A YouTube video, “Wild Things – Peace Rock / Cliff Jumping & Dam Sliding,” shot in Hamburg by Nick Savino two weeks ago has more than 20,000 views and counting.
The video of people jumping off Peace Rock and sliding down Kernsville Dam has attracted a lot of attention near and far to the Kernsville Dam Recreation Area in Tilden Township.
Numerous other YouTube videos showcase people jumping off the rock but not with nearly as many hits.
Over the weekend, cars lined Port Clinton Avenue in Schuylkill County parked awkwardly over ditches and nearly sideways on the hill side. The line of cars and people walking along the road stretched into Windsor Township, Berks County. By that evening, a group of people clad in bikinis and swim trunks were laying along the side of the road while another group grilled their dinner on a small grill balanced on the guard rail. There was trash left along the side of the road, also.
While the Savino video asks visitors to “Please be mindful about littering and pick up trash to keep this place beautiful,” trash abounds at the popular Schuylkill River beach in West Brunswick Township, Schuylkill County, as well as the Kernsville Dam Recreation Area parking lots in Tilden Township.
“I was just up there this morning,” said Tilden Township police Chief William J. McEllroy III on Friday, July 22. “There is a very good amount of litter and trash. It’s just absolutely disgusting what they’re doing up there.”
The Department of Environmental Protection owns the property. McEllroy said that there are no signs declaring no trespassing. He said there are no laws against swimming and jumping there. It is swim at your own risk, he said.
McEllroy said there has been talk on social media and with people he’s encountered in person saying that the area should be closed to the public considering the amount of trash. But he said a good portion of the people visiting the Kernsville Dam Recreation Area are respectful and closing access to Peace Rock and the beach is not a permanent solution to the trash problem.
“We don’t want a minority of people to ruin this for others,” he said.
His goal is that he wants people to have a good time, but he doesn’t want to see the litter and minor crimes, he said.
Parking has also been an issue, with cars lined up along Blue Mountain Road, which touches Route 61 in Schuylkill County. There have been times that the line of cars stretched into Berks County, despite no parking signs. Cars have been towed and citations have been issued by state police who patrol that area. Visitors are encouraged to use the parking lots at Kernsville Dam Recreational Area, but those have been filling up also. Some are parking in Port Clinton and walking along Route 61 trying to get to the river.
“Concern is for safety,” said McEllroy, encouraging people to use the parking lots.
To discuss the situation, McEllroy said, there will be a meeting July 29 at 10:30 a.m. at the Tilden Township Building between Tilden Township officials, police, the Fish and Boat Commission and the Blue Mountain Wildlife Inc., which maintains the trails.
“This summer has seen a marked increase in visitors to the Kernsville Dam Recreation Area and to the beach across from the rock,” said Gregg Adams, director and secretary of Blue Mountain Wildlife Inc.
“Some attribute that increase to a viral video that’s been circulating on social media,” he said, referring to Savino’s video.
Adams said they have seen license plates from Virginia to New Hampshire in their parking lots over the last few weeks.
“With this increase has come a definite increase in the amount of trash volunteers have been collecting at the Kernsville Dam Recreation Area. I believe two to three times the amount as this time last year,” he said.
Blue Mountain Wildlife Inc. has more people out helping with the trash collection and their dedicated trash crew is working harder than ever, he said.
One volunteer Fishin’ Joe Sweider is out everyday collecting what everyone leaves behind in the Kernsville Dam Recreation Area and the trails leading to Peace Rock.
“But emotionally speaking, it’s been pretty demoralizing and frustrating. Areas that were clean one morning are trashed up the next. I’ve watched visitors simply dump trash in the parking lot, just yards from a trash can, just after a volunteer walked by picking up trash,” said Adams. “That kind of thoughtlessness or disrespect is a bit hard to swallow. Especially because we are volunteering our time and effort to do this – we are not paid.”
On the other hand, Adams said Blue Mountain Wildlife Inc. has been approached by a number of people, both at the Kerny and online, with offers to help pick up trash.
“That kind of support helps us keep going,” he said.
One independent group, Project C.P.R. (Clean.Peace.Rock), a Facebook page hosted by Stephen T. Bale and Eric Bradburn, has scheduled a cleanup event for Aug. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and encourages people to help keep the beach clean. They are asking people to bring water, trash bags, friends and some elbow grease to the cleanup event.
“My first time visiting Peace Rock was greeted by trash and I am disgusted and upset with seeing this,” Bale and Bradburn posted on the Facebook page. “As of now I am doing my part in cleaning this place by bringing Peace Rock’s heart back to it’s formal glory. Obliviously there will be a lot of trash to be handled. Anybody who owns a truck or is kind enough to take a trash bag full of trash with them is greatly appreciated.”
They posted on their Facebook page that they are grateful to see a large number of people sign up to participate in the Aug. 7 clean up event. So far, 131 are interested and 32 said they are going.
Adams said that the trash at the rock, the beach and the dam is just one part of the equation.
“We are having difficulty disposing of so much trash. Our normal disposal methods allow for less than a dozen bags a week, and this summer we’ve had to deal with a bit more than that,” he said.
Excess trash is disposed of at a financial cost to Blue Mountain Wildlife Inc., he said. Also, there are the physical means of disposing of the trash.
“It takes strong backs and appropriate vehicles to get the contractor bags full of trash from the Kerny to local trash haulers. There’s also the big problem of all the visitors. The increase in traffic has created serious parking issues,” said Adams. “All issues that the township, local and state police have had to deal with.”
Several on the Northeast Berks News Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/northeastberksnews/, posted that access to Peace Rock should be closed.
Bill Kistler posted, “Disgusting. No respect for a once nice place. Close it down.”
Michele Wisniewski posted that trash is not the only concern at Peace Rock, “Article in the paper today is ridiculous. No, it’s not illegal to swim, jump off the rock or go over the falls at the dam breast, let’s stop glorifying the place. They need to let them also know about the people who drowned there or were seriously hurt there over the years.”
When visiting Peace Rock and the beach, park at the parking lots. There is no parking along the side of the road. Violators will be towed. Visitors are asked to take their trash out with them.
For more information, visit Blue Mountain Wildlife Inc. on Facebook, facebook.com/BlueMountainWildlifeInc.
