FYI for those who fish Cooper. I sent this memo this morning - I'm not expecting great things to happen, but at least we may start getting some consideration - you never get if you don't ask .

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October 15, 2013

To: Carter Smith, Executive Director TPWD, Austin Tx.

Fr: Roger xxxxx, McKinney Tx.

Re: Cooper Lake State Park

As you know, the weather conditions in Texas have taken a toll on many Texas lakes including our state park lakes. Cooper lake is, and has been, at a level of 12 feet below pool for many months now with no expectation of coming back to pool level at any time soon.....for several reasons. As you probably know, kayaking and especially kayak fishing has become a significant sport on Texas waters and continues to grow at a great rate - there are many factors for this not the least of which is the difficulty of gaining access by power boat at many of our lakes for fishing activities. An easy reference for the popularity of kayak fishing is looking at forum sites such as Texas Fishing Forum where a dedicated kayak fishing forum has been established and the considerable traffic of several thousand views and posts per day. The point of my memo is to specifically ask for assistance at Cooper Lake. Cooper is within a reasonable distance from the Dallas-Fort Worth area for day or multi-day trips and there is a large contingent of kayak fishermen in this area. Many kayakers use our state parks not only for the lake activities but for camping, hiking and all the amentities afforded us and our families through our great state park system. Currently, Cooper Lake is effectively closed to power boat use as the ramps are unusable. We have had kayakers visiting Cooper as we could still access the lake with moderate but acceptable difficulty. However, the difficulty is now increasing to a point that many may not consider Cooper as the distance between ramps and lake is too far or difficult to transport our boats. I would like to request consideration from the TPWD to investigate the possibility of developing the land between ramp and water to provide easier access - anything from extending the concrete ramp to a more simpler approach of bringing in fill or gravel to make it an easier transport would help ensure that kayakers are still using our state parks. I believe the return on investment could be fairly quickly captured and we could all benefit in the near and long term. There are currently 3 areas with ramps managed under TPWD - the South Sulfur unit, the Doctor's Creek unit and the Tira ramp. From my assessment, it appears the Doctor's Creek and/or Tira ramps would be most easily improved to allow better access. Thank you for your consideration of this request - I, and others, look forward to your response. Thank you for all you do - we love our state parks and want to see them remain usuable to the fullest extent possible. I would be more than glad to offer my services, knowledge and/or opinion if you want a resource to gain more information about what would be acceptable or preferable to the kayaking community. I know your time is valuable and again I thank you for taking the time to consider options.

Sincerely,

Roger xxxxx
McKinney, Tx
214-842-xxxx

Nice! Never hurts to ask.

Where do I sign??

Nice. I'd sign a petition. Would like to fish there someday.

It all comes down to budget. IMHO the haul to the water is not too bad IF I leave my cooler behind. That said, if the path isn't too soft and muddy it not too bad of a launch.


Lee

I'm with Lee, I don't mind the haul out to the water (I do it several times a week and have been steadily watching the water move further and further away) and I kind of like the idea that it may deter those less committed and the guys with john boats and small outboards. For me it highlights the fact I can reach the areas others can't and slay the fish while they drool!

-Garet

Soft and muddy sucks when hauling my beast, but Cooper Hybies are sooooo worth it