Everything that's happening on the Undiscovered French Broad
Winter 2021
Getting Ready for a Great 2021!
Welcome to the first edition of Otter Tales - news from the Undiscovered French Broad! We'll bring you the latest updates from the gang at Lazy Otter Outfitters, along with other helpful information about the river and fun things to do nearby!
Resting up for a busy season
Lazy Otter is getting ready for a great 2021 paddle season! It's too early to know exactly what that will look like by the time May rolls around - do we order more masks and hand sanitizer? - but based on the enthusiasm of our guests in 2020 we expect another busy year. We've expanded our fleets of both kayaks and buses to be able to offer more and varied trips, so keep an eye on our web site for schedule and reservation details coming in April!
One of the things that makes the Undiscovered French Broad unique is that it flows mostly through rural farmland rather than in town or along highways. That makes for a much more peaceful and uncrowded paddle, but agricultural activity has also presented some challenges for the river over time. Now, thanks to an ambitious project by the nonprofit Conserving Carolina, some of those historical impacts are being reversed.
The project is a 103-acre floodplain restoration at the mouth of Mud Creek, where it flows into the French Broad - you’ll pass it a bit more than halfway through our 7-mile paddle to Westfeldt Park or Sierra Nevada Express trips. The restoration aims to give native muskie and other fish and aquatic life back some of the still pools and swampy areas that allow eggs to survive so native populations can grow.
Those swampy areas have been lost over the years as land that used to flood regularly was converted into productive farms. Those farms feed us, of course, but they no longer feed the giant muskie or other species lower on the food chain that filled those still waters.
The restoration project, the first of its kind on the upper French Broad, includes three spawning areas for muskie plus wetlands and reforestation areas that will also improve water quality.
Our guests tell us that wildlife spotting on the river is one of their favorite parts of paddling, so we thank Conserving Carolina and all the other stewards of the river for their efforts! If you’d like to read more about the Mud Creek restoration, click here.
Insider Tips - How to stay in your boat
Want to avoid falling out of or tipping over in your kayak? There are no rapids on our section of the French Broad but you will have to maneuver to avoid fallen trees. So you can almost always avoid going in the water simply by paying attention and planning ahead. Since the river flows calmly you’ll have plenty of time to plan the best path through any obstacles, so just give yourself as much room as you can and take your time. The other most common reasons people fall out are by squirming around in the seat (often trying to take photos quickly - so that’s also how people lose their phones!) or grabbing onto a tree limb to stop on the river, which can be tricky even in a slow current.
Special Offer!
Future editions of Otter Tales may include special offers for subscribers only to redeem with their booking. By subscribing now, you'll receive a special discount code by email for use on trips during the month of May 2021!
