Removing the metal from the Mississippi

(Mending the Mississippi: A Site 3 Project.) As I stated in the last post, an alarming amount of scrap iron and construction materiel has been discarded on the banks of the Mississippi in this area. But logically, this should come as NO surprise: These types of debris are extremely heavy, and the price of trash disposal is often set on a “cost per pound” basis. So, wrongful dumpers have chosen an alternative which might be less expensive to them, at the cost (to the rest of us) of blighting one of the nation’s most historic waterways. Again, the irony here is that so much of this material is capable of being recycled.

Anyway, the Google Map at the bottom of this post demonstrates where the majority of scrap iron is located along this stretch of the Mississippi, at least to the extent that I have mapped it. If you click on the link just below the map to enlarge it, it becomes possible to view the area in Google Earth, thus allowing the waypoints on this route to be transferred to your handheld GPS with just a few drag & drop maneuvers. If you decide to tackle one of these sites, please let me know. But as you can see from the pictures, it’s going to be hard work.

The photos are placed here in no particular order. However, a list of the objects is built-in to the Google Map below, showing the items in the geographical order you would see them if you were traveling the river from North to South on the Rice Creek-to-Boom Island route (see Site 3 clean-up). There are six sites which could be described as holiding scrap iron of various shapes and sizes. As always, note that you can click on each photo to enlarge it, and that the GPS coordinates of each photo have been embedded in the picture, placing you within roughly three meters of where the object or debris field is sitting. In some cases, this more than one picture of a site. That is so the reader can better grasp the size or location of the object or debris area.

There were a couple of barrels early in the route. Ironically, one of them was a trash barrel from the Minneapolis Parks District. Most likely, someone threw it in the river for kicks.

The sites in this category are perfect examples of material that would be too large or heavy for one or two people to lift extract, especially if their recovery effort is kayak or canoe-based. So, these are the kind of projects that will lead me to try recruit help.

During my survey work last fall, I came across what appeared to be some kind of steel salvaging company. There were huge piles of scrap iron, which were apparently being loaded into barges to send downstream. If that’s how they earn their money, perhaps they’d be interested in helping to recover some of the iron in these photos. The sign on the building said “Williams Steel,” but I have done some calling around and learned the building is now owned by an organization called American Iron. If these folks are in the business of recycling scrap iron, “Boy do I have an idea for them!”

Scrap iron and steel exemplify the types of materials which a simple pedestrian clean-up effort simply will not solve. So it makes sense that this would be one of the first “categorical list” of debris targets that we publish at CleanUpTheRiver.com and DisposeOfProperly.com.

For more information about this project, or to get involved, feel free to drop us an email.

NOTE: Anyone who attempts to recover the items listed in this posting does so at their own risk. Please adhere to the safety instructions and guidelines provided by the DNR. Also, please let me know if you either intend to remove one or more of these items, or that you have succeeded in doing so. Just drop me an email, so I can post your success story here!

In case you're thinking about helping out, click on this Google Map to enlarge the area where scrap iron is located along this stretch of the Metro Mississippi:

View Larger Map
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

The weight of the problem: Concrete and cinder block construction debris

(Mending the Mississippi: A Site 3 Project.) At first, I was amazed at the amount of cinder block, scrap iron and other construction materiel that has been discarded on the banks of the Mississippi in this area. But I suppose I should not have been surprised at all; these types of debris are extremely heavy; with the price of trash disposal often set on a “cost per pound” basis, wrongful dumpers might see this option as "cost savings." Too bad it's the Mississippi which ends up paying that cost... especially when cinder blocks are recycleable.

The Google Map at the bottom of this posting demonstrates where the concrete-laden construction debris is located, specifically, along this stretch of the Mississippi, at least to the extent that I have mapped it so far. (You can click on the link just below the map to enlarge it.) And as I’ve explained in a previous posting, after enlarging the map it becomes possible to view the area in Google Earth, thus allowing the waypoints on this route to be transferred to your handheld GPS with just a few drag & drop maneuvers. If you decide to tackle one of these sites, please let me know. But as you can see from the pictures, it’s going to be hard work.

There are three total targets in this category. As always, note that you can click on each photo to enlarge it, and that the GPS coordinates of each photo have been embedded in the picture, placing you within roughly three meters of where the debris field is sitting. In some cases, this more than one picture of a site. That is so the reader can better grasp the size or location of the object or debris area.

The sites in this category are perfect examples of material that would be too large or heavy for one or two people to lift extract. So, they are the kind of projects that will lead me to try recruit help.

During my kayak survey work last fall, I paddled past a company known as Marshall Blocks. One of the debris fields I discovered was directly behind their plant on the east side of the river. Some of the material in that field was cinderblock, presumably from vandals goofing off behind this factory, and throwing around some of Marshall’s inventory. But perhaps if I volunteered to personally clean-up the non-concrete trash, maybe they would help recover the blocks (in this site, and who knows, maybe even across the river at the two other other concrete debris sites).

Concrete and iron exemplify the types of materials which a simple pedestrian clean-up effort simply will not solve. That's what makes these materials hold their place on this “categorical list” of debris targets that we publish at CleanUpTheRiver as well as DisposeOfProperly.com.

NOTE: Anyone who attempts to recover the items listed in this posting does so at their own risk. Please adhere to the safety instructions and guidelines provided by the DNR. Also, please let me know if you either intend to remove one or more of these items, or that you have succeeded in doing so. Just drop me an email, so I can post your success story here!
The Google Map of construction debris along this stretch of the Metro Mississippi:

View Larger Map
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

Restoring a waterway which is... un-safe

(Mending the Mississippi: A Site 3 Project.) During my geo-trashing trip down the Metro Mississippi last fall, much of what I saw was predictable. But some of it… was downright peculiar. There were five safes. Yes, “safes,” as in, “someone broke into a home, gas station or store, took the lock box, and emptied it.” Then, having no idea where else to dump the evidence, they tossed the empty safes into the river. (I suppose the average thief isn’t too concerned with being environmentally friendly.)

Two of the safes were right next to each other (someone had a busy night). But the other three were scattered in different locations along the nearly ten-mile kayak run.

The Google Map below illustrates where the safes were found along this stretch of the Mississippi (click on the link just below the map to enlarge it). As I’ve explained in a previous posting, after enlarging the map it becomes possible to view the area in Google Earth, thus allowing the waypoints on this route to be transferred to your handheld GPS with just a few drag & drop maneuvers. If you decide to tackle one of these sites for removal, please let me know, so I can publish and celebrate your efforts here. But in case you’re a treasure-hunter, I must warn you: Each of the safes is empty.

View Larger Map
The photos within this posting are placed in geographical order, as if you were traveling North to South on the Rice Creek-to-Boom Island route (see Site 3 clean-up). There are five total targets in this category. Of these, two of the safes were situated very close together. As always, you can click on each photo to enlarge it, and the GPS coordinates of each photo have been embedded in the picture, placing you within roughly three meters of where the object or debris field is sitting.

A steel lockbox or safe is another good example of items that would be difficult to extract through typical pedestrian clean-up efforts. That’s why it has become one of our “categorical lists” at CleanUpTheRiver.com.

For more information about this project, or to get involved, feel free to drop us an email.

NOTE: Anyone who attempts to recover the items listed in this posting does so at their own risk. Please adhere to the safety instructions and guidelines provided by the DNR. Finally, let me know if you either intend to remove one or more of these items, or that you have succeeded in doing so. Simply share your success story email, and we’ll be happy to publish it at CleanUpTheRiver.com.

© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

A river that is sick... and "Tired."

(Mending the Mississippi: A Site 3 Project.) A lot of tires end-up in the river. I’m going to explain why I think that is later in this post, but before I go there, let’s talk about solving a specific problem on the Metro Mississippi.

During my final Mississippi run of the 2007 season, I traveled from Rice Creek in Fridley… to Boom Island near downtown Minneapolis, doing somewhat of a crisscross pattern, going back and forth from the east bank to the west bank. Obviously, that means I did not do a thorough job of reconnaissance on either bank; the river is too wide for me to visually scan both sides at once. (For another thing, we had fall thunderstorms that day, and I spent some time looking for cover!) This spring, I will take several more trips down the same route, and conduct a more complete inventory of both the east and west banks.

Even with this quick trip, I was able to identify quite a few targets. I counted nine tires (an average of nearly one per mile). You can see the specific route, including waypoint indicators where each of the tires was located, at the bottom of this blog posting. There was one area where the discarded tires were more heavily concentrated; five of the nine tires were within one mile of each other. Translation: It has become a favored and convenient dumping ground.

There are a number of potential “next steps” for the tire problem in this stretch of the Mississippi.

This might be as simple as taking my utility trailer down to the river and extracting the tires myself when the ground thaws. (Removing nine tires doesn’t sound that tough, after all.) But I’m thinking it might be smart to recruit some help… because I have tons of other work to do on this and our other two sites. (Also, with some additional survey work, simple match indicates that I could find another ten or twelve tires in this area in the spring.)

I might contact one or more tire retailers to see if they might be interested in helping me with this specific task. Perhaps we could schedule a specific “date” to tackle this project… and we could capture the event with some digital photos. Lots of companies are looking for ways to behave in a manner that is more environmentally responsible, after all, knowing that consumers are increasingly apt to purchase from businesses who are sensitive to these issues.

If that step is taken, perhaps we can schedule a specific date and time that the extractions would take place. I could capture the effort with digital photos, so that the retailer could capture the event and tell their customers about it on their web site, or through lobby displays. (How much can it cost to print and frame a photo, and write a brief story about the effort?) Maybe we could even drop a press release or two to area media outlets.

Because there was at least one “high concentration area,” where a considerably higher number of tires were confined to a specific area, perhaps I should I figure out who has jurisdiction over the roadways near these sites… to see if they would erect some “no dumping” signs.

Should I encourage users of this blog to be part of the solution? (We’ve already explained how the sites can be moved from this blog to your handheld GPS device; you can review the procedure by clicking here.)

Last year, Bridgestone Corporation had roughly $19.7 billion in revenue. They were followed by Groupe Michelin at $19 billion, and Goodyear Tire and Rubber at $17.8 billion. While I couldn’t find any statistics about revenue from local tire retailers, we can assume this much: There are some companies who make a lot of money by putting tires into the environment. It shouldn’t be too unreasonable to ask one of them to help take some tires out of the environment.

NOTE: Anyone who attempts to recover the items listed in this posting does so at their own risk. Please adhere to the safety instructions and guidelines provided by the DNR. Also, please let me know if you either intend to remove one or more of these items, or that you have succeeded in doing so. Just drop me an email, so I can post your success story here!

Now… before I close this posting, let’s talk about how and why these tires end up in a river.
One simple problem: Waterfront property owners often use tires as “bumpers” between their docks and boats. Occasionally, I presume, the tires can come loose and end-up in the water.

A more logical and frequent cause: People throw tires in the river to save time and money. Let me explain.

On Friday afternoon, I called the store where I buy my tires, to ask about where the liability sits, with regard to tire disposal. A young man by the name of Adam was quite helpful, and confirmed what I thought I knew: In the state of Minnesota, at least, there is a $2.50 disposal fee (or, an environmental tax, as some people call it) which is added to the cost of tire installation, if the customer chooses to leave their old tires at the store for disposal.

This fee is optional. If a customer wants to save the money, they can keep the tires and find an “alternate means” of disposal. In Minnesota, you cannot put tires in your weekly trash for disposal. It is against the law to put tires in a landfill. So where do those tires go which are not left with the retailer who took them off your car?

You guessed it. They’re dumped.

(I have already pontificated about the need to make doing the wrong thing more expensive than the cost of doing the right thing. See “We need to make it hurt,” posted 1/28/08 at DisposeOfProperly.com).

So what happens to all of those tires which are left with the tire retailer? Adam tells me they are taken to a company in Blaine, Minnesota, which shreds and recycles them. Next time you see a track and field event, know that the runners might be racing across tires that were disposed of properly.

I’m going to learn more about this recycling process, and share more about the behaviors at this blog in the future. It is a win-win practice that we should all know more about.

Note: I have not given the name of the tire retailer I use, because I don’t want to put those folks on the spot. But I’ll be dropping an email to their RVP this week, hoping they’ll be the partner that helps me dispose of the tires I’ve found in the Mississippi.

A map to the tires found along the Site 3 stretch of the Metro Mississippi:

View Larger Map

© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

The basic tools we use

Last week, I shared some information about the “software” we use to survey a river site, to prepare for a restoration or clean-up effort. I thought it might be worth the time to also explain the “hardware” we use. Keep in mind that anyone with a garbage bag is equipped to clean-up some junk on a stretch of river.

NOTE: Nobody on this list has paid for promotion or product placement. I share this list only to demonstrate the basic nature of our tools. We attempt to be “cost efficient” (nice words to mean “cheap”). You might say we’re trying to pull a bunch of crud out of the river, using a shoestring. Here are the tools we use:

Canoe. We chose an Old Towne Explorer, which we bought for about $700 on sale. It is made of Royalex, which has proven to stand-up nicely against the miles we’ve put on and the punishment of bouncing off debris items and the shoreline. It is also light enough that I can carry it alone, and even toss it onto the truck or into the river “going solo,” when necessary.

GPS. I’m delighted with the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx handheld. It cost about $300. You can spend less on a GPS device, but this one is considered “high sensitivity,” and the software that came with it is compatible with Windows Vista, which was important to me. I took a class before I decided which one to buy… and I’m really glad I did. The one-evening course saved me a lot of grief.

Kayak. I started with a ten-foot Pelican Getaway, which I bought for about $300. Made of Ram-X, it is small and light enough that I can carry it over one shoulder. I hadn't done much kayaking before, so I didn’t want to spend much money on my first one. (I knew I'd be beating the heck out of it.) But this modest little craft has served me well. I took little counsel on this purchase... and made the mistake of perhaps buying it one size too small.

The wish list. I'd like to find another, slightly larger kayak (12’ to 14’), so that I could grab more “light trash” during the course of a trip intended to survey for large objects. A second unit would also allow me to travel with a partner when surveying. Related: I have to invest in a dual roof rack for the Xterra. I’ll shop for both at Craig’s List later this year.

I'm not sure how much they cost, but I'd like to invest in a portable winch (the kind that are powered by 12-volt battery) to use in lifting appliances, scrap iron and other heavy objects up the riverbank.

I’m also going to keep my eyes open for GPS unit or two, so that I could lend them out to folks who’d like to help extract large objects, but who don't happen to have a handheld to help them locate the target.

Last, but not least, I need to invest in some server space and web design tools to help this blog grow into a bona fide web site. I’d like to develop a “wiki” environment, which would allow anyone, anywhere, to upload digital photos and GPS waypoints from places that need attention. Plus, I’d like it if people who wish to help could capture those photos and waypoints with a simple point-and-click, or drag-and-drop procedure.

All of these things would be nice, but they are purely optional. (If we waited until we had everything we wanted or needed, we'd never get started!) And I repeat: Anyone with a garbage bag and the will to walk a riverbank can help restore a river. We are blessed to have enough equipment and intelligence to start making a dent in some beautiful rivers.

There are a few other expenses you can plan on. For example, while the DNR will provide some garbage bags and gloves for an official clean-up effort, you’ll still want a good pair of boots… or I love the Keens my wife bought me; they’re as rugged as boots, but as comfortable as sandals. And if you’re going to spend much time pulling trash out of a river, you’d be well-advised to make sure your tetanus vaccination is up-to-date.

Finally, there are state park fees and campsite rentals, and fuel to-and-from each project. But using the parks as our base camp allows us to transform a clean-up project from being simply, a “task,” into being part of a fun weekend, and a great way of enjoying the outdoors.

© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

Gathering & sharing GPS waypoints and routes as you survey a potential clean-up site

Here are the steps we have used in the process of surveying a potential clean-up site, and preparing our information to be shared with others.

We provide this information in the hope that, eventually, others will participate in the process. If you will be gathering waypoints and digital photos from a stretch of river you’d like to restore… we’d be most pleased to post those photos and coordinates here at CleanUpTheRiver.com. Just drop us a note. If you're preparing for a river or coastal clean-up, perhaps one of these tips will be of help. Or, if you have an idea that would improve this list, please share your intelligence!

Note that we’ve tried to approach this project in a way that requires no purchase of additional software (other than the disks that came with your handheld GPS device).

The tools we use:
A handheld GPS device (I use a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx).
The software that came with the GPS (I use Map Source).
A personal computer and Internet access.
An account with Google Maps (this is a free web utility).
A download of Google Earth (this is a free download).
A basic digital camera (note: don’t bring your expensive one).

Site selection. Define the area of waterway that you’ll survey. Do a quick visual scan or canoe/ kayak run. Get a “lay of the land.” Then, visit http://www.googlemaps.com/ and select “satellite view” to get a better feel for the scope of your project. While you’re there, you might as well open an account, so you'll have access to the “My Maps” tab, which you’ll be using later. Also, take this opportunity to download and install Google Earth (free) at http://www.googleearth.com/ (you'll be using this program later, too). Once you’ve decided that, “This is the spot you’d like to restore,” here’s how you’ll tackle it.

Route and waypoint recording. Start a “route” on the handheld when you begin your hike or canoe/ kayak run. When you arrive at a large object that you’d like to target for removal, simply hold your GPS device right over the item and “create a waypoint.” [Note: It’s not enough to call the waypoint a “tire.” You should label the waypoints as “tire 01, tire 02, tire 03, etc.” That's because later, you’ll want to associate specific waypoints with the corresponding digital photo of the item.] Only get as close to an object or debris field as is SAFE. If collecting data while hiking, watch your footing. If collecting data by canoe or kayak, be particularly mindful of how currents can change near bridges and other obstructions; the eddy can be very strong, which is why the debris has gathered there, in the first place. Caution is your first criteria.

Digital photography. After you have collected the waypoint, and recorded it in an identifiable manner (tire 01, tire 02, etc.), push or paddle back (or step away) a few feet, and take a digital photo of that item. The reason you’re doing this is to provide a potential trash hunter with a vivid idea of what they’re looking for. The waypoint is helpful, to be sure, but the GPS coordinates—combined with a digital photo—will help an extraction volunteer find and remove the item(s) more quickly and conveniently.

Waypoint plotting. Your GPS equipment came with software that lets you transfer waypoints and routes from your handheld into a format that is more manageable. Once you have created a route file containing your waypoints, you should be able to import them into Google Earth, placing them in your “temporary places” folder as a .kmz document. This step will make your waypoint collection nearly ubiquitous, and easy to share with others. I would suggest that you name the file with this convention: River name (i.e., KettleRiver), date (09-16-07), and your initials (ma), each separated by an underscore. So, for my Mississippi run last fall, the name might look like this: Mississippi_9-16-07_ma.kmz. If you take a second run down the same stretch later, the date will help you distinguish which file you’re working with. If you took a run the same date as me, then our initials would make that distinction.

Waypoint sharing. Save the .kmz file from Google Earth to your desktop. Now, you can either email the .kmz file as an attachment to anyone else who has access to Google Earth. Or, you can view the route in http://www.googlemaps.com/, through the “My Maps” function. There, you can “Create a Map,” and import your .kmz file into Google Maps... which is stored on a web page that can again be emailed to anyone. Now, you have a collection of waypoints that is very easily shared… Only Internet access is required.

Merging the photos and waypoints. There are two alternatives to doing this… use which ever works best for you, and for the person who will be recovering the debris items in the inventory list you have created. My preference is to open each digital photo in some type of photo editing software (something like Photoshop Elements), and physically add a label containing the coordinates (latitude and longitude) somewhere on the picture (click on the photo at left to enlarge the example.) You can obtain these coordinates from your GPS handheld, or you can right-click on the waypoints in Google Earth, and select “properties.” The other alternative would be to simply change the name of each digital photo, adding the waypoint title to its name, as well as the corresponding route name. If you’re particularly tekky, you can even add your digital photos of debris sites to the Google Map you have created for the route created.

Obtaining the photos and waypoints from CleanUpTheRiver.com. When you see a Google Map anywhere on this blog, you can click on it to enlarge the document, and navigate the map just as you would if it were your own. If you have followed all of the instructions above, you can now even choose to “View this map through Google Earth.” As soon as you open the file in Google Earth, the program will automatically store the route in your “Temporary places.” Before you “close” the program, it will ask you if you want to save that file in your “My Places.” With this step done, depending on the GPS device you use, you’ll be able to drag-and-drop the .kmz folder directly to your handheld. (I know this works, at least, for Garmin and Magellan devices, as I’ve tried it on both.) Thus, the maps has gone from my handheld to yours, or vice-versa.

Ideally, I’d love it if canoe clubs, kayakers and hikers everywhere would take the time to help create this inventory of pollution. As we’ve said all along, a problem well stated is half solved (Einstein.) If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me an email.

Let the solution begin.

© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

Winterscapes

Julie and I took a quick trip up to St. Croix Falls last weekend, and stopped for a little hike through three different spots on our way home. The views were spectacular… and reveal why these are places worth preservation. (Click on any image to enlarge.)















Near the Pothole outpost of Interstate Park, there is a collection of rapids as the St. Croix River passes under the bridge between Taylors Falls and St. Croix Falls. This shot (above) was taken from the Minnesota side, looking toward Wisconsin. Look closely, and you’ll see a frozen waterfall of run-off… waiting for its’ chance to be “first into the river” when the thaw comes.

The backwaters at Osceola (left) seemed a bit sleepy at first glance. But countless paw prints of every shape and size indicated that not everything is dormant.
At William O’Brien, we shot a contrasting photo of the bog that sat behind our campsite last summer. The shot above was taken in February, 2008 (around 4 pm). The shot below was taken in late July, 2007 (around 6 am).






© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

Adoption site 3: The Geo-tagging begins

This project will begin at Rice Creek in Fridley, Minnesota, and continue southward for roughly 9.7 miles, to Boom Island Park near downtown, Minneapolis. If you have driven across the northern edge of the Twin Cities on I-694, or on I-94 from downtown to the north side, you have seen this part of the river first-hand, from a distance. (For a closer look, you can click on the Google Map near the bottom of this post. For the best results, select “Satellite View” when you land on that page.)

By far, this stands to be the most daunting of the three sites we have adopted. Typically, when a person or group “adopts” a river, it conjures images of a few folks walking the riverbank or shoreline with boots, gloves and garbage bags, picking up trash. But this stretch won’t be that simple. This is the section of river where I first recognized and refined the idea to geo-tag specific debris fields and large objects... and thus, Geotrashing was born. (Each of the photos you see here include a latitude/ longitude label for where they were taken. Click on any photo to enlarge.)

The challenge. On two survey trips here last summer and fall, I saw, photographed and designated (by GPS coordinates) several significant target areas. These targets held tires, appliances, and construction and demolition materials. There were more eclectic items, too, like office chairs, safes (forget it... the safes were all empty, and heavy enough that it'll take more than one person to extract them), and even a 3-foot-long Energizer Rabbit plush doll, laying face-down near the shore. (No, he was not “stillllll going!”) I’ll post early photos from last fall’s recon trip over the next few weeks, but it will take several more expeditions down this part of the river before I can finish building a reasonably complete inventory.

Upon filing the Adopt-a-River paperwork with the Minnesota DNR, I do realize that a few segments along this stretch of Mississippi have already been adopted. (It’s not like I’m the first person to realize this part of The Great River needs help!) I don’t mean to offend any of those people who have already invested their effort—and hopefully, who will continue to do so—but having seen its’ condition first-hand and up-close, I know that the job is far from done.


View Larger Map

Since we live on the north side of the Twin Cities, our intention is to scour this segment of river on weekends where we cannot make it to one of the other, more distant, adoption sites. This will be the river we work on when a Saturday or a Sunday are available, but another obligation keeps us from committing the entire weekend. For that matter, I might find it tempting to run down to the water with nothing more than hiking boots, the Garmin, and my Nikon to gather a few more targets when I have an extra hour or two on my hands.

If you’re already working on a stretch of creek or river in the Twin Cities, I’d enjoy learning of your project and your progress. Take a moment to drop me a note and perhaps we can learn from each other!

© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

Adoption site 2: The St. Croix, with ulterior motives

The St. Croix River is one of the most beautiful waterways in the central U.S., or some might say, anywhere.

Our second adoption site is living proof. Highway 48/77 runs from Hinckley, Minnesota to Danbury, Wisconsin. Beneath the bridge over the St. Croix on the Wisconsin side, there is a public access… which delivers your body and soul into this serene waterway. By the time it reaches the historic town of Stillwater, the St. Croix River is a bustling, high-traffic waterway, capable of being navigated by very large boats, and even yachts. But further north, near Danbury, Wisconsin, it is rare that you see anyone with a motor on their boat.

There is little evidence of human habitation, except for a few canoe-in camp sites you’ll paddle by, an outpost of the Conservations Corps near St. John’s Landing, and another landing at Yellow Banks. Depending on your pace, it will take 3 ½ to six hours to arrive at the landing of St. Croix State Park (MN)… a roughly 9.6 mile journey. You can browse around on the map for a closer look.


View Larger Map
Julie and I are certainly not the only people to adopt this stretch of river. Conservation Corps members and other volunteers do a major sweep, mid-summer. These groups have done an amazing job of removing the large debris from this stretch of river (like two tires, a road sign and some type of a small appliance... that I specifically know them to have accomplished last year!).

The Challenge. While organized efforts have done will to remove large items, smaller trash has a tendency to resurface throughout the recreational and hunting seasons. On my late-fall voyage through this stretch, considerable amounts of small-scale litter had accumulated again (beverage containers, boat seat cushions, Styrofoam from coolers, etc.) I cleaned-up as much of it as I could in late September and the first week in October, I know there will be more to do this spring, summer and fall.

Ulterior Motives. Cleaning this stretch of the St. Croix River is not an entirely selfless act of random kindness. I have a selfish motive. It is just so beautiful. I’ve shot some of my favorite outdoor photos on this stretch of river, including those you see here (just click on any photo to see a larger version, or drop me a note if you’d like to receive a higher-resolution version by email). Bald eagles, beaver dams, wildflowers… It is simply breathtaking. And it’s a great reminder of the important work being done by the National Park Service, in their work to protect this national scenic river-way. (We can lend a hand, and enjoy its’ beauty at the same time!)

Like our first adoption site, we are participating with both the Adopt-a-River (Minnestoa) and WAV (Wisconsin) stewardship programs for this project. St. Croix State Park, about a half-hour east of Hinckley, will serve as our base-camp for this effort. We take advantage of the shuttle service available through Pardun’s Canoe Rental, which has a small outpost right at the park. So, when the day is done and we arrive at the St. Croix park landing, it’s as if we have arrived home.

If you’d like more information about participating in a river clean-up like this one, just drop me an email to express your interest, and we can provide you with further details.

© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

Adoption site 1: A backwater basin

The first section of waterway we have adopted is a stretch of the St. Croix River which lies immediately to the south of the Highway 243 Bridge at Osceola, Wisconsin. There is a public landing and park on the Minnesota side which will serve as our launch point.



(Click on photo to enlarge.)
Why this section of the St. Croix? Each year, thousands of people take advantage of the canoe rentals available at Interstate Park near Taylors Falls, and paddle with the current roughly 19 miles to William O’Brien State Park. It is a wonderful way to spend a summer day! But most of these folks overlook this amazing collection of backwaters just south of Osceola. It is “off the beaten path,” so to speak; a bit more challenging to navigate than the main river, but worthwhile, because it is loaded with wildlife! (We made the full 20-mile trip last summer and were surrounded by dozens of other people in canoes most of the time. But when we turned into the backwater at Osceola, we had the place completely to ourselves for almost four miles! It is secluded, serene, and just plain gorgeous.)


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The challenge. The nature of these inlets and basins present some specific ecological hurdles. The current of the water into these backwaters is sufficient to carry trash and human debris into the area. But the shallow water levels and natural obstructions prevent the pollution from flowing out. So, it is a natural place for pollution to accumulate. All of this is aggravated by the fact that a heavily traveled bridge and widely used park just upstream… so the volume of litter is a bit higher than similar stretches of the northern St. Croix River Valley. The most severe accumulation tends to be on the Minnesota side, because it is the “wide” (fast flowing) side of the river.

On a later trip through the area last summer, we came across a rubber trash can that was floating along, upright, about 1/3 full of garbage. We pulled it out. This year, we decided to make it our first adoption, and will go back to finish the job.

Because the St. Croix touches both states, we filed Adopt-a-River forms with the DNR in Minnesota, as well as with the WAV program in Wisconsin. A lot of people see the St. Croix River as a boundary between the two states. My wife and I see it as a natural wonder that joins them. If you’d like to participate in one of our missions on this section of river, just drop us a note to express your interest!

There are three wonderful state parks which will serve as our “base camps” for this project. Interstate State Parks (aptly named because there is one each side of the river), as well as William O’Brien State Park (MN). So we have a placed to set-up the tent to prepare for—or recover from—each day of hard work. By the way, the photos throughout this posting came from those parks. The “Bench Rock” overhang and the “Birds in Fog” shots both came from William O’Brien. The Crane at Sunrise photo was shot from the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River at Interstate State Park, but shows geese along the opposing Wisconsin shoreline, and an island between the two. (Click on any of these images to see them in full size. Drop me a note if you’d like to receive a higher resolution copy.)

Taylors Falls Canoe Rental is also located in the neighborhood, so you don’t have to own your own canoe if you’d like to enjoy—or help clean—this gorgeous waterway. If it will be a day-trip, rather than an expedition, this site can also be reached directly from the park and public access adjacent to the Osceola Bridge.

© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

The headwaters of this project

Back in 1994, I was managing a pair of radio stations in Bemidji, Minnesota. Winter was fading, and the staff and I were brainstorming promotional ideas for spring. I had heard of something called the “Adopt-a-River” program. Similar to the Adopt-a-Highway effort that is its’ namesake, the project involves identifying a segment of river that you’ll commit to cleaning for a period of at least two years. The group loved the idea, so as a radio station, we adopted a section of the Mississippi, very near the headwaters at Lake Itasca. It was to be the first event in a series that we called, “Project Planet.”

Of course, it wouldn’t be a promotion unless we promoted the idea. So we went on-the-air, and told our listeners that we were going to meet down at the river, with canoes, garbage bags and work gloves. The audience was invited to join us, even though the only reward we offered was soft drinks and snacks at the end of the day, provided by a grocery store sponsor. We kicked-off the publicity on Earth Day, and announced that the clean-up would begin in early May.

We thought we’d be lucky to get ten or fifteen people to turn out. But the phones started ringing off the hook. Other community groups called to offer their additional manpower. The most strategically significant of these being the Headwaters Canoe Club, whose co-chair at the time was Bob Wagner. “We not only have the muscle,” he said, “our members have the watercraft to cover a lot of river in a short amount of time.”

John Fylpaa called from Lake Bemidji State Park, and suggested that we could tie-in with their “March for Parks” program… and multiply each others’ volunteer forces. John’s call was followed by an inquiry from Paul Nordell, the person in charge of the Adopt-a-River program in the state of Minnesota. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

Then, other calls started flowing in. The Youth Conservation Corps. Northwest Juvenile Training Center. Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops. Simply stated, things got out of hand, in a very good way. Ultimately, this diverse coalition of volunteers “adopted” nearly 150 miles of the Mississippi River, beginning at the very headwaters where the river is born. We fielded calls from reporters at KSTP-TV, WCCO-TV, CNN, and the Associated Press. Our little project in this little town had caught the attention of a lot of folks.

I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in a more gratifying project, in professional terms. Not only because it was a success for our company, but also because it was a good thing for the community and its’ natural resources. And people knew it.

The late Senator Paul Wellstone offered his words of encouragement, by phone and with a personal letter, recognizing both the physical and symbolic importance of the project (see top left; if you like, you can click on any of the thumbnail images to enlarge any photo or document).

Similar letters of support--or official proclaimations recognizing the event-- came from Minnesota Senator David Durenberger, then-Governor Arnie Carlson, and Congressman Collin Peterson. (Congressman Peterson not only wrote... he showed-up on the first day of the event, rolled-up his sleeves, and joined in the dirty work of a trash pick-up near a place called “the Powerdam,” just downstream from Lake Bemidji.

As word spread of our work at the Mississippi headwaters, letters of thanks and more official proclamations were received from mayors Bonnie Cumberland of Brainerd, Sharon Sayles Belton of Minneapolis, and then-mayor (now U.S. Senator) Norm Coleman of St. Paul. Even Freeman Bosley, Jr., at that time the Mayor of St. Louis. And we heard from the cities of New Orleans and Mobile, too.

We received one other note, this time from Vice President Al Gore (see left). The letter said a variety of things… but more than anything, it said this: “You’re doing something that matters.”

I recently got back in touch with Bob Wagner, now retired from his career as an educator, and living in Turtle River, Minnesota. It was a wonderful call. This is the kind of experience that remains a vivid and gratifying memory for years and years.

The most exciting thing about that whole project? It wasn’t complicated. It was just a bunch of people cleaning-up a section of river that never deserved to be abused in the first place. The effort transcended its’ intended role as a radio station promotion. It humbled me, and it made me a better person. It drew a community together in ways that I could not have imagined. It felt good. And it accomplished something important.

Every idea has to start somewhere. There is a place called Lake Itasca, a beautiful, spring-fed body of water that nourishes the landscape of Itasca State Park in northern Minnesota, between Park Rapids and Bemidji. At one edge, the shoreline is interrupted by a bridge of rocks, where the lake spills over to create the Headwaters of the Mississippi. The water is crystal clear. Kids walk over the rock bridge, almost always getting their tennis shoes wet.

I suppose the idea of CleanUpTheRiver.com has trickled down from that specific point, as did the first river restoration project I was ever involved with.

© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.