for bank restoration?

I am sure there has to be a lot of compromise in play as my bet is your goals differs from that of the greens keepers on how things should look.

Nice place there I don't golf but I was a hunting guest there a few years back.

[Haskell_Hunter]

I'd be interested what the discussion would be if the course wanted to put stone walls on either side for aesthetics.

[Kype]

i really want to get involved in this work. any volunteering allowed?

[Kype]

i am 5 min away from the lamington river and fiddlers