Here we go again!! Darby creek swimming!!

M

Murdoc

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Took my son to Darby Creek to learn how to fly fish. The creek in the summer is loaded with small sunnies and fallfish. We went to Hoffman Park in Lansdowne/ Clifton Heights. When we arrived the parking lot was overflowing with cars and traffic. There was a Lansdowne cop parked with his lights on. We parked and walked the holes. Every hole was filled with 10 or more people swimming. The bank was littered with trash and some people drinking and smoking weed. Most of the people were there with their families. Small kids to older adults swimming in the creek. In the stretch from the outfield to Bonnie’s plants there were probably 200 people. There’s no public bathrooms at the park. We walked back to the car and passed the police officer, he shook his head and apologized. He said there’s nothing he can do. He’s complained to the borough manager about it and the borough doesn’t seem to care. We drove to Kent park were there was more people swimming but enough space that we could fish. We caught some sunnies and saved the day from disaster. It’s a shame that a local stream is just being over run by people trashing it. Most of the cars had New Jersey plates. If anyone lives in the area I recommend you go on a weekend to see it first hand and file a complaint with the Lansdowne borough manager. Hopefully the more people that complain then they will pass an ordinance that doesn’t allow swimming. The same thing happened last year in Springfield on Darby creek. It’s bad enough having to clean up after ignorant bait fishermen who trash this area but there’s no way level of disgusting trash be left behind should be allowed to continue.
 
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Same on the Wissahickon since the pandemic, really, and the public pools not opening consistently. Front platers galore, as well. Media interviews traced it back to social media posts when it was really bad.

Friends of the Wissahickon had some success with trash cans and their own clean up and citizen policing. Darby might need that too.

Sorry you are experiencing it too!
 
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Not so sure I would want to swim anywhere in that creek, Lol. That's a shame, people sometimes have no respect for their natural surroundings and ruin it for others.

If you are looking for a spot to fish, you could fish Ridley off of Rt. 1 or in Ridley Creek SP. Plenty of warmwater fish in those creeks. Also, even the branches of the Brandywine could be good if you wanted to make a little bit longer drive to Chester County.
 
Just avoid waters on weekends & holidays in public parks during the summers. M-F it will be like a grave yard.
 
I completely agree that people need to pick up their trash, and those that don’t are the worst of the worst. But I don’t agree that a stream should be off-limits for swimming or tubing or other recreational uses. We deal with the same thing here in Baltimore County where the Gunpowder is crowded with tubers and hikers…however, they have just as much right to use the stream as anglers.
 
For context, here was a story about the Wissy. Unfortunately, the pics aren't archived, but the trash left behind gave me an Iron Eyes Cody moment.....

www.chestnuthilllocal.com

Crowds, trash overwhelm Wissahickon - The Chestnut Hill Local

Young people gathered at Devil’s Pool on Saturday, August 1. Park neighbors say increasingly large crowds have brought more visitors to the park, who swim and leave trash behind, both of which are …
www.chestnuthilllocal.com www.chestnuthilllocal.com
 
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Cznymph said:
Why would the original poster be encouraging people to complain to the town in hopes of getting a no swimming ordinance passed if it was already illegal?
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Maybe he doesn't know? It is not clear on the township website like it is in Fairmount Park. The laws typically stop no one, and there may be one park ranger for the entire township, which is why I suggested citizen groups to "police" and/or clean up, like Friends of the Wissy did in Philly.

Using your SGL arguments, shouldn't the park only be open to Lansdowne Township residents anyway?
 
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Cznymph said:
Why would the original poster be encouraging people to complain to the town in hopes of getting a no swimming ordinance passed if it was already illegal?
Click to expand...
Even if it is illegal, people do as they please if there's no enforcement of whatever laws/regulations there are.

As far as there being no bathrooms at the location mentioned by the OP, that's what the creek's for. A lot like WV. 😉
 
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Saucon Park in Hellertown had a similar situation. In that case, it was visitors from NY as well as Jersey. The biggest issues were that they weren't individual family groups but very large groups. The response was to enforce the use of the Park for residents only.
 
Nymph-wristed said:
Maybe he doesn't know? It is not clear on the township website like it is in Fairmount Park. The laws typically stop no one, and there may be one park ranger for the entire township, which is why I suggested citizen groups to "police" and/or clean up, like Friends of the Wissy did in Philly.

Using your SGL arguments, shouldn't the park only be open to Lansdowne Township residents anyway?
Click to expand...
Is the park only funded by township residents?
 
This is the time of the year that you will encounter swimmers in most creeks in borough/township/county/state parks which is the reason I avoid them like the plague when it is hot. The other thing to avoid are the deep holes where the swimmers congregate...

lestrout said:
Saucon Park in Hellertown had a similar situation. In that case, it was visitors from NY as well as Jersey. The biggest issues were that they weren't individual family groups but very large groups. The response was to enforce the use of the Park for residents only.
Click to expand...

This $#!+ goes on at too many places in PA, especially near Joisey, and like I said before, first priority for usage for any purpose should be residents and permit$ for everyone else.

IMHO - They got it right at Saucon Park...

FWIW - Township parks in Lansdowne Borough are funded by local taxpayers and maintained by the township like they are along the creek in neighboring Upper Darby Township and Clifton Heights Borough.

The parks don't have "rangers." When I was a kid they had "park guards," but I don't believe that is the case any longer so it is up to the local PD to enforce what ever regulations are in effect.

As far as should Lansdowne Borough taxpayers get priority over non-residents?

Because I have friends who live in Lansdowne, I know that Lansdowne has parking permits for residents on residential streets. When I visit, I have to park in their driveway or two blocks away on a meter (if I can find one).

If this discriminatory practice doesn't ruffle anyone's feathers, what's the big deal if the borough did the same thing with their taxpayer funded parks and properties...?

@Murdoc:

As somebody who grew up in Delco, the LAST place I'd be looking for solitude fishing in the summer is Darby Creek south of Route 1. Sadly, all of ideal fly fishing "training grounds" like Springton or Crum Creek Reservoirs are closed or have limited places to fish versus my youth.

However as a "yoot" who fished anywhere there was water, I can tell you there are PLENTY of spots on Darby and other streams where there is access, casting room, not ideal swimming conditions and plenty of panfish. There are also other townships and boroughs that are less tolerant of bad behavior...

What you may need to do is some reconnoitering on a really hot day when you can't fish and see if folks are swimming. If you want some suggestions, PM me.

Good luck!!
 
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