CleanUpTheRiver.com

About this site

2011-07-01T00:03:00.003-05:00

My wife and I have been involved in a number of river clean-up efforts, first in the 90’s, and starting again around 2007. We created CleanUpTheRiver.com to document our experiences, and to share some of the things we learned along the way.

In the early fall of 2009, I scaled-back the physical work I had been doing on the river following surgery to repair some torn muscles. At that time, I started placing more of my conservation focus on writing and photography, creating a new site at http://FootprintsAndPhotographs.com/. My logic was simple: Conservation begins with appreciation. So I use "Footprints" as a place to share wildlife and landscape photography.

Another blog serves as a gallery for photos unrelated to conservation: http://AKindEye.com/. We decided on that name because in addition to street-candid, travel and other photography, I'm going to use this site to document worthwhile human service projects… the kind of efforts that are having a positive impact, but might not get the attention as they deserve. I hope to document two or three people or projects a year at this site, so if you hear of someone doing something really important, please get in touch with me.

This URL is available. If your non-profit group or company has an interest in owning the “CleanUpTheRiver” URL, again, please feel free to drop me an email. I’m going to hold on to it until I find an organization that will do something smart and meaningful with it.

Until then, this site stays up as an archive to our river restoration adventures... and as proof that "Anyone, on any given day, has the power to improve a place."

Mike

A picture-perfect finish to 2010

2010-12-28T17:37:00.007-06:00

The experience was nearly a year ago (January 16), but I remember it well. A good friend and fellow conservationist called to invite me over. His name is Curt Oien (you’ve seen me write of him here before), and his home overlooks a stretch of the Crow River near St. Michael, as well as a vast meadow and woods that belong to the Crow-Hassan Park Reserve, a parcel of the Three Rivers Park District.

Curt had seen a number of Trumpeter Swans, recently, exercising in open water just down the hill, and he wanted to share them. (Truth is, it was a harsh winter, and Curt had been helping the birds survive with pails of delicious corn.) They were familiar enough with his presence that, barring any scares from passing snowmobiles, he could sit nearby for hours, feeding them.

So, I joined Curt on a trip down to the river. If I recall correctly, it was very cold that day (around ten degrees), but the wind was mercifully quiet. And sure enough, the collection of Trumpeters was there. I watched Curt hand-feed the group, and I crawled around on the ice near shore to find the most advantageous position to shoot pictures. Among many other shots I took that day was the photo you see above; I have recently been notified that this picture is the winner in the wildlife category of a photography contest sponsored by the ten-county Crow River Organization of Water. (Click on the photo above to see a larger version.)

As this shot was taken, I was on my knees near the riverbank, shooting across and down-stream toward the birds. The gentle haze is steam rising from the open water into the crisp winter air. And those puffs in the background are not clouds, but ice chunks on the opposing bank, covered by the light snow which had fallen the night before.

Click here to see all of the award-winning photographs, including a shot that earned Curt an honorable mention (any other day, his shot could have easily beaten mine!).

This is the second year our work has been recognized by this group; last year, the winning shot was an injured deer, "Cooling Off in the Crow River."

In the coming months, I'll take a more casual approach to updating CleanUpTheRiver.com, as I focus on a couple of other projects and wait for the spring clean-up season. So Happy New Year, and here’s hoping your 2011 is prosperous… and picturesque. Stay connected via my other site, http://footprintsandphotographs.com/.

Mike

The original river clean-up continues

2010-12-20T18:36:00.000-06:00

While I was out last week, this story from Reuters explained that G.E. must do more to clean-up the Hudson River in New York. Interesting, because this is one of the issues that gave voice to the environmental movement back in the 70s... and work remains to be done.

Click hear to read the Reuters article.

Mike

A nice letter to get

2010-12-12T07:49:00.002-06:00

This past week, I received a letter informing me that one of my submissions has won the 2010 C.R.O.W. photography competition, in the wildlife category. I'm not sure which picture it was just yet, but will share it here when the winning shots are posted at the C.R.O.W. website.

The Crow River Organization of Water is a joint powers board composed of counties which share the watershed.

Mike

Vote by today or tomorrow for the Friendship Tour

2010-12-09T00:05:00.000-06:00

If you haven’t voted yet, consider spending a couple of minutes to advocate for the Minnesota River – Lake Pepin Friendship Tour. The project is one of three finalists being considered in an effort to preserve Lake Pepin, and can benefit from a considerable grant from the Bush Foundation if chosen. For more information, and to cast your vote, visit this link: http://www.incommons.org/CollaborationChallenge

Thanks!

Mike

Vote for the Minnesota River's "C.U.R.E."

2010-11-30T21:16:00.003-06:00

Recently, I've written about the perils facing Lake Pepin in this space. Seeking to alter the future of sedimentation in the lake, the group has created a contest to inspire upstream collaboration.

C.U.R.E., or "Clean Up The River Environment," is a group whose name is similar to my blog, but which is an independent, non-profit group serving the Minnesota River and southwest Minnesota. Their offices are in Montevideo, Minnesota, but because the importance of their work flows downstream, their efforts serve us all. The reason I point-out that they are not a part of CleanUpTheRiver.com is that I would encourage you to vote for their project in the Lake Pepin contest. C.U.R.E. is among three finalists that are still in the running.

To see details of their efforts, click here: http://www.incommons.org/en-us/node/842

To vote, click here: http://www.incommons.org/en-us/CollaborationChallenge

Care for your waters... with the convenience of a point-and-click for C.U.R.E.!

Mike

Today, I'm not taking drinking water for granted

2010-11-16T20:58:00.002-06:00

Over the past few weeks, Julie and I have been doing a bit of homework… preparing for a trip we’re taking to the Dominican Republic. We’ve never been there, so everything is a lesson. We’ve learned about Hepatitis A and B vaccinations (ouch) and updating tetanus shots in advance of our trip, and taking regiment of pills to prevent against malaria.

Also, we’re learning about the hazards of drinking water in tropical locations. Americans are not accustomed to the less treated waters that are considered potable by foreign standards; people who live in those countries have built-up a resistance to the bacteria and micro-organisms that exist in their water supplies… we have not.

That doesn’t just mean, “Don’t drink the water.” It means you cannot brush your teeth from the tap, you cannot put just any ice cubes in your drink, you cannot consume salad greens, fruits or vegetables that have been rinsed in tap water…

It means you can't take one drop of water for granted. Because that could be the drop that is tainted. It's not scary, so much... as it is an important lesson.

As a matter of coincidence, I came across a story in the opinion section of the New York Times that spoke of the challenges of obtaining water in third world countries. It offers a solution, too, in the form of a Swedish company that has created a system to make otherwise dangerous water supplies safer to consume… as well as a means to fund and profit from providing those systems to people who cannot afford to pay. (Click here to read the story.)

I loved this idea. It gives me a degree of success to shoot for in my personal projects.

Mike

© 2010 Mike Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

A great story about Lake Pepin

2010-11-03T20:38:00.003-05:00

Lake Pepin is the largest lake on the upper Mississippi River, and it's in danger of vanishing due to the sediment that is literally filling it in.

Greg Vandegrift from KARE 11 television did a great story on the issue for a recent KARE 11 Extra feature. To read the text version of the story, click here. To see the video, just launch below.

Mike

I'll try to make this my last rant about the Deepwater Horizon spill...

2010-10-29T21:05:00.000-05:00

And then I will try get back to focusing on conservation issues related to more actionable issues of more local nature. But this set of notes is a reminder of just how complex this situation has been for everyone, and that it is far from over.

Should people not directly impacted by the oil be compensated for oil spill? This story from the New York Times explains why Florida businesses are seeking compensation for the drop in tourism caused by the Deepwater Horizon spill. I don’t have enough knowledge to offer an opinion on this. But it’s another example of how complex this clean-up process has been and will be. Click here to see the story.

Researchers find more missing oil. A recent story from USA Today explains that two different research teams have discovered oil on the floor and in the sediment not far from the site of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill of 2010. For details, click here. Again, evidence that the solution will never be as easy as avoiding the problem in the first place.

And here is an early indication that prevention was entirely possible. Another New York Times story this week suggests that the recipe for the concrete used in the well, initially, was flawed. Of course, this will be discussed and denied over the coming months, including probably the usual congressional hearings which expose much but solve little. Click here to see that story.

© 2010 Mike D. Anderson. All rights reserved.

Looking back at the gaff in the Gulf

2010-10-20T21:19:00.001-05:00

It’s been a half-year since the Deepwater Horizon exploded, with tragic loss of life and immense consequences for the residents of the Gulf of Mexico and its coastlines, both human and wildlife. This story from today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune took a look back at the incident, and considers the ongoing environmental impact. Click here to see the story.

Less than six months later, the ban on deep water drilling is lifted. The White House has put new restrictions and rules in place, but there is no longer a moratorium on deep water exploration or drilling; see this story from the New York Times (last week) for details. I cannot fully understand why the practice is safer now than when things flew utterly out of control six months ago (they must be some darn good new rules), but I hope they know what they’re doing. Click here to see the NY Times story.

New tools to help contain future disasters. Another story—this one from the Associated Press via the San Francisco Examiner—explains that industry experts have developed a new method of containing similar deep water oil spills in the future. Actually, rather than a “new” method, perhaps I should refer to it as simply, “a method.” After all, there was no “Plan B” when the BP well started spilling. But instead of sounding too cynical, I’ll just say I’m glad they’re (finally) thinking about this sort of thing. Click here to read the SF Examiner story.

© 2010 Mike D. Anderson. All rights reserved.

Man vs. Wild: Wild wins

2010-10-07T19:47:00.014-05:00

The first Saturday in October was not just bright and sunny; it was spectacular, as it followed a long stretch of cloudiness and heavy rains which had flooded many parts of Minnesota. So I was not surprised to see the water running high and fast when my wife dropped me off at Riverside Park in Hanover. (Specifically, the USGS gage in Rockford—a few miles upstream—indicated the channel had risen about four feet in the past week.) I put-in with my solo canoe at around 3:15, and expected to call Julie from our pre-arranged pick-up site near Berning’s Mill by around 5:00 p.m.

As the crow flies, there are only about 2 ½ miles between the starting and ending points, but as the Crow River turns, it transforms this voyage into one of roughly five miles. I wanted to take my time, though, as my goal for the day was to capture some of the brilliant colors that autumn paints on the Crow River valley, and work on a photo project related to bio-diversity.

Within a thousand feet of my launch point on the left bank, I thought I saw something move along a driftwood log on the opposite side of the river. I docked myself against a low-hanging branch for a few moments, hoping to study the opposite bank with my zoom lens and identify the creature that caught my eye. I only knew that it was small and brownish, well camouflaged in the shoreline foliage; it could have been anything from a duck to a muskrat (or a figment of my imagination). Several minutes went by without the critter showing itself, so I decided to move in for a closer look.

Canoeing across a river is not as simple as it might sound. One must consider the trajectory of the vehicle, much the way a jet pilot adjusts for the weather systems in his flight path; the plane is not just moving through the air, it is flying through a body of air that is, itself, moving. Likewise, you cannot simply paddle a canoe across the river from point A to point B; one must consider the water’s current and aim for a destination somewhere upstream, knowing the flow of the river will push you back to place you really wanted to go. That is especially true when the water is swift and high, as it was on this day.

I studied the opposing shoreline, and decided I would aim for a tree limb that was hanging out into the water perhaps thirty feet. If I could grab that branch with my left hand, it would put me in a great position to scan the area where I had seen the movement, leaving my right hand free to shoot some photographs when the animal came out of hiding. At least, that was the plan.

As I paddled into the current, I was reminded just how much energy is released when weight meets gravity. The volume of water I was moving through represented remarkable tonnage, and it created unstoppable momentum… something I would learn first-hand in the next few seconds.

I miscalculated the speed at which the river would draft me toward the tree limb I was aiming for; arriving sooner than planned, my boat was slammed into the up-stream side of the limb, instead of allowing me to grab it from behind. That put me between a tree that would not move, and the hydraulic power of a river that would not stop.

I cannot explain this paradoxical sense, but the next few seconds seemed to unfold both instantaneously and in slow motion. With my canoe broadside to the current, the tree limb placed downward pressure on the left side of the boat, just as the surging river was lifting up on the right side… not unlike a one-two-punch. The gunwale (rim) of the canoe was pushed beneath the surface, and I was thrown into the water. Simultaneously, as the pressure of my weight was taken off the canoe, the river threw it into the air is if it were a plaything. (I still have the image frozen in my mind… of my body in mid-air just before it hit the water, and the boat suspended over my head, waiting to follow me in.)

The impact of the water hurt in more ways than one. For one thing, this was the first time I had ever unintentionally rolled a canoe or kayak. (I had done so on purpose—so I would know what to expect if it ever happened—which turned out to serve me well on this day.) More dramatic was the sensation of going from overheated and sweating, instantly, to very, very cold. I was dressed for a cool fall day: hiking shoes over sweat socks, cargo pants, a long-sleeved knit shirt, a fleece jacket, and over that, my personal floatation device. But except for the PFD, these layers of protection became a hindrance the instant I hit the water, slowing my movements as they became saturated with cold water. In this part of the country, autumn rains can be very cold… more like a preview of winter ice and snow than the leftovers of a summer thunderstorm. And that cold rain is what gave rise to the river I was now fighting.

Even before I made it back to the surface for my first breath, a dozen thoughts zipped through my mind. I remembered the conversation Julie and I had just before she dropped me off; I had taken my cell phone out, wrapped it in a plastic bag, and then replaced it in my right-side cargo pocket. “I hope you’re as careful with yourself out there as you are mindful of your equipment,” she said. I muttered something about how expensive replacing it would be, and that I need to protect this stuff with my life. She replied, “Well, if anything ever happens, remember to save yourself first, and then save the stuff.”

Now, I was under water in a very cold river, fighting the anchor of a D-SLR camera around my neck, and pockets loaded with the usual stuff, along with a handheld GPS device… and my cell phone. I thought about emptying my pockets and ditching the camera, just as Julie had recommended. But there was no time, as I was too busy competing with the current and fighting my way to the surface.

Suddenly, a slide-show began playing-back in my head: I was picturing the last images of the shoreline I had seen, just before hitting the water. I was remembering, vividly, the lay of the land… and now, I was using those memories to create a strategy of how I’d get out of this mess. There was a fallen tree about twenty yards downstream from where I went in, and another about ten yards beyond. If I hadn’t been pulled too far from shore, there was a good chance I could grab one of those limbs, and gradually make my way toward the riverbank. I remember calmly thinking, “That’s a solid plan… that’s what I’m going to do.” I had it all figured out within the first few seconds I spent under water.

My soaked clothing slowed my ascent, causing my first gasp for air to begin prematurely. So I had to choke down some river water as I started kicking and slapping my way toward the still-mostly-submerged canoe. It was not my intent to recover the boat, but instead, to let the boat recover me. The water was too deep and fast for someone of my size to “right” it in midstream, especially in this kind of current. So, I thought, I would attempt to “wrong” the canoe, clearing it of water by flipping it completely up-side-down, and turning the canoe into a bubble that would keep me afloat for as long as I could hold on to it. It took three attempts, but my plan worked.

I was perhaps thirty feet from shore, and maybe twelve feet from the downed tree that I had hoped to grab. Holding on to the canoe with my right hand, and half-swimming with my left, I tried to work with the current and put myself in a position to grab the longest branch as I floated by it. The swimming was slow… as I was still wearing hiking shoes, my joints were aching from the cold, and I was towing an overturned canoe. There was a lot of self-talk going on during these minutes: “Boy, I better get out of this, or my dad is going to be really irritated” (my father was a Navy man; he wouldn’t want me getting beat by a bunch of water). “I bet my camera’s shot.” “I’m glad I’m wearing a PFD today or this would be a lot harder.” “I bet my cell phone is shot.” “By the way, how am I going to call Julie and tell her it’s time to come pick me up?”

I could not see where I was going, because I was swimming both toward shore and into the current (it was the only way to stay above water). Still using the pictures of the shoreline in my head, I had an idea when to throw my hand out and grab at a tree I could not see coming. You cannot imagine the relief I felt when, right on cue, I threw my hand up just in time for the branch to hit my hand. I grabbed it tightly… and the force of the current flipped my body (and the canoe) into a single-file line behind the half-sunken tree, much like a flag unfurls and whips into its form when hit by a gust of wind.

I was still twenty feet from shore. But it was at that moment that I realized… I was a very lucky man.

I rested there for a few moments: The past few minutes had been utterly exhausting. I would use my clutch of the tree as an opportunity to rest, catch my breath, and plan the final stage of my self-rescue. The ache in my feet and ribs reminded me, though, that while the risk of drowning had passed, the threat of hyperthermia had not. So I began to work my way toward shore, tugging myself along the branch, then grabbing forward and repeating the process.

When I got within three or four feet from the water’s edge, my feet finally hit ground; it was not solid, but the mud felt quite satisfying beneath my feet, given how far they were from land over the past several minutes. I pulled the canoe up toward shore and righted it, tied it to a tree stump, and then unclipped the paddle and threw it up the bank. (I had tethered my paddle to a crossbar in the canoe, something paddlers often do to prepare for just this kind of mishap.) Then, still standing in about a foot of water, I began tilting the boat side-to-side until all of the water had been emptied from the craft. Finally, I walked up the bank, and set myself down on the grass.

I was safe. But the experience was far from over. I tried to look at the thermometer that is clipped to my life vest to see how cold the water had been, but my vision felt blurred. At first, I attributed that blurriness to having my eyes open under such cold water… but as I brought my hands up to rub my eyes, it occurred to me that my bifocals had been washed from my face, probably when I first hit the water. As near as I could tell, the mercury indicated a water temperature in the low 50’s or upper 40’s, cool enough to drain the heat from a man’s body very quickly. (Cold water soaks the heat out of you much faster than air of similar temperature.)

My glasses were not the only thing missing: One of my favorite fitted caps had washed away, as well as the folding handsaw I use to clear debris when it’s caught in a logjam. Ironically, my camera was still hanging around my neck, with water dripping from the lens. Ruined, too, was the plastic-wrapped cell phone in my pocket. I had not protected it well enough to spend ten or twenty minutes underwater. The only equipment that had survived the ordeal was my waterproof GPS device, the boat… and me.

Sitting on a riverbank on the Crow-Hassan Preserve, I was miles from a road and even further from a phone. But I was in a remarkably good frame of mind. The outcome of my crash could have been quite different, and I knew it. After resting a few minutes, I decided the shortest way back to warmth was the same route I had originally planned: I rung the water from my clothes as best I could, and put the canoe back in the water for the trip home. My original landing site was near a bridge over the Crow… where I could flag down a car and call Julie as planned. If I started hiking from here, it would be a long trek, and too much time would pass before I could call Julie. But if I paddled with strength and consistency, I could both make it to the meeting site within an hour or so, and be kept warm by the workout of rowing… all while I avoided causing any unnecessary worry.

It was a God-given, beautiful day on the Crow River. The Ash trees were golden, and the Maples bursting with orange and red. With a camera no longer working, I was not bothered with the distraction of taking pictures; instead, I captured images in my minds’ eye. I studied the power of the floodwater beneath my canoe, holding a renewed respect for its strength and trickery.

As the sun fell lower in the sky and shadows replaced light, my fingers and earlobes began to burn from the chill. By the time I arrived near Berning’s Mill, my whole body was quaking… and I did not even pause between exiting the canoe and pulling it up the twenty-foot incline to the road. I was sure that hard work would be the only way to make the shivering subside. It didn’t.

There is a gun club not far from the landing site, and a few dozen men had gathered there to talk-over their exploits for this day, the season opener for duck hunting. I walked over, was invited in, and offered a cell phone so I could call Julie. Then I was invited to soak-up the warmth of the lodge and to join-in their conversations of adventure. But Julie would be here soon, so I made my way back to the canoe landing within a few minutes.

That evening, there was time for hindsight. Every muscle on the right side of my body was aching from the day's workout. I had nasty scrapes on my right forearm, and bruises on my left forearm and rib cage. My left thumbnail was smashed pretty good, but it did not fall off as I thought it might. It was an expensive day. I lost a Nikon D-SLR camera with a 300 mm zoom lens, a cell phone, a cap, my saw, and a pair of glasses. Lost, also, was my perfect record of never having unintentionally tipped a canoe, kayak, or any other watercraft, for that matter. But my mood was lifted by focusing on what I did not lose.

The USGS river gage later revealed that my hours on the Crow River that day coincided with the crest of the biggest fall flood in decades. That having been said, I was able to handle the river.

But only after the river had handled me.
.
.
© 2010 Mike D. Anderson. All rights reserved.

The modest new addition to the fleet

2010-09-01T20:53:00.009-05:00

Okay, so I'm a little jazzed. It won't be until this weekend that I get to launch the new (old) canoe. (See details in the posting below.) But to savor the event, tonight I threw it onto the truck, fashioned some tie-downs for transporting the boat, and got it ready to go.

Here's what the new craft looks like in transit (pictured above), and with the canvas skirt that will be used to keep my gear protected from the elements, in the event I take any longer trips in inclement weather (left).

Crow River: This Saturday, you are mine.

Reducing, renewing, recycling some gear

2010-08-31T21:08:00.005-05:00

A while back, I decided to sell the two kayaks. I found the Pelican 10’ a bit small, at least when spending more than a few hours in it. The Mad River 12’ was more comfortable, but either it had growth heavier or my elbows have growth weaker; it was becoming difficult for me to lift it to the roof of the X-Terra. My goal was to use the sale proceeds to find a solo canoe, bigger than the 10’ kayak, but lighter than the double-hulled 12’ hybrid kayak. Turns out that everything sold a little quicker than I thought it might, including the Thule kayak racks on the roof of the truck.

Here is happiness: The Pelican went to a first-time kayak owner out of southern Minnesota, and the Mad River went to the younger of a father-and-son team who paddle the North Shore of Lake Superior. (Let the enjoyment continue.)

All of that equipment has been replaced by a used Old Town Discovery solo canoe; an 11’9” boat that was manufactured in 2003. Like the goods I sold, I found this craft through Craig’s List. It was owned by a gentleman who works part-time for a new company called Clear Waters Outfitting Company. While he was selling the canoe “private party,” the store had allowed him to display it in their warehouse. (They were smart to let him do this; I did not know about their shop until after meeting Todd, the gentleman I bought the Discovery from. I'll do business with them in the future, as they have a great store in Clearwater, MN.) It has abundant scratches on the hull, but more to illustrate the boats character than to indicate any serious damage. (The owner of a an old canoe that is unmarked by contact with logs and rocks has cheated himself and his boat from the privilege of a fast romp down the river.) It features a hand-made canvas cover, to protect packs and equipment from the elements on longer trips.

As far as transporting the boat is concerned, I gave my daughter a few bucks for an old set of Yakima cross-bars, and bought the appropriate mounts to make them work on my truck. Having already registered the boat in my name, I hope to float it for the first time this weekend.

Also last week, I pulled out an old Minolta X-700 35 millimeter camera (yes, film) that we've owned since the late eighties, and took it to a local camera shop to be reconditioned. Turns out that by the time the camera was moved through the shop, a small tear had developed in the shutter fabric… one that would only grow as used over time. Graciously, it was the shop’s decision to offer me a trade: They gave me a fully-reconditioned version of the same old camera to replace the one that had been damaged. Since I already have a number of lenses for the unit, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. So on an upcoming river trip—or as I see critters far-off in the meadow behind our house—I’ll shoot some prints in traditional 35 mm film. (This re-purposed camera will allow me to try-out a used tele-photo lens I picked up more than a year ago!)

With all of this new (or used) outfitting, I must now get more aggressive about finding time on the river, as the paddling season is fast dwindling here in Minnesota.

© 2010 Mike D. Anderson. All rights reserved.

Headlines from shorelines all over

2010-08-24T20:33:00.001-05:00

Grand concerns for the Grand Canyon
I saw a couple of reports today regarding the health and future well-being of Grand Canyon National Park. One came from USA Today (click here to read that version), and another came from Summit County Citizens Voice, a website within the affected area (click to link).

Seafood from the Gulf
In the aftermath of the biggest environmental calamity in history, fishermen and shrimpers are pulling the first harvest of seafood from the Gulf of Mexico since the BP oil spill. A story in USA Today today poses the simple question: Will it be safe for consumption? (Click here to read the USA today story.) I, for one, am among the thousands of people who hope Gulf seafood gets the green light; the people in this region have been through enough! But from the crude oil to the chemicals used to disperse the mess, there is good reason to do some testing, as well as tasting. (I hope the lesson that greater care and oversight are required in deep water drilling has been learned by everyone involved… and I hope the speedy recovery in the Gulf continues.)

Getting bigger before getting it right?
I read an article in the Wall Street Journal today about the expansion of crude oil pipelines and delivery systems for a company called Enbridge. (Click here to read the WSJ.com story.) The pipeline runs from Tioga, North Dakota or Cromer, Manitoba. The story didn’t just catch my eye because I was born and raised in North Dakota. It caught my eye because the name Enbridge sounded very familiar. While most of the world was fixated on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico this summer, Enbridge was involved in another spill catastrophe involving the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. The spill began on July 25th, according to this timeline from the Michigan Messenger. According to an AP report, the company had been warned about problems related to their pipeline network, including the line involved with the spill. (Click here to see the version of the story run by MS-NBC.)

Staying on top of water quality issues, with direct access to the EPA
I first learned about the Enbridge spill because the EPA sent me an email. Not that I’m all that important… but I had signed-up for newsletter notifications from the agency by visiting this page on their website. If you’re interested in this kind of thing, don’t take it from me. Get it directly from the Environmental Protection Agency by email. (Click here to sign up.)

Fracking is freaking some folks out
The practice of extracting natural gas from deep shale beds by using water and chemicals to fracture the rock has been getting a lot of attention, lately. The technique, known as “fracking,” is the subject of a recent HBO documentary, suggesting that the practice can compromise water supplies in adjacent lands. Fracking was also the focus of a story today in USA Today. (Click here to read the story.) Or, to see the trailer for the HBO feature film, see below.

If you have a water-quality story to share--especially of the "good news" variety--drop me an email, okay?

Mike Anderson

Our conservation efforts turn a corner

2010-08-23T23:31:00.003-05:00

If one is truly passionate about spending time on the water—whether in recreation or in various conservation efforts—there can never be enough time navigating, renewing, and being renewed by, our rivers, streams or lakes. That is certainly the case where I am concerned; over the past couple of years, a blend of personal responsibilities, workplace demands and physical challenges (the kind that come with age) have greatly reduced the time I can spend on the water. I’m still cleaning up trash and debris when I get the chance to float a river, but not in the tonnage I did a few short years ago. I’ve been thinking about that a lot. And a while back, it occurred to me that there are ways I can advance matters of stewardship more effectively in the future.

With that in mind, I’m going to adjust this blog to focus less on my direct activities with river clean-up, and use it to focus more on sharing the ideas and accomplishments of others. Whether a Boy Scout troop removing trash from a riverside road here in St. Michael, or a dam removal on the Penobscot in Maine, I’ll pass along stories I find from all over, in the hope that this site becomes an idea resource to anyone who’s inclined to improve the rivers, streams and lakes that are dear to them. In shifting to this approach, I will be allowed more time for what is next.

Footprints and Photographs
There is a classic phrase used in the conservation community to encourage the careful use of parks, trails, and waterways: “Leave only footprints, and take only pictures.” I love that quote, because it frames, concisely, such a true and simple solution to many of the problems facing our natural places and their wildlife inhabitants.

Shortly after starting the river blog back in 2007, I was hit with a couple of epiphanies. The first was that CleanUpTheRiver.com was preaching to the choir; it is a blog most likely to be read by people who are already sold on the idea of stewardship.

Another important understanding occurred to me: Conservation begins with appreciation. If someone takes the time to see and experience the outdoors, they just naturally become more inclined to protect those places.

With FootprintsAndPhotographs.com, I hope to help folks see, experience, and appreciate the outdoors. The past few years have been a great opportunity to learn a little about natural photography, which is a nice compliment to the kind of writing I like to do. By sharing some photos and narratives from the places I've had the chance to visit and absorb, perhaps I can remind people how good we have it... and foster greater appreciation for the outdoors.

I plan to remain engaged in hands-on river clean-up. But the accomplishments I’m seeing from around the U.S. (and the world) are much more impressive than my own. So it makes more sense for this blog to focus on those kinds of inspirational issues and ideas. At this writing, I have sold our pair of kayaks, and am shopping for a solo canoe that might serve as a better platform for writing and photography in the wild (Julie and I still have the tandem Old Town canoe for when she wants to ride along). And I’m taking my camera to some off-water hiking and biking trails, too.

I have a head-start on the new blog, as I began posting entries in January of this year; I did not want to make the new site known, however, as I wanted to make sure I was happy with its contents before I shared it with others. While far from perfect, some stories and pictures are ready for you now, and I invite you to stop by for a visit, at http://FootprintsAndPhotographs.com/.

© 2010 Mike D. Anderson. All rights reserved.

Introducing (and draining) Pelican Lake

2010-07-09T21:05:00.005-05:00

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A couple of weeks ago, I dropped my kayak into a body of water that has been known, for a relatively short while, as Pelican Lake. This is not the famous lake by the same name that is in the Brainerd Lakes area… nor is it the one found near Barnsville in the west central part of our state. This Pelican Lake is a small body of water about four miles west of our home in St. Michael.

I had heard about the odd origins and even more peculiar destiny of Pelican Lake from various neighbors and acquaintances since we move here last year. Rumor held that the Department of Natural Resources was threatening to partially drain the lake, and sending the water into a wetland on the edge of town (coincidentally, an area right behind our home). From there, it would trickle into the Crow River via Regal Creek.

As with any land management issue, this idea had a polarizing effect. Hunters were in favor of the plan, as the land now covered by Pelican Lake would be more fowl-friendly and bring in more ducks and geese. On the other side, fishermen were opposed to the idea, because low water would almost assuredly result in the winterkill of the bass, crappie, pike and sunfish that call the lake home.
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A couple of people had asked my position on the matter, but found myself unable to respond... as I did not have the facts that might validate an opinion. Recently, however, I had a conversation with someone who did have the facts, and learned a little more about this complex situation.

Pelican Lake was nothing more than a seasonal slough as recently as the 1960s. It would be mildly flooded by the spring melt, but sustain hay and other crops through most of the summer. Then, in the late 60s or early 70s, something changed. Nobody knows whether it was because of inappropriate ditching, maybe a shift in the way area farmers were draining their fields, or if perhaps a department of transportation project significantly altered one or more canals in the area… but for one reason or another, the spring flood did not recede as far as they once did. And over the years, what was once a slough became deeper and deeper, even drowning some farm equipment that had been stored on the lands there. Eventually, the place became a lake—literally. Pelican Lake, at this writing, has a couple of spots as deep as twelve feet, although the prevailing depths in the central areas of the lake range from five to nine feet.

That explains the origin of the lake. Now… here is its destiny, at least as I understand it.

The area is a designated waterfowl preserve, with the Litchfield Watershed Management District, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources each participating in its management. However, primary management responsibility rests with the DNR-Wildlife, and the parcel is managed for wildlife, not fish. (See details at the DNR website by clicking here.) Thus, whether the lake should be drawn down has never really been a matter for debate; the endgame was apparently known all along, so there is essentially no room or reason for debate on the matter.

As for me--for what it might be worth-- I’m in favor of seeing the land be placed in its original condition, before humans started messing with it. If that means un-doing the water table that has been artificially set, so be it (and that sounds like what they’re going to do). That is perhaps not likely to be a popular attitude, but it is mine.

© 2010 Mike D. Anderson. All rights reserved.

Debris on Pelican Lake

2010-06-21T17:32:00.003-05:00

Last evening, I had the pleasure of a kayak trip on Pelican Lake, just west of our home in St. Michael. I reclaimed perhaps 18 pounds of various trash (I cannot be completely accurate as I did not have my scale along). And I saw hundreds of pounds of additional debris that I could not reclaim from the vantage point of a kayak. There were a number of items that appeared to be one type of farm equipment or another.

Recently, I have learned these items were likely not discarded by someone as pollution. On the contrary, it is likely these items were borrowed by a spring flood -- and never returned -- as a temporary rise became a semi-permanent body of water that became known as Pelican Lake. (But I’ll offer more on that story later.)

A renewed commitment to MN Adopt-A-River

2010-06-06T20:04:00.007-05:00

In a recent email exchange with Paul and Eva at the Minnesota DNR, I continued by participation in the Adopt-A-River program. Specifically, I will maintain the two stretches of northern St. Croix River clean-up. But instead of re-filing on my stretch of Mississippi River, I have added an "at large" commitment of additional river conservation. That's because of the commitment of Tim Brown at Minneapolis Parks and Recreation to make sure work on our 9-mile section of north metro Mississippi is completed as a part of the MPRB's redevelopment effort... and because of Julie's and my relocation to St. Michael, Minnesota last year. I'll have greater access to the Crow River, the Sauk River and other creeks than I will the old section of the Ol' Miss.

Staying on top of this blog--and the next project I'd like to be working on--has been just out of reach but seldom out of mind over this past winter and spring. Work requirements have been stronger than ever in response to the recession and its' aftermath. And Julie and I have been rennovating our unfinished basement, a job that was more intense than I expected. Every moment of "free time" has gone to placing sheetrock, tile, and stone. We have suffered innumerable slivers, I have sanded-off my fingerprints while cutting stone for the fireplaced, and lifted more tonnage in home improvement supplies than anyone should be expected to carry without being employed by The Home Depot. But alas, the heavy work is done (on this, our final major home improvement project, period).

Today, I can say with confidence that anything left will wait. My rivers and wetlands are overdue, and I will now set my focus on giving them the attention they deserve.

Overdue, too, is the enjoyment and renewal I absorb from them.

© Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

From Earth Day to May Day

2010-05-01T09:07:00.004-05:00

(Or perhaps, “Mayday!”)

For people who invest their time, creativity and effort in conservation, the recent (and continuing) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is very difficult to watch. (For those who have not seen enough, I offer an Associated Press video below, which I found at the Washington Post.) The event began as a human tragedy, of course, including the loss of many human lives in a still-unexplained explosion and fire (the leading assumption is that drilling ruptured a pocket of flammable gas much earlier than anticipated). We shouldn’t forget that for many families, there will be an empty chair at the dinner table tonight. Those families deserve our prayers.

To overstate the obvious, the scope of this environmental tragedy is also immense. (Perspective is available through these Washington Post photos.)

On the high seas, “Mayday” is known the world over as a signal of distress. Until now, I have not written about the BP oil spill. But on May first, as the consequences wash ashore along the coastline of the Gulf near the mouth of the Mississippi River, May Day seemed both an appropriate time and term for it. Each of the three rivers I’ve personally focused on over the past few years are part of the Mississippi watershed. But rather than be discouraged, I think it’s a good time to realize the waterways need more help than ever.

The next time I stop for gas, I will remind myself that the price we’re paying for petroleum is far higher than its price per gallon.

The AP video is available immediately below.

© Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Happy 40th Birthday, Earth Day

2010-04-22T14:28:00.005-05:00

One of the most amazing rewards to come from the Apollo space program was, simply, perspective. For ages, humanity had looked skyward and seen distant images of the sun, moon and stars. We could not have known (until modern science intervened) how massive those objects really were.

Inversely, until distant photographs of the Earth were taken—from the perspective of Apollo 8, while in lunar orbit—few of us realized how small our little globe really was.

In the spring following our first moon landing (specifically, on April 22, 1970), Earth Day was born. A few months later, the Environmental Protection Agency was formally established. And since that first Earth Day, momentum has grown for the idea that natural resources and places must be actively protected and cared for.

Earth Day was established because the behaviors of a few can hold consequences for many. In 1970, those consequences were bad, and the few were villains. In 2010, it is my hope—no, my belief—that more and more people accept the need for behavioral change, and that the consequences will be good.

Happy 40th Birthday, Earth Day.

Joining the iLCW

2010-04-08T19:48:00.001-05:00

Recently, the demands of work have limited my chances to think about this blog. Thankfully, it is a season when little is to be done in the way of hands-on river clean-up, as most of the waterways are swollen with the runoff of the spring thaw. At best, I would be collecting thoughts from various news reports on matters of conservation, as I have done often over the winter months.

That said, I have been making slow but steady progress on a companion blog, one composed of brief pictorial and written essays about the amazing places I have been fortunate enough to visit, whether by kayak, canoe, or on foot. As a part of that project, I have been studying independently (when time allows) to improve my photography skills. By that, I don’t mean just learning how to run a camera… but thinking about how to be a good observer and student of the natural landscapes and wildlife within my reach. This process led me to an organization known as the International League of Conservation Photographers, a group which boasts some of the finest natural photojournalists on the planet. My current photo skills do not provide for participation in that elite group. (Think National Geographic, Audubon, Discovery Channel, etc.) But discovery of that organization has led me to another, somewhat related peer group: The International League of Conservation Writers.

The iLCW is a young organization, founded only this year. But its interests are parallel enough to my own that I applied to join, and was recently accepted as an associate member. Recently, my addition—along with two other writers from Canada and the United Kingdom—were announced in this brief release at the iLCW website.

I have been writing professionally, in one way or another, for somewhere north of thirty years, now. (You might not know it by my skills in grammar or punctuation, but I hope color and character are an adequate substitute for my shortfalls in English composition.) Most often, my writing has had something to do with advertising copy, media production, or more recently, research, consumer behavior, and related marketing matters. But writing is not only something I am paid to do; it is something I enjoy doing; more so over the past several years, as my life has been given the compliment of numerous outdoor experiences, and a new appreciation for the same.

You may never have heard of the International League of Conservation Writers, and perhaps you will never consider it a high-profile group. But I’m really looking forward to benefiting from—and contributing to—a group of like-minded people, who share the goal of helping others appreciate…

Life.

© 2010 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

An eyewitness account of global warming, from Will Steger

2010-03-08T20:35:00.003-06:00

I belong to a LinkedIn group that is sponsored by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment. Recently they invited Will Steger, the famed Arctic and Antarctic explorer, to share insights he has gained through four decades of travel across the world’s ice caps.

I wasn't able to attend the original presentation, but a link to the recorded version is available online. The introduction and core presentation take about 37 minutes. You’ll be glad you took the time, when you click here to see the presentation.

© 2010 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

If you're close to water, you might find some of these stories interesting

2010-03-08T20:09:00.005-06:00

If you’re ever cleaned-up a dump site, this blog will bring a smile to your face. It explains how some conservation officers in Missouri tracked-down some dumpers with a little basic detective work.

Closer to home, the amazing prospect of water shortages in the land of lakes. This story from the Minneapolis Star Tribune explains how suburbs could over-tap ground water supplies in the not-so-distant future, and force more cities to drink from the Mississippi.

A question of cost-efficiency and compliance in Minnesota’s DNR set-aside program. In another story from the Star Tribune, questions are raised with regard to the amount spent on conservation easements and whether greater monitoring is in order.

A generous contribution to a big-name river group. A catalog company called “Orvis” plans to donate up to $120,000 to American Rivers, which intends to focus on two specific rivers as benefactors of the gift.

Family compensated for devoting land to conservation. A Florida program provides aid toward private conservation efforts, but might not be enough to protect the land from development, due to property tax rates.

Some of these stories illustrate just how much money changes hands in the name of conservation, stewardship, or environmental protection. I’m not sure why it’s so expensive to say, “clean-up after yourself,” and “don’t wreck the place, other people will need it when you’re long gone.”

© 2010 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

One step forward and two steps back

2010-03-02T20:39:00.003-06:00

Forward: Vermont story update. In the middle of February, I wrote a posting that mentioned a nuclear power plant in Vermont that was leaking tritium. Since that time, the state senate has voted to not renew the plant's operating permit when its current license expires in 2012. See this update from the February 26 edition of the New York Times.

Back: The Supreme Court gives us a tough Act to follow. Also from the New York Times (2/28/10 issue) comes this storyabout how recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court have severely weakened regulators ability to enforce the Clean Water Act of 1972. (The story is part of the impressive "Toxic Waters" series from the NY Times, which I highly recommend.)

It is hard to assume this situation is anything but political; arguments center on the meaning of the word "navigable" as it relates to whether a waterway can be regulated. It has always been my understanding of the Act that "navigable waters" mean any waterway which can be navigated by any watercraft, based on that waterway's annual high-water mark. In other words, if the river, stream or connected lake can be navigated during the high waters typically associated with a spring thaw, it is protected. But now, the spirit of the law has apparently been neutered. (I guess it depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is.")

Here's hoping the legislature can bring clarity to the meaning of the law, before the courts and their interests are allowed to irreparably "muddy the water." For more about the Clean Water Act, and how it was fought for, I highly recommend a book called The Riverkeepers, as explained in an article I wrote back in December, 2008. Or, visit the EPA website by clicking here.

Perhaps all of this is further support that when it comes to conservation, many things are beyond our control; those things within our reach must be addressed.

© 2010 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

In the past month, some folks are making history (in a good way)

2010-02-19T21:48:00.000-06:00

One of the Pacific’s great waterways goes natural. I’ve been spending the off-season watching various sources for news about various conservation projects. One of the biggest—in history—might be this week’s story about the Klamath River, which is shared by Oregon and California. Interested parties have agreed to a $1.5 billion restoration project, which involves the removal of four dams, with the goal of restoring Salmon habitat. There was a lot of coverage, but I liked this story from the New York Times for its factual manner. Many of the other releases were from various groups claiming credit for the pact. The fact is, when something like this is accomplished, lots of people deserve credit. Another perspective is offered by the San Francisco Examiner.

How about an international win-win for British Columbia and Montana. The Flathead River Basin will be without mining as the future unfolds, due to an agreement between provincial, state and federal governments. This story is now probably more than a week old, but you can read more about it in this summary from Google.

Closer to home, I discovered a new site this week. Introducing the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance… a group created last year with the goal of slowing the deterioration of this amazing water body on the upper Mississippi River. (The deterioration has to do with the deposit of sediment and fertilizing agents in the lake.) Their web site is interesting, but it is also useful, loaded with the kind of information that helps people understand both the science that impact water quality, as well as the laws which are intended to prevent the erosion of that water quality. Nice to meet you, LPLA.

© 2010 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

From a natural point of view, sometimes headlines can look pretty stupid

2010-02-15T19:53:00.002-06:00

Easier to prevent than repair. Industrial pollution dumped into the Hudson River decades ago arguably led to the whole environmental movement back in the late 60’s and 70’s. Still, nearly forty years later, the mess is being worked on. But dredging to remove PCBs from the river bottom is basically causing the harmful contaminants to be re-suspended in the water; a complication which is now being used by G.E. as a reason to suspend, stop or slow the clean-up. (I’m among those who would argue to the contrary; the complexity of this clean-up stands as proof that it should not be bequeathed to future generations to deal with.) See this story from the Poughkeepsie Journal.

The previous story makes me wonder how stories like this one can possibly be happening. A power plant in Vermont is apparently leaking an isotope that is “not as serious as some other isotopes are.” They don’t know where or why the material is leaking from the plant, and they have no intention of shutting the plant down while they look. Apparently, they’re afraid that if they shut the plant down, it won’t leak anymore, so they won’t be able to find…

Oh, never mind. For one of those stories that asks “how can this possibly happen,” click here to visit the Times Argus report.

I was struck by two articles in Sunday’s Minneapolis Star Tribune. One had to do with observations about the ability of some wildlife to hide in plain sight. The other was an example of people’s ability to hide their common sense and courtesy.

The first article was about an upcoming hearing of the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District; the group will hold a hearing to discuss whether the size of docks should be regulated on the heavily populated Lake Minnetonka. The question is whether large docks are killing aquatic weeds and flora. It was not the story, so much, that was unnerving, but the comment section, where a number of readers left less-than cordial remarks. (Click here to read the story.) I shouldn’t be surprised; the comments found under many stories at that site are intended more to amuse the contributor than to add perspective to an issue. But in this case, the name-calling and rudeness cannot even be called childish, as children are generally more polite and intelligent than that.

As for me, the story simply states that the Conservation District is looking into whether they should see if aquatic life is being harmed by large or numerous docks. If there is no harm, no one should have anything to worry about. If harm is discovered, they the group is simply dispatching the care they are charged with. My limited understanding of the matter is that landowners do not own lake property in this case… just the land that is adjacent to that lake. Navigable waters and certain wetlands are under the public domain, and nobody has the right to use those lands or waters in a manner which could compromise the publicly-owned resource. Disagree if you will, but please be more civil than those who left comments at the Strib website.

So as to leave on a positive note…

Bill Marchel’s story about the natural camouflage of owls, weasels, the snowshoe hare and other regional wildlife was brief but very good read. (Click here to read the story.) Again, I’m reminded that of all the wildlife I’ve seen, the number of critters that have seen me on a trip down the river or a walk through the woods is likely far greater.

And the learning continues: Conservation news from all over

2010-02-11T21:34:00.002-06:00

Considering the possibilities of a restored river. The Mississippi River has long been close to the heart of this project. So I enjoy staying in touch with the progress being made with regard to the renewed stewardship she seems to be getting lately. Here’s a recent update from the South Washington County Bulletin. What makes this project significant is that it considers the greater watershed, including the impact of water quality in the Vermillion and Minnesota Rivers, in relation to the Mississippi River and Lake Pepin downstream. I look forward to hearing more about this project, known as the Mississippi Makeover, as it flows along.

I enjoy reading any story that shares genuine appreciation for natural resources. And this story fits the bill, as written by Ed Godfrey for the Oklahoman. He is describing the Blue River in southern Oklahoma. Enjoy.

And this story makes it worthwhile to share a second item from Oklahoma. Read this piece from Tulsa World, about a young man who fully intends to explore the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River in spite of challenges like impaired vision and extreme sensitivity to sunlight.

Eco-tourism as economic development. I came across this story in the Wall Street Journal quite some time ago… but I’m just getting around to sharing it now. It’s about some rural villages in Cambodia that have turned he environment into an industry… protecting some really cool places, and giving the region a much-needed economic boost. It’s a long story, but it is fascinating.

The Friant Dam lets it flow. I’m still intrigued by the restoration efforts on the San Joaquin River. Here’s another story from ABC30 in Fresno.

© 2010 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Notes of interest worth some of your weekend

2010-02-05T20:56:00.002-06:00

Recycling, simplified. One of the most frustrating thing about river clean-up is that, by nature, every chunk of trash in the water was utterly preventable pollution. (Especially the floatables!) That said, you’ll understand why I appreciate a website that was forwarded to me by friend Scott Bretey. The site is called “Earth911.com.” It turns the task of recycling—even hard-to-recycle items, like electronics—into a more easy, convenient task. You type in the trash you’d like to recycle, along with your zip code, and it takes you to the most convenient options. Thanks for sharing, Scott!

Some pages of Mississippi River history. I stumbled across an interesting blog entry this week, a product (and project) of the Pennsylvania Historical Society. (Click here to take a look.) It gives us an idea of how young this part of the country really is, and how crude (but effective) early methods of measuring flooding and flow really were. I shared the link with my brother Kevin earlier, who happens to live in PA, and who has recently been studying some history about railroad crossings over the great river. In a response, he wrote that he enjoyed “…the subtlety of the colors in these old lithographs. And though they are just basic landscapes, there is something romantic about them. [It] was not that long ago at all that this continent was largely unexplored and unmapped. Compared to most of the world, we are a young nation still.”
Indeed.

Another story on river and habitat management. From the Deseret News, regarding the restoration of sand bars through artificial flooding. Gosh, I have to wonder whether human intervention is the more the source of the solution… or the problem. (I’m just sayin.’) Click here for more. I appreciate the work of the USGS. But long range problems like those being experienced now on the Colorado River and it’s tributaries… are precisely the kind of thing we should be very careful about the dams, dikes, levees and developments are built in the first place. I’m not here to judge… only to suggest great care in future development decisions which could alter where a river wants to go.

Let it flow, let it flow, let it flow. I’ve been watching progress as water is again released from the Friant Dam on the San Joaquin River in California. Here’s a story from an ABC affiliate KFSN-TV in Fresno about the resumption of flows earlier this week.

If conservation starts with appreciation, some great things are starting upstream on the Crow River

2010-02-03T19:43:00.005-06:00

Since moving to St. Michael, I've met a number of new friends who are involved with the task of conservation, through a wide variety of projects. I'd like to introduce you to one of those people... and a project that has effectively connected hundreds of youth with the outdoors.

The group is called "The Crow River Trail Guards," and it was founded in 1992 by Paynesville resident Tom Koshiol.

Rather than explain this program to you, I'm going to suggest that you visit the Trail Guards website (http://www.trailguards.org/), after watching this fantastic video produced by and aired on Life to the Max:

When you consider how Mr. Koshiol has influenced so many young people to connect with their natural surroundings... you can only conclude that the impact of this project is beyond measure.

Thanks, Tom.

Ideas, Input, Idiots... and a Birdseye View

2010-01-29T19:01:00.001-06:00

Ideas: About protection on the Minnesota River. Incentives for riverside property owners that would encourage buffer zones and other conservation practices. I came across this story in the West Central Tribune out of Willmar, Minnesota.

Input: For the Minnesota Water Sustainability Framework. Everyday people are being invited to provide input about the protection and care of Minnesota’s surface and groundwater, in meetings sponsored by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, and the Water Resources Center at the University of Minnesota. There are still several meeting dates around the state; get details and take an online survey when you click here to see the project summary.

Idiots: Creating a senseless trend. As someone with a deep appreciation for wildlife, a story this week in USA Today inspired anger, sympathy and disbelief. Click here to read the piece on “Thrill Killing” of deer, elk, raccoon and other critters. Warning: The story will leave you frustrated and confused.

A birdseye view. I am late in sharing this, but came across the item in one of my "save" folders. This was a story from back in December that I found in the Press & Dakotan newspaper out of Yankton, South Dakota. It offers a great "decade at a glance" about things imacting the Missouri River. (I find stories like this helpful, as they provide a context for how short-term behaviors and decisions can have a long-term impact. This one was particularly well done, I think.)

© 2010 Michael Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Two quick thoughts before the weekend ends

2010-01-17T22:06:00.004-06:00

A story about the hidden headwaters. My brother Kevin was recently doing some research about early railroad crossings over the Mississippi River near Brainerd... when he found an interesting story online about the expedition of Captain Willard Glazier. The story is offered by a trading company representing a family that is selling one of the three canoes reportedly used in Captain Glazier’s expedition. I’m not in a position to buy such an artifact, but the story itself carried me away. Enjoy it by clicking here.

The discussion on the Red isn’t over yet. Recently, I wrote about the NY Times story on flooding in the Red River Valley. Last week, I learned of meetings intended to facilitate dialogue about flooding issues… from a story in the Grand Forks Herald (registration required).

I connected with an old friend from Bemidji this week. Bob Wagner and I met during a cleanup project on the Mississippi River (and worked together on a couple of other civic events) back in the early 90's. He's doing some VERY cool work in his woodshop, near his home on the Turtle River. Explore his talents at http://riverwooddesign.net/.

© 2010 Michael Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Cleaning or clouding the waters

2010-01-11T19:23:00.001-06:00

Fundraising is a tricky business. One that I’m glad I’m not in at this point. (As I have written before here, CleanUpTheRiver.com is neither a non-profit organization nor a for-profit business. I’m a guy with a kayak and an attitude who picks up trash, takes an inventory of river sites that need attention, and shares conservation issues on a blog.)

This past week, two different conservation groups got two different kinds of reactions from their fundraising efforts.

First, the good news. The McKnight Foundation contributed significant sums to a variety of river restoration groups. The largest benefactor was the Mississippi River, as you can see from this BizJournals story. But another group to receive money was “C.U.R.E.,” short for “Clean Up The River Environment” out of Montevideo, Minnesota. I am not a member of C.U.R.E., but I’ve followed it for a while, and they seem to be doing some good work on the Minnesota River. So, congrats, C.U.R.E.! And congratulations, too, to the McKnight Foundation, which continues to be both thoughtful and generous in their donations.

Now, the not-so-good news. Another notable conservation group got pounded pretty hard in a story from the Minneapolis Star Tribune… for allegedly over-dramatizing the extent to which straight pipe pollution is a problem on the Sunrise River in a recent fundraising newsletter. I was really sorry to see that. If it is true that the problem was over-stated, it not only harms the credibility of the authoring organization. It harms any group that requests funds in the name of their work in conservation and environmental protection.

I am reminded that, where charities are concerned… it is best to contribute not based on an organization’s ability to state a problem, but rather, on the basis of the solution they bring to that problem.

© Michael D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

A footnote about the Riverside Inn & Tavern

2010-01-11T17:45:00.007-06:00

Last year about this time, I wrote a blog posting about the Riverside Inn and Tavern, located in Woodland, Washington. The bar and grill had been owned by my Aunt Mary, who is now long gone. Someone researching the Lewis River came across that article, and was nice enough to leave a comment at the bottom.

This week, that visitor returned to the blog to leave another comment; and to let me know that the Riverside, and Aunt Mary’s home next door, had been torn down. In their place now stands Josiah’s, a new establishment that seems to already be quite popular with the locals. It’s nice to hear success has found its way back to that site along the river. I hope they really, truly enjoy it.

It was nice to get the comment and the update. It served as a reminder that none of us is bigger than Mother Nature or Father Time.

(I'm really glad I shot some pictures on that trip.)

Recent river- and conservation-related headlines

2010-01-10T20:06:00.001-06:00

North of Fargo, they’re seeing Red. This story is close to my heart because I was raised on the Red River of the North, in Drayton, North Dakota. The spring flood has become an increasingly dangerous event there, as years of ditching and development to the south have led to more aggressive spring run-offs (and even unseasonal flooding). But to make matters worse, there is now a plan to re-route the floodwater around Fargo/Moorhead... complicating the situation for folks who live downstream (north) of that city. After all, the floodwater has to go somewhere. This is a great story of cause and effect… and a great reminder that it’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature. See the story here.

Recession impacts preservation… in a good way. Lots of organizations whose tactics include the purchase real estate to preserve important places are taking advantage of depressed land prices to make their move. See this story from the New York Times.

Fish fight. The Great Lakes states are feuding over the Asian Carp issue, according to another NY Times story. Michigan and other states are imploring Illinois to close the canals that could help the fish move from the Mississippi watershed into Lake Michigan. Click here for the scoop.

Air care. I’ve written in this space, recently, that the EPA is promising stricter enforcement of the Clean Water Act. Well, it looks like they’re taking their fight to the air, too, as they move to toughen standards for air pollution. Relative because almost everything we dump into the air is ground- and water-bound. Here’s the story.

Year-end report for Adopt-a-River

2010-01-06T21:33:00.005-06:00

As a participant in Minnesota's Adopt-a-River program, I file a report with the DNR at the end of each season about the amount of trash that we've taken from the waterways we enjoy. This year, my haul was relatively small (compared to last year), which I blame on the move... and the health-related time-out I was forced to take in August and September.

Paul Nordell from the DNR responded to the report with a kind note, pointing out that there is merit in the effort; even if it has slowed, it has been steady:

Mike,

Thanks for your report. It is always good to see persistence in the task. That is the ultimate goal of the program. Persistence is what changes things. Heroic results are always nice, but they are just flashes in the pan. Before AAR and its ilk enter an area, certain trash items remain on the landscape until nature itself either dissolves it, corrodes it, grows moss over it, buries it into a geologic strata, or simply washes or blows it away. If only a few items are out there, we think it is rustic, but when it is large, newly deposited, or appearing in great abundance, the damage to the view, the wildlife and the resource in general becomes clearly irritating. Thank you for reducing the irritation on our public waters. We [the Adopt-a-River program] have now tallied just over 5.7 million pounds of trash since 1989.

For the public waters,

Paul Nordell

About the same time, Eva Johnson from the DNR sent an email, noting our progress, specifically:

"...You have now removed 1,620 lbs over the course of 13 cleanups since your formal adoption began in early 2008."

Certainly, I should be able to clear the one ton mark by late spring.

Before I bid it farewell, a photo finish to 2009

2010-01-04T15:52:00.008-06:00

Let me share a visual image of an experience I had on one hot July day last summer.

Not long after putting-in on the Crow River, near Hanover, I got hung-up in the rocks of some too-shallow rapids. Seeing any moment on the river as a privilege this year, the problem did not frustrate me. Instead of hurrying to climb out of the boat and move on, I just sat in my kayak, lodged in the rocks, and soaked-up the surroundings for a moment.

From that vantage point, I noticed a small doe, perhaps 150 to 200 yards downstream. It occurred to me that the breeze was coming from her direction, covering my scent… and the noise of the rapids was covering the sound I may have made paddling toward her. So, I dismantled my paddle and placed it in the boat… and then used my hands to “walk” the kayak out of my predicament on the rapids. Once loose, I ducked down a bit, took out my camera, and started shooting photos with one hand, while using my other hand to “rudder” toward the deer.

With this quiet approach, she allowed me to get within ten to twelve feet of her; close enough to note that she had been injured… probably by an automobile, as I could make out the grill marks on her rib cage. She did not dart away, but continued cooling herself in the river, until peaceably stepping up to the shoreline and into the woods. (Click on the photo above to enlarge, and then hit your “back” button to return.)

Having learned of a photo contest sponsored by the Joint Powers board of the Crow River Organization of Water (C.R.O.W.), I submitted the picture (along with some others)... and it won in the wildlife category. See the other winners by visiting the CrowRiver.org web site; the other categories include recreation, scenery/landscape, fishing, and unusual finds.

I’d like to salute Diane Saunder and the whole Crow River watershed organization for this really good example of conservation outreach. A simple photo contest? Perhaps. But it’s another way of getting more people to notice—and share—some great sights from a river that many people might otherwise take for granted.

Frozen, but not forgotten

2009-12-28T19:05:00.000-06:00

A visit to the rivers of Minnesota this time of year is more likely to require a pair of snowshoes than a kayak. That makes it a good time to snoop around the web for issues and ideas related to the care and conservation of waterways.

So where does all that water go? There’s a lot of talk about water shortages, lately, especially in the western states. Here’s an article from the Denver Post that illustrates how dramatically water consumption can vary from one city or region to another.

Closer to home. The voter-approved Clean Water and Legacy Amendment created funding that has been recently awarded to a number of conservation and restoration projects across Minnesota. See a brief synopsis of the projects here, provided by the Post-Bulletin in Rochester, MN.

Some tips about conservation during your holiday entertaining and beyond. I found this conversation about basic conservation at News Channel 8 in Austin, Texas. (Commercial pre-roll may be required.) Or, if you prefer reading the story instead of watching video, click here.

A dark anniversary for the TVA coal ash disaster. One year later, the Tennessee Valley Authority spill near Knoxville didn’t get a whole lot of press. But I did come across a few stories on the topic… and looking at the spill’s impact on people, communities, regulations, and the EPA. One from the West Virginia Gazette... and another from the Associated Press.

Making it look easy. On more than a couple occasions, I’ve written here about the complexity of restoring a river… especially when the project is big enough to impact much of California. But here’s a great little web site that explains the San Joaquin River Restoration process, including a photo tour.

© 2009 Mike Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

More clippings from the web on matters of conservation

2009-12-19T14:53:00.001-06:00

Undoing what’s been done can come with challenges. I’ve been following the story about restoring flows to the San Joaquin River in California. This story from the Fresno Bee newspaper explains why simply “refilling the river” isn’t enough. The water table has been left to dry for years… meaning underground reservoirs must also be restored before the river can be completely revitalized.

If you’re a fan of nature, you’re probably a fan on Ansel Adams. So you’ll probably like this story I came across from The Bulletin, in Philadelphia.

EPA vows more rigid enforcement of the Clean Water Act. The Act, created in 1972, is useless without compliance. So I was delighted to hear that its rules—and reasons—are being revisited. To learn more, see this story from the New York Times (10.15.09). For a primer on the Clean Water Act, click here.

A by-product of free trade. Must commentary has been offered about the manufacturing jobs that have been exported to Mexico since the 1990s. But building all kinds of new factories comes with a cost: it has also placed heavy stress on Mexico’s natural resources. See this story from Arizona Central about the man-made reservoirs that are swallowing-up many small towns and other lands across the Mexican landscape.

Closer to home…

Have you heard of “Project Conserve?” This article from Star News shares insights from a family that is participating—and learning—about how to reduce, re-use and recycle in a number of new ways. Best regards to the Harvey family for setting a great example for all of us… from their home in Elk River, Minnesota.

Something fishy is going on again. Earlier this month, I wrote about the evolving Asian Carp problem; the non-native species have been introduced to fresh water sources in the U.S., and now threaten the Great Lakes. Well, down in Florida, they’ve been dealing with a similar issue… except that the non-native species is a variety of Piranha. See this story from the Palm Beach Post, or see the video immediately below.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Interesting headlines from around the web

2009-12-05T16:22:00.003-06:00

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Officials in Dakota and Scott counties in Minnesota are trying to unify in the protection of the Vermillion River just south of the Twin Cities. As someone who often operates alone on the water, I can tell you that there is strength is numbers, so this is nice to see. And you can see more in this story from the Pioneer Press.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is targeting farm run-off into the Mississippi River. There are 41 problem watersheds up and down the river, from its headwaters to New Orleans. Read more about it in this story from the Associated Press.

A very cool site worth sharing: The River Alliance of Wisconsin. Just thought you might appreciate a peek at this grass-roots organization: Click here to visit.

The Asian Carp issue has gone from special interest to mainstream news story. And it shows what can happen when man messes with the ecosystem. Click here to see the USA Today story about about how this predator-free fish now threatens the Great Lakes. Or, see this video from the USA Today story:

Getting back into the flow

2009-12-02T16:24:00.001-06:00

It seems like forever since I was granted the time to write a bit about the river and my time on it. Indeed, it has been a month and a half since my last posting (10.15.09). I would apologize, but most readers stop here only once in a great while, or casually happen across my blog when browsing for a related topic; the person most deprived by my lack of attention to this writing is myself. There is no doubt that I take more from this experience than anyone who visits.

The year has thrown many obstacles our way this year. Lately, there have been two culprits. My spare time—what there is of it—has been consumed by the renovation of our lower level; we were going to start with just my office, but expanded the project to include a family room. But mostly, it seems like work has been particularly intense. In my line of work, as with so many other people, the economy placed additional demands on my supply of time and energy.

But I’ve denied myself enough writing time. Work does not own me 24 hours a day, and if home improvement leaves me no time to indulge in the river, then it’s not really improving much. So the break is over. There has never been a lack of time spent thinking or reflecting on this topic that I favor. But now, too, I re-commit to preserving more time to capture more of those thoughts in word… and to getting the companion blog I’ve thought about ready by the end of this year.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Water, and passion, will always find their place

2009-10-15T20:53:00.004-05:00

I enjoy spending time on the water. I mean, I really enjoy riding the current of the river, soaking-up all of the scenery, wildlife and serenity that tend to be found along the shoreline. The whole idea of restoration—conservation and removing debris from the river—simply helps me justify the amount of time that I try to spend on the water.

It never seems like enough time. But this year, my river miles were even fewer because of the muscle problems and surgery that stood in the way. And going forward, the odds are good that my physical work on the river will be a little less aggressive, long term. That doesn’t mean I won’t be picking up debris and continuing my geo-trashing work. It just means I probably won’t be lugging appliances, construction debris or safes up the riverbank anytime soon.

That’s why I spent a good part of September reflecting on the emails I had received about our project in recent months (see the posts below). And it’s why I’ve been thinking about ways I can make good use of this blog, beyond reporting on my personal activities. For starters, I’m going to start reporting more on the activities of others… and sharing news about river issues, restoration projects and conservation groups that are at work all over the country, and all over North America. I’m going to use the web to gather relevant stories, and I’ll post quick access to those stories here.

Now… what of the passion I have for the scenery, wildlife and serenity of the river and woods? Well, I have an idea for that, too: I’m going to do what I can to hone my writing skills and photography techniques… in an effort to capture and share some of the sights I have seen and places I have been. You see, it occurred to me that anyone who finds their way to CleanUpTheRiver.com is already rather passionate about the topic of river stewardship; any story I post here, advocating conservancy, is pretty much “preaching to the choir.”

I have realized that conservation begins with appreciation. Someone who hunts, fishes, hikes, climbs, paddles or camps does not need to be told how valuable our natural resources are; they have been there, and seen that. Thus, if I can encourage more people to visit the shoreline, walk the trail, or notice the forest… matters of conservation will come naturally to those people. Those people, and the places they visit, will be enriched.

CleanUpTheRiver.com will remain a blog focused on matters of river restoration and clean-up. But watch for a new "companion site," coming soon, which will ask people to notice and appreciate... places. And with that appreciation, perhaps natural conservation will follow.

Like water, passion finds a way to reach its destination. And one of mine is waiting just outside.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Not by air, not by land, and certainly not by river or sea.

2009-10-13T19:19:00.001-05:00

Most of my interest in river conservation and restoration has to do with what I can physically see, reach, and remove… or at least inventory so the debris can be removed later. However, there is a story in today’s New York Times which reminds me of those things I cannot see.

The article focuses on a coal plant in Masontown, Pennsylvania. But a correlating side-bar offered by the NY Times shows that what’s happening in that community could be happening somewhere close to yours. According to the story, it seems that in their quest to reduce air pollution, the plant was using water to “scrub” the emissions, but then releasing the contaminated water into a local river.

Just so we’re clear, I don’t consider myself anything near an activist, and I certainly have nothing against the coal industry. I believe our future must be fueled by a wide variety of energy solutions, including solar, wind, wave, bio-fuels… and yes, hopefully, even clean coal (if we can eventually get that figured out). But I point this article out to you as a reminder that, apparently, not everyone is abiding to the rules set forth by the Clean Water Act.

Sometimes, citizens need to be vocal about these matters. After all, the driving idea behind the Clean Water Act is that the few and powerful should not profit… by damaging or destroying a water resource that belongs to all. Moving pollution from the air to the water is not an upgrade.

© 2009 Michael Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Sometimes, it is the thought that counts

2009-10-11T20:12:00.004-05:00

On September 19, the St. Michael/Albertville River Team (aka, S.M.A.R.T.), hit the shorelines for their annual clean-up. This being our first year living in St. Michael, I would love to have been involved. But because it was less than a month after surgery—I wasn’t cleared for kayaking yet—I was not in a position, physically, to join in. Further, that was the weekend before our youngest son was going to leave for basic and specialty training for the National Guard… so there were important going-away festivities which took priority for me.

Since moving to St. Michael, I’ve been fortunate to make the acquaintance of long-time Crow River steward, Curt Oien. We met through our mutual acquaintance, Paul Nordell, who oversees the Adopt-a-River program for the Minnesota DNR. Curt and I have had several e-mail conversations, plus a few phone calls, and on one occasion were able to spend a half-day paddling on the Crow River.

Curt knew that I had wanted to get involved with the fall clean-up. But he also knew the circumstances which would prevent my being there.

Last week, I got in touch with Curt to see if he could get together and review some photos that I had taken over the summer, on my four different excursions down the Crow River. (I’m thinking about entering a photo contest sponsored by the Crow River Watershed District, and wanted his input on which pictures I should use.)

When I arrived, Curt presented me with a t-shirt from the fall clean-up. He said, “When they were handing-out the t-shirts, I claimed a couple extras, as there were two people that I knew had been involved with clean-ups on the Crow River this summer, but who could not be there for the fall project.” I was delighted to have the shirt… and glad that he realized how badly I wanted to be there.

You meet the coolest people on the river.

A word about true service to others

2009-09-10T21:01:00.008-05:00

I've one more letter I would like to share, this one arriving shortly after our project received a Heroes of Conservation award from Field & Stream magazine. That short article led a guy by the name of Justin to discover our site, our project, and our passion. It is a passion he shares, according to his letter:

Mike,

I just wanted to let you know that what you are doing is great.Probably more important than the trash you remove yourself is theattention you are bringing to the cause.

As an avid fisherman I canappreciate the work you are putting into your area. Incidentally I havehad the privilege of fishing on the St. Croix once myself, it's where Icaught my one and only sturgeon.

Something my dad taught me at a young age was too always take more trashthan you bring. Every fishing trip I take ends in a walk up and downthe bank to remove whatever I see. Unfortunately my clean-up effortsare restricted to places my feet can take me, but I think things arelooking a little cleaner here in the waterways in and around Fort Riley, Kansas.

Keep up the good work, I'm sure you know that your efforts areappreciated and enjoyed by many!

SSG Justin Tryggestad
Currently serving in the U.S. Army

Of course, a note like this would be gratifying at anytime, from anyone. But Julie and I appreciated this especially, because Justin is currently serving all of us.

We're particularly sensitive to that, because this weekend, we are having a going-away party for our youngest son, Zachary, who will depart for basic training next week... with the Minnesota Army National Guard.

As parents, we are both nervous about his departure and very proud of his decision. Zach, as he explains it, is "...looking forward to being a part of something that is bigger than himself." In other words, his sign-up is the pursuit of service.

I wrote back to Mr. Tryggestad shortly after receiving his note, and let him know of our son's pending adventure. He replied by saying, "Tell your son, welcome to the team!"

So, to Justin Tryggestad: We loved the letter, Justin. It is nice of you to acknowledge our project, even as it is so small, in comparison to the sacrifice and service you and people like you are offering to all of us. Thank you.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

More than a social network; a socially responsible network!

2009-09-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

Recently, I've received a couple of fantastic notes from river advocates (see the letter from Brian Finstad immediately below). Another example of an ideal outcome came together because of Shannon in St. Paul. She dropped a note to me back in July, with a simple request:

Hi Mike!

I came across your website through googling river clean-up projects in the Twin Cities. I enjoyed reading your site and appreciate the work that you are doing to educate people on cleaning-up and caring for our waterways. I would like to organize a river clean up in the St. Paul area and wondered if you had any ideas for me. I'm coordinating this event for a church in the Grand Ave area... We expect 30-50 people to volunteer for this event. The date we were hoping to do this is 9/12/09. We have access to a large truck and a trailer. Any ideas would be welcome!

I look forward to hearing back from you!

Shannon

Shannon's request specified a part of the south-metro watershed that I am less than familiar with. But thankfully, I knew that the Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) are more than familiar with the area... so I introduced Shannon, via email, to a few folks at FMR. Turns out that she recognized a couple of those names... and followed-up on that suggestion. And today, Shannon was kind enough to send me a follow-up note today... letting me know that her group had arranged a clean-up expedition to the Vermillion River watershed, with the help of those folks at FMR.

I find it comforting that so many groups in Minnesota are concerned about and working for the protection of so many waterways. When I didn't have the information that someone like Shannon was looking for, it's nice to know that someone at FMR, or the DNR, or Minnesota Waters, or C.R.O.W., or the St. Croix River Association... among all those authentic river stewards, someone will have the answers!

The letters you love to get

2009-09-09T21:35:00.002-05:00

There are a number of reasons that I enjoy writing this little blog about river restoration. First, it helps me organize my thoughts... and leave a trail of bread crumbs over the path we've come. But no less important is the fact that people stumble across this blog from time to time, and either contribute or take away ideas... or simply share memories about how they've enjoyed the outdoors, or why river stewardship is important to them. Here's an example, which I received not long ago from Brian Finstad of Minneapolis:

Dear Mike,

I discovered your blog doing some Google searches to find out more about the Mississippi in Minneapolis. I have lived in Minneapolis four years now, and it seems that Minneapolis has a love affair with its water, but usually the focus is on the lakes. Although I love rivers, for some reason, I have had very little "connection" with the Mississippi in MPLS until this year. I myself grew up in Gordon, Wisconsin near the headwaters of the St. Croix. In my early memories, I remember my father pointing at the river in front of our house and telling me that water went "ALLLL THE WAY TO THE MISSISSIPPI" which in a child's mind was a place very distant and exotic. (LOL!)
Since I moved to MPLS, about once a year I would walk the Stone Arch Bridge. Then I spent an afternoon transfixed on the river from the Endless Bridge at the Guthrie. That made me "read up" on the fascinating history of St. Anthony Falls. From that point the river came more and more into my consciousness and I began to explore. Lakes are pretty, but rivers have movement and have more ties with history and travel - the imagination. Next I started walking up the river past the Post Office, under the Hennepin Bridge, and along the Rice Parkway. All very beautiful.
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised that there was so much nice area along the river front - but what I love more than anything is an underdog. I love the idea of taking something that is completely neglected, forgotten, or broken down, and turning it into something wonderful. What really excited me was when I discovered the area of river above Plymouth Avenue. Beautiful views of downtown. Some good stuff obviously happening there, but yet still an "undiscovered" treasure. I figured there must have been some planning process in place for the recent improvements that have taken place there. Some "Googling" brought me to the "Above the Falls" Master Plan. I fell in love. Transforming the neglected, abused, industrial river front somehow just sparks my imagination. And providing North Minneapolis, as equally neglected and abused as the River, with a water front to embrace, recreate, and enjoy. I think of the population that lives in a very short radius of this stretch of river and think of all of the human capacity to build a momentum behind this plan. And yet, it feels as if the "Above the Falls" plan, and that part of the river in general, is just for some reason outside of the consciousness of most Minneapolitans.
I know I am making a short story long, but other Google searches led me to read about your clean-up of this stretch of the river. I just wanted to thank you for being a force of good for this stretch of the Mississippi. It has captured my heart and I hope to make a regular practice of doing some clean up there myself. I took my nephew there tonight for a starter. Thank you for inspiring me!

Sincerely,

Brian Finstad
Minneapolis

Editor's note: I am reminded that conservation begins with appreciation. Those with an emotional or recreational attachment to a waterway... are the most likely to be her caretaker. Thanks for the kind words, Brian.

Mike

Good news from the good doctor

2009-09-09T21:20:00.003-05:00

Two weeks and two days after surgery, I've been cleared for a few upcoming work-related travel assignments. And I've been told that I can get back into a kayak within the next two to three weeks (on the condition that I get help putting it on or taking it off the roof of the truck).

Sounds like my days of personally dragging safes, air conditioners or appliances out of the water are over. But that just means I'll have to refine the "recruitment" part of our GeoTrashing strategy. And it's a nice consolation that I'll be back on the water--and back to basic cleanups--within a few weeks. (Hopefully, before the cold weather sets in.)

Life is good.

Mike

Debris as artifact

2009-09-08T21:33:00.006-05:00

Back in the middle of June, I took my first kayak run down the Crow River near St. Michael. By that time, I had engaged in an email exchange with a gentleman by the name of Curt Oien, who has many spent years, paddled many miles, and conducted many clean-ups on the Crow over the last seven years or so.

My run was quite simple, putting in near Berning’s Mill bridge, and paddling against the current until I made it a mile or two upstream.

Among the few debris items I found that day: A fragment from a pottery crock. This is the only piece of the crock I found… but it holds the number “2,” meaning that it held two gallons of either butter, lard, or other commodity. And beneath the numeral, the partial stamp of a red wing, indicating that it came from the Red Wing pottery company in Red Wing, Minnesota. (I found the photo of a full-sized Red Wing butter crock on e-Bay. You can enlarge either photo by simply clicking on the picture.)

Obviously, the fragment is worth nothing. But a Red Wing crock like this--if intact--can fetch hundreds of dollars to collectors. The Red Wing pottery company was a big business in the early years of Minnesota, and its products have avid fans to this day... my wife among them. (There is even a Red Wing Collector's Society.)

The crock chip supported Curt’s assertion that much of the debris in the Crow River was put there by early settlers and farmers… who often discarded items there, knowing the river would magically wash it all away. This was, of course, long before any environmental movement had taken hold, so there was no malicious intent to the practice. The earth was young, wide-open, and self-renewing, from their perspective. Resources were to be used… and it was better to place trash in the river that pollute the precious fields and farm land they had worked so hard to clear of trees. Again… all of this was more a reflection of environmental ignorance than apathy.

The find was a reminder that generations—indeed, ages—have lived and died along the banks of our waterways, drinking from the water, hunting among the wildlife that did the same, using the waterways for irrigation and agriculture... and disposing in the river those items that were no longer useful. Consider the full length of the north fork, south fork, and confluent Crow River... or the mighty Mississippi she spills into. From the headwaters at Itasca, to the Gulf of Mexico, how many cities, towns, farms and settlements have burdened the rivers with their debris during the period we would call, civilization?

The Saint Croix Six (plus one)

2009-09-06T20:41:00.012-05:00

Here's the crew Alyssa assembled for a Labor Day weekend trash sweep on the St. Croix River. From left to right in the back row: Guy, Karen, Aaron, Alyssa, Amelia, and Jason. (Photos by Alyssa: Click on any picture to enlarge it.)

Front row: Bishop the beagle.

I admired the ingenuity of the group... like Guy, who brought along wire hangers to snag soda cans that were just out-of-reach.

In the end, the group gathered soda cans, water bottles, two diapers, a flip-flop, and other miscellaneous trash. But along the way, they were treated to some fun, some beautiful scenery, and some campfire memories at the end of their voyage. (Including the way Bishop hijacked Aaron's canoe chair.)

I enjoyed the idea that a group of young folks set-out to keep a clean-up going when I had to step out of our planned event last weekend. I hope they enjoy the memories of their day on the river... as much as I enjoy mine.

Mike

My theory was great, even if my execution (and lack of patience) was flawed

2009-09-06T17:15:00.003-05:00

Two years ago now, I was putting the finishing touches on an approach to river cleaning that we now call “Geo-Trashing.” It’s a simple process: Since I could not carry heavy debris out of the river via kayak, I would capture digital photos of the debris, along with their GPS waypoint location, and create an inventory of large “trash targets” that need to be removed from the river (most specifically, the Mississippi River). After nearly two years of work, I was able to create a strong inventory of the dumped objects along a 9.7-mile stretch of the Mississippi.

The good news: Timothy Brown from the Minneapolis Parks and Rec department built our maps into a riverside re-development project, which could help remove those targets over the next three to five years. (Mission accomplished!)

The bad news: Patience is not my virtue. The idea behind Geo-Trashing is that, “If I couldn’t lift it, I would at least create a list of what needs to be removed, and then hope to recruit teams or community groups who could remove the debris.” That’s a great theory… but tired of waiting for those groups to appear and get involved, I started removing the junk myself. And that’s one significant reason (although there are others) that the tear in my stomach muscles went from simply “annoying,” to requiring surgical repair. In fact, I can think back to a single instance where things began to deteriorate: When I was attempting roll one of the emptied “safes” we had found up a rather steep riverbank/spillway. (I shot video of that project… and you can see what went wrong at about 2:45 into this clip.) At one point, the safe started to roll back on me… and it was all downhill after that.

I have a post-op appointment this week, in which I’ll hear about what I can or cannot do for the rest of this season. My surgery was on 8/24, and my goal was to be on a plane within a week (for work), on a stage within three weeks (again, for work), and on a kayak within four to five weeks. But I’ll only do that last one if it’s “Dr. approved.”

Geo-Trashing remains a great approach to helping solve water pollution, especially for those of us who are getting older, and would still like to make a contribution to the cause, even if we can’t be the ones to do the heavy-lifting. The practice could become even more relevant to me in the coming seasons, if I learn my physical abilities will be limited in any way, for risk of recurrence. But I’ll have to work on my discipline. Once you know where junk has been dumped in a waterway, it’s hard to not just jump into the process of getting it out of there. I should not be surprised that Mother Nature decided to intervene, teach me this lesson about self-discipline, and re-acquaint me with my limitations.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Today, my thoughts (and my daughter) are on the St. Croix

2009-09-05T10:32:00.003-05:00

For two years now, I’ve had great ambitions to create a larger-scale clean-up of the St. Croix River… that would be called “The Dash for Trash.” The original idea was to start small, with a group of committed river stewards, who would clean about an 18-miles stretch of the St. Croix River, starting at Interstate State Park near Taylors Falls, Minnesota, and flowing south to William O’Brien State Park. After we've studied the route and measured the effort and resources required, we would recruit a larger team... with perhaps dozens of people and canoes. However, last year this project became a casualty of the challenge and loss faced by our family, and this year, I had to call it off because I would be physically unable to do it.

Well, my daughter called last week with a suggestion. Alyssa, all along, has been one of the biggest fans of the Dash for Trash idea (she loves anything that sounds like a festival)! She had been speaking with a few of her friends and co-workers, and announced that they would like to go ahead with a St. Croix River clean-up, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. (The photo here is of Alyssa on the Mississippi; click on it to enlarge the photo.)

I got in touch with Amy Frischmon at Wild Mountain/Taylors Falls Canoe Rental, to see if she’d be interested in outfitting the group. (Amy had offered to be an outfitter for the original “Dash for Trash” idea.) She said she’d be pleased to provide the shuttle service, canoes, paddles and PFDs the group would need. Amy, I can’t thank you enough for your help. As I’ve said before, it is clear that you don’t just make your living in the beautiful St. Croix River Valley… you give life back to it, too.

So, today, my daughter is on the St. Croix River, soaking-up some sunshine and picking-up some trash. I’d really like to be along, paddling right there with them. But if that’s not in the cards, it’s really nice to see my daughter and her friends working on the water… and keeping it well.

Our Pungo kayaks return to their source, eager to find their next adventure

2009-09-04T22:11:00.000-05:00

Back in early August, when it was clear that my season of river work would end early, I decided that it would be prudent to turn-in the pair of kayaks that were on loan to us from Joe’s Sporting Goods in St. Paul. For those not familiar with this relationship, Joe Rauscher is the gentleman who got in touch with us back in early 2008… when KARE 11 first aired a story about our project. He also submitted our project to the publishers of Field & Stream, which led to our selection as Heroes of Conservation, as explained in the July, 2009 issue of their magazine.

Joe wanted to help us in our river clean-up work, and provided us with two “Wilderness Systems” kayaks (14-foot Pungo’s, to be precise). He recommended these particular kayaks for two very specific reasons. When I was working on the Mississippi, I would often find myself working with or against the current, near bridge trusses, spillways, piers or a wide variety barely-submerged hazards. The Pungos offered good primary stability (they didn’t tip easily side-to-side), their size offered additional stability (and great “trash” cargo space), and they skimmed across of the water very well, making them useful even in the shallows where most garbage was beached.

As much as I loved this great pair of kayaks, it made little sense to retain these boats when it was clear my next significant clean-ups would not happen until at least 2010. So I packed the two kayaks up and delivered them back to Joe’s. Certainly, it won’t be my last trip to the store! I’ve already purchased one other kayak from Joe’s Sporting Goods (and open-bow Mad River kayak/canoe hybrid), as well as the racks that hold my boats to the roof of my Xterra.

Every time I’ve been in touch with Joe or one of his staff, I’ve been rewarded with encouragement for our project (and some great tips that have helped me avoid mistakes in the field). I thought one more thank-you would be appropriate here. Joe, I appreciate everything you’ve done and continue to do to help keep our rivers, parks, trails, and other natural resources protected… for all of us to enjoy.

A really nice day on the river

2009-08-27T20:14:00.005-05:00

It was Sunday, August 23, 2009… and I finally got a chance to take another good, honest trip down the Crow River. So many things were important to me about this trip, and I will share them here, in no particular order of significance.

The trip was important because I knew the next day I would be undergoing surgery. Nothing life-threatening, by any means… but muscle repairs that have kept me off the water most of this year, and which threaten to keep me away for the balance of the season. It would be only my fourth trip of the summer, and potentially my last. My wife, Julie, has been a careful nurse the past several weeks, making sure I don’t “over-do it,” and limiting my trips. It is for my own good, I know, and I also realize how hard it has been for her to play the role of police… because she knows how much I enjoy my time on the water, and hates to be the person that suggests I should stay away from it. "But today, I will go for the two- to three-hour trip I’ve been waiting weeks for."

This voyage was significant, too, because the day marked one year since we lost my dad, W. Eugene Anderson. The river remains a good place for us to have a private talk. Dad was a Navy man. Anytime I am near the water, I feel near him.

I noted the depth of the Crow. After voluminous rains moved through our area recently, the height of the water had swallowed-up boulders and logs that were obstacles during my last trip down the river. Places where I was made to walk my kayak before—because the shallows were not enough to float it—are now up to two or three feet deep… offering only a riffle of evidence that they still lurk beneath the surface.

All of those logs were perches, before, where turtles would sun themselves, or where herons and dragonflies could land. Very few rocks are available now… and any logs that still offer an exposed surface are crowded with painted turtles or large soft-shells. There is significant competition for any reachable, dry real estate.

The depth of the water added to the weight of the river, and the natural pull of gravity made it lunge toward the Mississippi even faster than usual. So in a way, I was cheated from the three hours I had hoped to spend on the water; the velocity reduced the length of my trip to only two hours. My memory had to work quickly, gathering mental pictures that would have to endure, perhaps, until next season.

When it has been a long time since your last trip down the river, or when you know it could be a long time before your next, one tends to look at the waterway with a different lens. On this day I took few pictures… partly because not much wildlife was visible, and partly because my eyes were soaking everything up, leaving little time to focus on the camera.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

I no longer have surgery in my future

2009-08-27T13:52:00.004-05:00

My apologies for letting this site go virtually dormant for most of July & August. But the surgery I was hoping to delay until delay until November would not wait; the surgeon to whom I was referred strongly suggested “the sooner the better,” and I was into an operating room by last Monday.

At risk of boring the reader, the muscle damage was greater than expected. The final diagnosis was something like "complete, direct, bilateral inguinal hernia" (tears in the muscle that makes up the lower abdominal wall). The "bilateral" part means that the injuries were on both the left and right sides of my abdomen, essentially requiring two different surgeries… and I elected to have both done at the same time. As a bonus, the surgeon also found significant damage to the muscles that compose the abdominal floor. In fact, when everything was over, he referred to those muscles as “obliterated” during three separate conversations. (I did not realize that "obliterated" was a medical term!)

So, a simple repair turned into a major reconstruction, and I am thankful for the work done by both my surgeon and primary physician. What could have been a same-day surgery turned into a brief hospital stay. By today (Thursday), I’m feeling a lot better than Monday and Tuesday, but still moving very slow, and benefiting from various pain relievers.

My reason for sharing these details is not to be gross or to elicit sympathy. On the contrary, these developments could likely result in a significant change to the way I pursue conservancy in the future, and I would hope that my experience might also inspire a small but important change in the way anyone else executes trash removal and river restoration. (Hint: Team lift and know your limits!)

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

A shortened season

2009-08-06T21:39:00.005-05:00

No matter how passionate you are about a personal project, there are times when it simply has to be set aside so one can focus on more urgent or important things. For example, our relocation this year consumed a lot of “free time” in April, May, and early June. Or, consider the recession; the economy has magnified and accelerated the needs of the company I work for and the clients we serve. It has been really busy. Complain? I think not! Lots of people would love to have that problem right now... I do not take my employment for granted in any way. The point is, sometimes, we must do what we need to do, before we can do what we want to do. So, while I’ve been blessed with a few wonderful river and wetland expeditions this year, I haven’t gotten out on the water as much as I would have liked to.

Now, there is one more such task I must complete, before I can get to the next river clean-up. As I have long suspected, it seems I have a rather nasty tear in a couple of muscles; something I have apparently aggravated recently. This week, I have learned the issue will require some surgical repairs. (Not life threatening, by a long shot… but not exactly fun, either.) Until those repairs have healed, I’m not supposed to lift anything “strenuous.” Translation: No more river clean-ups for Mike this season.

Now I know what an athlete must feel like when they’re told they’re out for the season. (Although I’m certainly no athlete… and they get paid a lot more for playing games than I do for cleaning up river trash!) To say the least, it’s frustrating.

But let’s make lemonade from lemons, shall we? Since I’ve been anticipating this for a while, I’ve been thinking about a “non-strenuous” way of contributing to the whole idea of conservation.

I’ll share that idea with you here, soon.

Mike

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Is July already gone?

2009-07-31T22:03:00.002-05:00

How fast the month of July seemed to scream by. Sandwiched between the hectic pace of work, and the insatiable demands of having recently moved, there are the things I would like to do.

The good news is that the river did not escape me amidst the demands of the month. I was able to get that voyage in with Curt Oien, and another pair of river getaways. The outcome of those trips is a good bounty of garbage removed from the Crow River... along with a collection of photos from the river that I greatly look forward to sharing.

But one of the casualties of the pace July offered... is that I had little time for writing or blogging. Between work-related projects and travel, something had to give, and it was writing. I won't apologize... as I have taken good notes (and pictures) that will allow me to share the experiences later.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

New places, new faces, and a river with a fan club

2009-07-08T21:49:00.007-05:00

When we moved to the Saint Michael area, Paul Nordell at the Minnesota DNR introduced me to a couple of folks, via email, that he described as avid stewards of the north fork of the Crow River. One of those folks is a gentleman by the name of Curt Oien. In a short exchange of emails, Curt provided me with a bounty of information and history about the Crow. He reflected, with a well-deserved sense of pride, about the numerous clean-ups he has seen and participated in over the past six years. But he also cited a number of different organizations throughout the watershed that have made the Crow River the benefactor of their sweat and effort.

According to Curt, the Saint Michael Area River Team (SMART) has been an amazingly effective group. The team has arranged for specific sites on both sides of the river to stack garbage before it is hauled away… and they enjoy great co-operation from landowners along the Crow. They get help from the City of Saint Michael and the Three Rivers Park District... in hauling away the trash that is collected.

The river also benefits each year from help the National Honor Society and the Environmental Science Teachers at the STMA High School. The Boy Scouts and Cub scouts have been there from the beginning, in addition to many other members of the community. During the cleanup, some of the younger Cub Scouts even mark storm drains to remind people not to dump anything that doesn't belong there. (As I've written before, every storm drain and every roadside ditch is a tributary that eventually leads to a river.) The Thomas Family was involved with cleaning the river long before anyone else in the area was doing it. The past few years, their neighbors have followed their fine example.

But it doesn't stop there. Upstream, the Hanover Area River Team has been staging clean-ups for seven or eight years. And last but not least, Curt mentioned the tremendous effort of Diane Sander, the coordinator for the Crow River Watershed District (http://crowriver.org/). (Diane was the other advocate I was told about by Paul Nordell at the DNR.)

Wow, the Crow River is obviously treasured by her neighbors. And Mr. Oien must certainly be among its’ most passionate stewards.

Curt and I have not yet met in-person, but we have arranged to take a river run this Saturday. We’ll repeat the brief voyage I took last weekend. I told him of the well liner and canoe remains that I’d like to retrieve (see the story below), and between his canoe and my kayak, he thinks we can grab them both. I’m confident we’ll either succeed, or figure out a plan that will.

© 2009 Mike Anderson, Saint Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

My first recon trip on the Crow River

2009-07-07T21:26:00.009-05:00

On the 4th of July, I had a chance to take my first meaningful trip down the Crow River. (I had been to the Crow once before, but paddled upstream only a mile or two, and then drifted back. It was more of an upper-body workout than a kayak trip.)

Saturday was a beautiful day, weather-wise, with a light overcast sky to protect me from a very intense sun. I put in at Riverside County Park at Hanover, Minnesota, and took out near Berning’s Mill, just east of Saint Michael. “As the crow flies,” the route is only 2.6 miles, but when following the dramatic and scenic contours of the Crow, the route is closer to 5.1 river miles.

I’ll share some really nice wildlife scenes shortly (that’s what made this trip so much fun). And as “people who know the river” led me to expect, there was surprisingly little trash or debris. Only two items justified recording their location by GPS.

One of the objects seemed to be some kind of culvert or sump well liner; made of black vinyl and way too big to toss onto my kayak. The photo to the left is deceiving; it is actually about three feet in diameter, and probably more than four or five feet in length.

The other item, I think, is what's left of a sectioned plastic canoe that probably failed to survive one of the several light rapids near here. If it is a canoe (and I’m only guessing that’s what it is), it is only the center section; the gunnels are missing, as well as the fore and aft sections of the craft. But knowing I would have to return for the well liner, I decided to save this item for my return trip, too. If weather permits next weekend, I’ll bring along my portable reciprocating saw, and take both objects out in sections. (As always, click on any photo to enlarge.)

If you are visiting for the first time...

2009-06-18T21:05:00.000-05:00

Welcome. Between coverage we’ve received recently from Minnesota Waters, Minnesota Trails or Field and Stream magazine, it occurs to me that a good number of folks might be visiting this site for the first time. So let me catch you up.

CleanUpTheRiver.com is neither a non-profit organization, nor a for-profit enterprise. It is simply a blog, which we use to share what we’ve learned and experienced... as my wife and I develop some new ideas for river restoration and conservation. We like to share our photos (click on any image to enlarge it). And we like to share our simple premise: Anyone, on any given day, has the power to improve a place.

Geo-trashing is one example of an idea we've developed. When we adopted our third river segment--this one on the Mississippi--we found a much different pollution problem that the light trash we were used to on our two stretches of the scenic St. Croix River. There were tires, barrels, construction debris, appliances… things that you cannot lift and carry away on a kayak. So we started collecting digital photos and GPS waypoints of where these items had been discarded, with the idea that we could return with the appropriate tools to collect the trash later. So, it's something like geo-caching, except the treasure we're hunting for is trash. (A recent KARE 11 TV news story explained geo-trashing well. Click here to watch it.)

But that’s just one example of what we’re learning. We’ve also learned how to create GPS maps of trash targets, sorted by debris type, and how to convert them into “ARC-compliant” maps (the kind used by many government agencies). Now, some of our trash maps are actually being used to guide one park district’s conservation effort in a series of riverside re-development projects. We’ve learned how jurisdictions work—and sometimes how they do not—between cities, counties, state and federal agencies. And we’ve learned how dumping and pollution are often crimes of convenience and opportunity. (With nowhere else to put them without getting caught, crooks love to toss emptied safes in the river. We’ve found ten safes, so far). And we’ve learned a little bit about how to clean this junk up.

There is no revenue model for our project, and we do not solicit donations. We absorb our modest expenses out-of-pocket… and have to save-up for new equipment the same way anyone else would.

The web has been an economical tool, and we’re trying to use it as it was intended to be used: To share ideas. If you’d like to get in touch, just drop me an email. If you have knowledge about or experience in matters of conservation… please share it! And if you have a question, please feel free to ask it. Perhaps you’ll take an idea from this site that helps you make an impact in your community... or maybe you'll share an idea that makes us more productive.

So again, thanks for stopping in. And enjoy.

Mike

Well, since you put it that way...

2009-06-16T16:14:00.016-05:00

An old friend called today, to comment on the several articles that have been published about our project recently. "Perhaps the trash you've taken from the river is less significant... than the awareness you have brought to it."

His remark made me stop & think. Good friends do that; it is one of the reasons they're good friends.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Here's an example of "before and after"

2009-06-16T14:52:00.008-05:00

Having recently moved into a new neighborhood, I’ve met a couple of new friends in the St. Michael area that wanted an example of what a Geo-Trashing map looks like. So I'll share a pair.
Our most successful project last year came from part of the north metro Mississippi River, on the west bank, which is largely under the jurisdiction of the Three Rivers Park District. They had only acquired the property recently, so there was still a lot of junk sitting in or near the river, waiting to be removed. I took several kayak trips down that stretch of river, and created an inventory map that looked something like this. (Click on the map below to enlarge.)

View Pre Clean-up Mississippi Targets 7-20-08 in a larger map
Note that this is a simple Google Map. We can provide versions in a variety of languages, including MapPoint (compatible with Garmin GPS devices), Google Earth, and even ARC-compliant language (the preference of most government agencies, architects and engineers). Each of the flags (or “waypoints) on this map represents a large trash item or debris field… and each of these sites has a corresponding photo. So the trash hunter knows what they’re looking for, as well as where they’ll find it.

But here’s the good news. After re-visiting this area of the Three Rivers Park District last fall, here’s what the map look like now:

View Post Clean-up Mississippi 9-20-08 in a larger map

Most of what was on that map was moved into a utility trailer, and disposed of properly. (The trailer load you see here weighed roughly 885 pounds, and all but one piece of trash—a wooden door frame—was to a scrap iron dealer and has since been recycled.) The one flag that remains on this map represents a water heater or LP tank I could not lift out of the muck on my own. (But here's a video of the stuff I could lift!)

You know, most of our clean-up work involves paddling along in a kayak, grabbing plastic beverage bottles, beer cans, bait containers or other light trash. But it’s the use of technology to inventory and then recover the big stuff that seems to get all the attention. So let me just offer this one simple reminder: Anyone with a trash bag and an old pair of tennis shoes can conduct a clean-up in a park, on a trail, or on a riverbank. Anyone, on any given day, has the power to improve a place.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Ahhh... so this chapter has a happy ending after all

2009-06-15T21:31:00.005-05:00

This winter and spring, I spent quite a little time researching some potential equipment upgrades. There are a couple of Nikon and Sony digital cameras out there which are capable of recording GPS waypoint information directly to the digital photo file at the instant a photo is taken. A Digital SLR camera would be ideal for this use, but they are very, very expensive. On the other hand, National Camera sells a Nikon compact that is GPS-enabled for right around $500. Another option is something called a Jobo GPS Tagger, which I think might connect to my current camera, and log the corresponding latitude and longitude as each shot is taken. I have more homework to do on that one, though.

I was excited about this idea. Right now, the process of Geo-Trashing can be rather cumbersome and time-consuming. When you find the debris field or dumped item, you must first snap a digital photo, then hunt-and-peck on the handheld GPS to create and label a waypoint, one letter at a time. Then, back at the office, you have to make sure you’re mating the right GPS waypoints to the corresponding photo. With a GPS-enabled camera, all of this would become a much faster one- or two-step process. If it works they way I’m thinking, I could cover many more river miles, and record more trash targets, all in less time.

But then, the break-in at our home happened. That basically nixed the new camera idea, forcing us to think about replacing original equipment and paying deductibles… instead of making the upgrades I had hoped for. As I’ve stated before, we are neither a non-profit organization nor a for-profit business; aside from the kayaks on loan to us from Joe's Sporting Goods, everything we do with this project is out-of-pocket.

But here’s the happy ending to this chapter of our story. The Heroes of Conservation recognition we’ll receive from Field and Stream next month comes with a $1,000 grant, courtesy of the program’s sponsor, Toyota. While perhaps not one of the fancier D-SLR models (they run two-thousand dollars or so), that puts a GPS-enabled camera back within our reach. (We can get started with the cheaper, compact version... and if it works well, I’ll save up for the more sophisticated D-SLR camera.) I think testing this equipment in the field is a wise use of the Heroes of Conservation grant money.

This summer, my goal is to hit some new, unfamiliar waterways, beyond our adopted segments of the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers. A quicker way of recording and merging GPS waypoints and digital photos would make those trips much more productive.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

A friend maps our way to Field and Stream

2009-06-15T16:37:00.013-05:00

Back in April, I received a phone call from a gentleman by the name of Tom McCafferty, a conservation writer for Field and Stream magazine. He informed me that I had been nominated for what the magazine calls their “Heroes of Conservation” program; the nomination had come from our good friend Joe Rauscher at Joe's Sporting Goods. Joe was at a trade show earlier this year, and came across the Field and Stream booth promoting the Heroes of Conservation program.

Early in the call, Tom started a line of questioning that turned into a full a half-hour telephone interview. He asked for sample maps, photographs and other materials… so I gave him a quick tour of our blog and suggested a few online videos he might benefit from seeing. Tom called again in early May, to let me know that upon further review by the editorial staff, I had indeed been selected, and would be included in their Heroes of Conservation section in the July 2009 issue of Field and Stream.

This recognition has important ramifications for our humble little project… but more on that later. For now, I would simply like to thank Joe Rauscher for the time and thought required to submit our project nomination. CleanUpTheRiver.com certainly has a friend in Joe’s Sporting Goods. Not a financial sponsorship, but a relationship that is even more valued and important: Informed advice, and authentic friendship. Everytime we hit the river, we feel like Joe's team is with us. Thanks, Joe. And thanks to Tom McCafferty and the editors of Field and Stream, as well as your national sponsor for this program, Toyota. I think this is a great thing you're doing... and I appreciate it.

Click here to see a scanned advance copy of the Hero’s of Conservation write-up that I received by email today.

Pesky, but perfect

2009-06-14T22:22:00.001-05:00

It is easy to become annoyed by the cottonwood seeds this time of year. They fly into your eyes and face, and they stick to everything that is wet… whether that’s a sweaty face and neck, or a yak that’s being pulled from the water. The fluffy specs turn into a scum that gets particularly thick in eddies where the current slows. Look closer at those side ponds, and you’ll see the helicopter seeds of ash, maple and box elder, as well as floating chestnuts, pine cones, and the seed pods of American elm.

As annoying as the cottonwood seeds can be, they are taking the current for an important ride. After the breeze drops them into the river, the river carries them to a place where they can wash ashore and take root.

One cannot curse the cottonwood seeds, and then celebrate the thick tree stands that border the river. They are mutually dependent.

Rivers and rewards

2009-06-14T21:32:00.011-05:00

As I had hoped, I got out on the kayak today. But instead of heading out to Pelican Lake, as I had originally planned, I made way for the Crow River just east of Saint Michael. I didn’t go far. I put in at the landing where Nabor Road crosses the river. Without an up-to-date GPS, I went the safe way… paddling upstream about two miles, and then letting myself drift back. (A bad experience on the St. Croix River taught me to not drift down on the first leg and then paddle back upstream on the second leg. Always good to know you’re spending fuel on the way out, and then gliding on the way back!)

It was a lot of work heading against the current today. I was a bit surprised by the strength of the Crow’s current. But I was rewarded significantly. Today, I saw my first otter. I’ve been wanting to see one for a long time… but I’ve been zipped until today. They are curious creatures; the little critter was as enamored with me as I with he. He’d peak from the shoreline, then scurry into the grass and run downstream to take another look, as if to see whether I could keep up with him. I was able to keep pace, but I didn't successfully get a shot of him with my camera. (Some animals simply do not stop to pose for human popperatzi.)

As if I needed it, I got a second reward a few yards further down the river. I had seen an egret on the way up the river down the second bend. So, I lifted my paddle to drift with the current on the way back down, thinking I could get much closer to the big bird on my way back, using the element of surprise. My plan worked. I was able to study the huge crane as he fished from his perch on a log. (As always, click on any photo to enlarge it. Then, hit your "Back" button to return to this spot.)

Finally, as I got a little too close, he took flight… screeching at me for invading his territory. I was amazed by the loudness of his call… and delighted to snap a second shot of the huge bird as he became airborne. It was cool enough that I turned around and paddled back upstream to get a second look, where he had come to rest on a sand bar upstream. It was worth the effort… this breed of fowl is an amazing bird to study.

You can see these creatures in a zoo. But so much better, it is, to see them in freedom of their element.

Getting aquainted with some new waterways

2009-06-11T22:05:00.000-05:00

Returning home from a travel assignment this week, I was pleased to see that FedEx had delivered the two GPS devices we had ordered to replace those stolen during the break-in back in April. The timing is perfect! Tonight, I will program the new GPS units with updated maps. With rain in the forecast for tomorrow, I’ll use the day to build a kayak storage system in my garage (we cannot store them outside in the neighborhood we live in, so I’m designing a system that will help me hang them from the ceiling of the garage with pulleys). But Sunday, I’m eager to explore one of the two new bodies of water that we now live near. One of those streams is the Crow River, which I’m told is a perfect paddling river.

But there is another spot I’d like to explore. Having driven a few times around the west side of Saint Michael, I thought I had come across a series of broad sloughs and wetlands. But looking more closely at a map of the area, I have learned that they are really the coves and inlets of a larger body, known as Pelican Lake. There are two reasons that kayaking the lake is appealing to me. First, it is not attractive to big boats and jet skis (a new neighbor tells me that it’s about ten feet at its deepest point). But second, it is somewhat secluded, and in many places not far from various roadways; I will almost certainly discover that it is the victim of dumping. We’re not talking about litter, here, but things like appliances, tires, etc. Dumping large objects is largely a crime of opportunity and convenience; when proximity to a bridge or roadway makes dumping easy, and unlikely that the dumping will be seen by passers-by, that’s where you’ll find junk in the water.)

In any regard, it will be fun to navigate a new waterway… and I’m looking forward to getting acquainted.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

One day, dozens of people, pounds and pounds of progress

2009-06-11T21:16:00.001-05:00

I had two work-related road trips scheduled for this week, so I could not participate. But it was so cool to again see headlines about the annual Mississippi River paddleboat clean-up event sponsored by the DNR! Paul Nordell and his team consistently bring a bounty of volunteers together for this event, and get an impressive amount accomplished in a single day.

If you haven’t seen the story yet, enjoy it here as it appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. By the way... one of the comments a Strib reader had on the story was that the writer should have included information about how others can get involved. Let me offer one suggestion: Visit the Adopt-a-River web site! It offers some easy and enjoyable guidance.

Paul was a key figure in getting me interested in river conservation way back in 1993 and 1994. As passionate as he is about protecting natural resources, it does not surprise me that he continues to inspire countless others.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

What a wonder the river is

2009-06-01T21:17:00.000-05:00

This evening, I again read this passage worth sharing.

“For the first time, it occurred to me this afternoon what a piece of wonder a river is. A huge volume of matter ceaselessly rolling through the fields and meadows of this substantial earth—making haste from high places, past the stable dwellings of men and Egyptian pyramids—to its restless reservoir. One would think that, by a very natural impulse, the dwellers upon the headwaters of the Mississippi and Amazon would follow in the trail of their waters to see the end of the matter.”

Henry David Thoreau, from his Journal #1, page 55 (September 5, 1838).

Mike

A new sense of order, just in time for summer

2009-05-31T21:38:00.000-05:00

As I sit down to write this Sunday evening, the last of May, I’m looking forward to time of more order and focus. The past few weeks (months, really), we’ve lived amid chaos. There has been a hectic travel schedule for work, the break-in, and the “living out of cardboard boxes” that comes with any move.

My work schedule remains intense, but I’ll not complain. (I know there are many, many people who long to have a job, especially one as rewarding and stimulating as mine is.) But on the home front, the majority of our things have found a place in our new home (thanks to Julie). And another significant point of stability: Tonight, I write on a laptop which replaces one that was stolen back in mid-April.

I’ve spent some time “training-in” this machine, loading it with files, photos and maps that were on various back-up disks. (I was able to recover most—but not all—of our work.) It is strange how my old laptop became the intellectual epicenter of this project… the place we blogged from, the place we stored dozens of maps, hundreds of GPS waypoints, and thousands of digital photos. This experience has been a testiment to the importance of backing-up your machine(s)… and store at least one back-up in a different location than your machinery. (In this case, we were fortunate to have both disk and hard-drive back-ups… as one of the back-up drives was also taken!)

Yet to be replaced… a couple of GPS devices that were also taken. (The challenge of this process is in finding units which are as identical to the stolen devices as possible, as called for in our insurance policy.) I’m hoping to get my hands on the GPS gear this week… and resume my on-water work. I have some big plans for summer, now that the turmoil of the move is behind us. More on that soon.

© 2009 Mike Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

We're pleased to be found in MN Trails

2009-05-28T21:42:00.004-05:00

Our project has received nice coverage from a wide variety of publications, blogs and broadcasters. (See the top right-hand navigation bar for examples.) Most recently, our efforts have been covered by Paula Wojcik, a writer for MN Trails magazine.

Months ago, Paula called me to begin researching her story. I must tell you that, while it is the job of any journalist to be a dispassionate reporter of observed events and activities… she wanted to let us share the deeper story of river restoration. As she asked questions about our pollution recovery efforts, I implored her to also share the positive side: That she should write about the beauty, as well as the beast. (I asked her to show at least one or two photos of a pristine stream, wildlife and backwaters, as well as the trash we have seen. People need to see the payoff for responsible conservation efforts!)

Paula did just that, by sharing a few of our photos and through the pictures created by her words. That is something Julie and I very much appreciate… and we thank Paula and her editors for sharing the goods news as well as the trash talk!

If you'd like to see the story, click on this link to download a re-print (three pages, 10 MB). Or of course, you can pick up a copy of the Summer 2009 issue of MN Trails magazine at any Minnesota State Parks or Explore Minnesota tourism facility. You can also grab a copy at any sponsor location (to see who their sponsors are, just visit the MN Trails web site).

Paula, thank you. If people saw only the trash we have seen, and if they only heard about the bad stuff, they would become discouraged. But allowed to share the beauty of the St. Croix River Valley, the Mississippi, and other waterways…

It helps all of us realize why this is such a great place to experience life.

© 2009 Mike Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

With our relocation, a move to new waters

2009-05-26T14:33:00.004-05:00

As nice as it would have been to find a place that was actually on the river, our new home in St. Michael comes with a different kind of access.

If I were to live on a specific shoreline, I can imagine myself staying close to that one body of water. For example, even though our Crystal home was five miles or so from the Mississippi, that became the river I most frequently explored. There are many other waterways waiting to be explored nearby, but human nature often drives us to the familiar, rather than the undiscovered.

From our new residence, I’m still less than ten miles from the Mississippi, but much farther upstream. I could choose from entry points at St. Cloud, Monticello, Otsego or Elk River. But we are also close to the Crow River… a quite paddle-able tributary which joins the Mississippi at Dayton. We are within driving range to a number of other streams, including the Elk and Sauk rivers. And of course, we will return to (and continue to maintain) our adopted stretches of the northern St. Croix River… as regularly as time allows.

Our home is situated in the extreme southwest corner of town. In fact, you look at the town from our front window, but at the country from our rear window. The patio door literally opens to a unique grass and wetland. There is a small country highway about a half-mile to our south… and a set of power lines perhaps a half mile to our west. But aside from that, there is little but grass, short brush, and a few ponds. So far, we’ve seen blackbirds, yellow finches, a pheasant, geese, ducks, and a muskrat. With these kinds of critters so plentiful, fox and perhaps even coyote cannot be far behind. Surprisingly, I have not yet seen deer, but I am confident we will.

Three or four miles to our west/northwest, on a casual drive, we discovered a different kind of water that I intend to spend some time on. It is a slough… just small enough to remain nameless, uninhabited as far as powerboats and jet skis are concerned. But big enough to paddle, and inhabited by pelicans, egrets and beaver (and much more, I am sure; these are just what we saw from the road). Millions of people explore popular lakes here in Minnesota, and thousands more traverse its well-known rivers. But few will see these less traveled waterways… which makes them all the more inviting.

Anyway, there is much exploring to be done, now that we have a new home base. Instead of lamenting that I could not own a specific stretch of waterfront, perhaps I should be pleased that I am not confined by one.

© 2009 Mike Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

Change of address

2009-05-26T12:07:00.005-05:00

I hope regular visitors to this site will forgive the time since my last posting, but much has been going on. First, there was been the challenge of losing several tools we use in writing and maintaining this blog (I’ve written about the break-in and burglary). Then, there has been a frantic few weeks of travel related to work (it has calmed down of late). But on top of it all, there has been the matter of relocation.

Months ago, Julie and I decided to speculate a bit in the real estate market. Our goals were simple; perhaps our house would fetch a reasonable sum due to its rather central location in the city. If so, we would be in a position to upgrade a bit, buying a newer/nicer home a little further out. As it turns out, we were right. After a stressful several months (the current economy has made buying and selling real estate a very interesting proposition), we have moved to St. Michael, Minnesota.

We sold our house in February, accepting the deferred closing our buyers had requested. We closed on the sale of one house and the purchase of another just this past Friday, and moved in to our new digs on Saturday.

In addition to getting out of the city, one of my hopes was that our new home would be on the river. In my wildest dreams, we’d have found a place on the St. Croix… but we scratched that plan early on, as land on that national treasure is far too expensive for our blood. So, I tried everything in my power to find something on the Mississippi, the Crow, or the Elk River. But economics and timing worked together to prevent that dream from coming true. So, I’ll have to be satisfied with the roof rack that secures the kayak to my truck, and the camping set-up Julie and I invested in a few years ago.

When it comes to our modest little camper, I like to tell people we own a lake home… it just didn’t come with a lake. But enjoying the bounty of state parks and camp sites in this part of the country is one way of living close to the lake or river… one weekend at a time.

This week, I have taken some time off from work to settle-in after the move, and catch up on our river work.

© 2009 Mike Anderson, St. Michael, MN. All rights reserved.

A look at the MPRB map to cleaner waters

2009-05-10T21:58:00.003-05:00

As I reported last March, I’ve spoken with Tim Brown at Minneapolis Parks and Recreation about the restoration of shorelines within Minneapolis parks in the north metro area. As the story explained, we’ve taken an extensive inventory of the trash and debris that sits in this part of the Mississippi River, including photos and GPS waypoints of where those items are sitting. (Click here for a glimpse, or see the thumbnail below.) Tim suggested that if we could provide him with ARC-compliant versions of our GPS target maps, he would attempt to involve contractors in clean-ups as they re-develop park lands.

Well, here is a look at what those maps look like. Note: These are graphically rich documents which are as large as 12.8 MB. If you’re on dial-up, it might take a while.

Overview map.
Lowery to Boom Island map.
North Mississippi Park map.
N Mississippi to St. Anthony Park map.

As seen here, the maps look not much more robust that an image from Google Earth. But to Tim and his team, the .gis and .gpx versions of these files can be “layered” to include only the information sought by its’ user. So, if a contractor wants to drill-down on just a certain type of debris, they can do that.

I just thought you might like to see what this project, and the progress, looks like. Our more complete (but less complex) Google Maps version of the inventory list is shown here.

View Combined Mississippi Trash Targets 3-1-09 in a larger map

Reflections

2009-04-26T22:19:00.000-05:00

There are certain times in life when one is prone to reflection. We are bound to reflect when we pass one of life’s benchmarks, whether that milestone is a major anniversary, important promotion, or significant birthday. We might reflect when facing a particular challenge; an illness, a job loss or other trauma to our way of life.

Or, we might reflect when given the blessing of a moment; a chance to simply stop, see, and hear. The opportunity to look at life in a way... that life looks back.

For quite some time, now, I have intended to gather and organize a group of photos I’ve taken from the St. Croix River Valley, each having something to do with "reflection." We've taken other nice shots since beginning this project, but the pictures in this group share this one common attribute: Their intensity is doubled because the because skyward beauty is reflected in the foreground glass of water.

I’ll say nothing further, and invite you to click through the set of images for yourself. I’m confident the real views of the river will write a better essay than any words I could offer on the matter. (Click on the image below to enlarge, and then select "slide show" when Picasa opens.)

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson. All rights reserved.

Counting the blessings

2009-04-26T22:03:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I am thinking about how lucky we were. The greatest fortune, of course, was that nobody was home last week when thieves broke into our home... but that’s not where the blessings stopped. This weekend, we worked on an inventory of items not stolen during the break-in.

Don’t get me wrong… the intruders were clearly after personal electronics, and they got plenty. We lost GPS devices and laptops, TVs and more. But not taken: A store of back-up disks which held copies of most of the photos and inventory maps we have gathered. And almost everything that was not on those disks was in an email exchange somewhere, and thus, retrievable from “the cloud.” Also not taken (and now stored in a more secure location), the cameras.

The materials I built for our Earth Day visit at Nokomis are gone… but can be rebuilt. As much as this experience stinks, it could have been much worse.

I have not overlooked the irony of our experience on the metro Mississippi… which, a couple of weeks ago led us to discover yet another safe. It had been dropped in the parking lot at North Mississippi Park (Three Rivers Park District, near the interchange of I-94 and 694. That brings to ten the number of safes and/or lockboxes we’ve seen dumped in or near the river. When we tell folks about the safes, they are amazed… and the first reaction is often, “Why would someone dump a safe in the river?” By now, the answer to that question is obvious to me: “Because they’d get busted if they dropped it in the recycling bin and rolled it to the end of their driveway!” Perhaps the greater question is: Why was the safe stolen in the first place?

Anger might compel the question: What convinces a person that it is their right to take what they have not earned, and deprive a person or business from what they have earned?

But on the other hand, compassion might inspire the question: What circumstances drove these poor souls to believe that theft was their best or only choice? Certainly, they must want for better options in life. I hope those options are granted, recognized, and taken.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson. All rights reserved.

Still, I will have all I need

2009-04-24T20:54:00.012-05:00

I am sad to report that our river project—indeed, our overall sense of security—suffered a setback this week.

Before it even started, I knew this would be an intense five days. I traveled to Indiana Monday/Tuesday for a job-related speaking engagement. Tuesday evening, I would fly home, only to leave the next morning for another assignment in Canada Wednesday through Friday. But on the first leg of my trip—while waiting for a connection in Chicago on Monday morning—my wife called me in tears. She had been running some errands, and returned to discover that our home had been broken into.

It is not easy to be apart when something like this happens. Not for my wife. And not for me.

On a typical Monday morning, I would have been home working in my office (would my presence have made the intruders choose another house?). Receiving her phone call while miles from home, I could only think of how thankful I was that my wife and son were away when the break-in occurred. The stolen and damaged items should, for the most part, be covered by insurance (we’re in good hands). But two things cannot be protected by a simple insurance policy. One is our sense of sovereignty; it has gone missing and is not likely to be replaced anytime soon.

The other item missing, that I know of, is a laptop… containing numerous photographs and digital maps that are the result of countless hours of work. Yes, much of that material is backed up. But some of it was recent, and irreplaceable. (I finished a new presentation about our project last Saturday morning, in time for our Earth Day celebrations, and had not yet backed that material up.) Whoever stole that computer took much more than a machine. They took plans. They took images of what needs to be done. And they took our record of things already accomplished.

I am writing this posting while flying home from Vancouver, Canada, late on Friday afternoon; there will be little time for writing when I land. I am eager to get home and see my wife. And I am eager to inventory my office for items lost (much of the equipment I use is foreign to Julie, so counting the loss must wait until I get home). Until now, I have tried to “compartmentalize” the events of the week, focusing on the work assignments that kept me from home, and checking in with Jul when I can. But now that I’m homeward bound, I’m eager to see the faces of my family. I am wondering about cameras, lenses, GPS devices, back-up hard drives, and whatever else. I’ve no idea how much of our gear is missing… and less idea of when I’ll be able to replace it all.

I feel both angry and cheated that this happened. But most of all, I feel thankful that my wife and kids were not home at the time. As for the work I have lost, I suppose I’ll just have to use this loss as an excuse to revisit the river, and recapture those photos. Hmmm. That reminds me of a really good song lyric, about a couple who lost everything when their cabin burned down:

After the blaze turned our cabin down to ashes… where we had slept warm, now the sky lets in the rain. I found the strings, the frets and rusted latches.
But I will never hear that old guitar again.

Now these four walls are only in my memory… now these stone steps lead to nothing in the air. So one last look, and then I’m headed for the river…
To wash my hands, and try to say this prayer:

Let us dive into the water, and leave behind all that we’ve worked for, except what we remember and believe. And as I stand on the farthest shore... I will have all I need.

[Lyrics from “Farthest Shore,” David Wilcox.]

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN. All rights reserved.

An encore on KARE 11

2009-04-18T22:24:00.006-05:00

Earlier this week, I was contacted by a producer at KARE 11 TV; she wanted to let me know that to kick-off their Earth Day-related coverage this week, the station wanted to re-broadcast the story they had produced about our project last year (the story was shot on May 16 & 17, 2008).

The producer asked if I could provide any update about our project. The inquiry made me reflect on the past year... and everything we have learned. About generosity, as demonstrated by people like Joe Rauscher, who offered to outfit our project with kayaks on behalf of his company, Joe's Sporting Goods. That a blog is a great way to meeting people of like mind; we have been contacted by people from as far as Oregon, Virginia, Massechusetts and even New Brunswick... people who are as passionate as we about the restoration of rivers and shorelines. And closer to home, we've learned from friends like the FMR, and Minnesota Waters.

We have learned that people like Tim Brown from the MPRB are prepared to commit energy to a problem, once that problem has been well defined. And that nature has a friend in Paul Nordell, the Adopt-a-River coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. He doesn't do this because it's his job. It is his job because it is his passion.

KARE 11 broadcast an "encore" of the story about our project in tonight's 6:30 telecast. [Click on here to see the story at KARE 11. It is available as both text and video.] It's nice to know the story--and our project--still has merit. The only of our updates that were added to the story had to do with the clean-up we conducted on International Coastal Cleanup day last fall. Had the producer included all of the people we tried to thank for their assistance and impact, I'm sure the story would have been too long for a newscast.

If you are among those folks who've helped us learn or inspired us along the way, thanks.

© Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN. All rights reserved.

A wonderful (pre-Earth) day at Nokomis

2009-04-18T21:56:00.003-05:00

Today, I had the opportunity to participate in Earth Day festivities a little ahead of schedule (the official Earth Day is April 22nd). I appreciated that fact, since work obligations will keep me from doing anything on Wednesday. This morning, an impressive group of citizens converged for a clean-up of the Lake Nokomis, Hiawatha, and Minnehaha areas.

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Karen Solas from Friends of the Mississippi River had invited me to talk with people about the things we see in the river--good and bad--and the measures we're taking to help clean them when we can. I brought along a laptop and projector so folks could see, for themselves, the state of the waterways, through the lens of my camera. I was able to share maps of the debris fields we have catalogued, and demonstrate some of the equipment we use in this process called geo-trashing.

Among the most interested onlookers: A handful of Girl Scount troops and Cub Scout packs who couldn't believe what we had found and recovered. Their curiosity was fantastic, and their will to be a part of the solution was terribly admirable.

This morning, I set out to make a positive impression on people with regard to matters of stewardship. Indeed, those young people were the ones to make an impression on me.

© Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN. All rights reserved.

Eagle family, you are mine

2009-04-12T11:19:00.007-05:00

Over the past two seasons I have enjoyed viewing the home of a pair of Bald Eagles along the St. Croix River. Their nest could only be described as majestic… resting high in a Jack Pine, composed of sturdy branches and stretching perhaps six to eight feet wide. (These dimensions are “my best guess,” from the vantage point of my kayak, floating perhaps 60 to 80 feet below.) For those of you who paddle, the sight is revealed about 15 minutes downstream from Thayer’s Landing, on the Wisconsin side of the river.

Consistent with our goal of focusing not only on pollution, but also sharing some of the beauty we’ve seen on our voyages… I have attempted to both film and photograph this breathtaking sight. The efforts have met with mixed results. As you can see in the photo to the right, I’ve captured the creatures, but in a lighting and color combination that almost camouflages the mating pair. (Note: Click on the photo to enlarge, and look closely; you’ll see two Bald Eagles on a branch about four feet above the nest.) This commitment to sharing the beauty, as well as the beast, becomes even more important now that the St. Croix has been stamped with the “endangered” label. People should not assume this gorgeous river is a lost cause… because that is absolutely not the case. The St. Croix River remains one of America’s great treasures.

A while back, Julie gave me the gift of a Nikon digital SLR, which is the camera I’ve used to capture most of my river scenes. I added a modest zoom lens, but that still didn’t have the power to climb the Jack Pine. I’ve long wanted to get my hands on a 300-milimeter lens, but the Nikon version of it runs nearly $600… a sum that has been a little out of reach. (I have to be careful about spending money on this project, as there is no revenue model for what we’re doing!) But yesterday, we stopped at a Ritz camera store that was having a going out of business sale… and I was able to get a knock-off brand for less than $150. I jumped on the deal, and added a polarizing filter which should provide more contrast between the eagles, their tree, and the clouds or sky behind.

Perhaps I’ll discover some reason that this lens is sub-standard in some way, and regret the purchase. But perhaps not! (If you’re a photography whiz and have used a Quantaray-brand lens, drop me an email and let me know of your experience!) But from our kitchen window, I can focus on individual pine cones high in the tree at the back of our lot. I think it will work.
Eagle family, this year you are mine.

To review some of the scenes we’ve enjoyed on the St. Croix River, enjoy the video below.

A crossroads for the St. Croix

2009-04-07T20:03:00.007-05:00

This morning, my daughter sent me the first of many links I received today about the endangered rivers designation placed on our beloved St. Croix River. She had heard the story on CNN, and then read the details online. (As always, click on any image to enlarge the photo.)

Essentially citing careless land development, American Rivers president Rebecca Wodder said in her statement that, “This river is a national treasure but it is in danger of dying a death from a thousand cuts. Poorly planned development is slowly killing the very qualities that make the Lower St. Croix so special.” Note that the group has pointed specifically to the lower St. Croix as being in danger. I can only claim true familiarity with portions of the upper St. Croix, from just above Danbury, Wisconsin, to near Marine on St. Croix, north of Stillwater. (There is more power boat traffic on the lower segment of the river, which makes kayaking less enjoyable, in my opinion. That's not a problem... just a preference.)

I have a great suggestion: More people should experience the upper St. Croix River. If they could drift from Danbury to St. Croix State Park in a kayak, or paddle a canoe from the rapids of Taylors Falls to the serenity of William O’Brien State Park…

People would realize why a river like the St. Croix should be preserved for generations none of us will ever even meet.

Again, I’m not going to drone on about this announcement; it has already received plenty of media coverage. (In case you have not read it, the specific “endangered” status is proclaimed by the American Rivers organization, you can read it by clicking here.)

What I will say is that the St. Croix is in harm’s way. But that could be said of almost any river in America. The unwitting error of the endangered rivers list is that it implies only ten rivers are in trouble. (Click here to see the complete list.) The fact is, every waterway needs and deserves care, stewardship and repair. And every person is capable of rendering that aid.

Again worth stating: Anyone, on any given day, has the power to improve a place.

Waiting for some heros

2009-04-05T10:23:00.007-05:00

In this morning's Minneapolis Star Tribune, there is an anxiety-filled story forewarning the designation of the St. Croix River as "an endangered waterway."

The St. Croix River is home to two of our adopted river sements; in the far north, a 9.6 mile stretch which begins at Thayer's Landing, and closer to home a 3.7 mile backwater which begins just south of the Osceola bridge.

Hearing that a waterway is "endangered" is much like receiving a harsh diagnosis on a trip to the doctor. It is, at once, terrible and delightful. Nobody wants to learn they are ill, but neither does one benefit from continued ignorance; a diagnosis enables treatment that can lead to wellness. Ignorance, on the other hand, can be fatal.

The endangered designations, scheduled for release Tuesday, are published by a group known as American Rivers. Their designation of the Mississippi as an endangered waterway back in the early 90's is one of the things that brought river distress to my attention in the first place.

One of the things that concerns me about this story is the reader commentary that follows. Too many people are quick to place blame, or cast the story as the work of "this group" or "that." That's too bad. Because the St. Croix will not benefit from finding fault or placing blame. It needs us to focus on solutions. And do something.

To read the Star Tribune story, click here.

© Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN. All rights reserved.

A revealing thought

2009-04-02T19:44:00.011-05:00

The past few evenings, I’ve spent some time reflecting on the experiences that have come my way as a result of this project. First and foremost, I’ve enjoyed some beautiful places over the past few years. And a little pride in keeping them that way. But just as important, this experience has taught me a little more than I knew before... about a wide range of topics.

One of the things I’ve discovered—I think—is that the advancement of environmental issues should be less a matter of revolution, and more a matter of revelation. Issues of stewardship or conservation cannot be imposed on a people simply by piling guilt on the public conscience. Environmentalism is seen by many as an extremist element, thanks to the sign-bearing, slogan-shouting, bullhorn-wielding protestor that makes his way onto the nightly news. Chaining oneself to a tree might help the activist conjure up some attention, but it might not be the best way to unify people or get them focused on a solution. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

The more effective method, at least in my opinion, is in helping people discover the need for stewardship on their own. And the first step in that direction is revealing just how spectacular their lands, lakes, and rivers can be.

A while back, I had the chance to testify at a Senate committee hearing about an environmental issue. Before, during, and after that experience, I caught myself wishing I could take these two-dozen-or-so legislators, stuff them into canoes, and have them join me for a trip down the St. Croix River... or spend a couple hours on the Mississippi. I wished they could see, first-hand, the pollution they had the power to prevent and the great places they had the power to protect. Seeing these sites—appreciating the stakes—is the most compelling argument in favor of responsible behavior.

Since this project—and this blog—began, we’ve tried to share both the beauty and the beast; the great places we’ve been blessed with, as well as the pollution and practices that might bring them harm. I am reminded again that one of our most important accomplishments is to bring back pictures and stories of these gorgeous lands and waterways… so that others might enjoy them through us, and be inspired to get out there for themselves!

Like I said, I’ve learned a lot since starting this project…about blogging, photography, politics, education, public policy, journalism, pollution, persuasion, cause & effect, motivation and satisfaction. But of all the things I’ve learned to do, one of the more important tasks has been to become a messenger. I must continue and refine that practice. To notice and articulate for others, in human voice, the prose of nature they have not yet heard.

This summer, I must gather more of those great stories. And I should try grab some more pictures.

© Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN. All rights reserved.

Why not?

2009-04-02T19:00:00.010-05:00

Henry David Thoreau was, among other things, one of America’s very first naturalists. He was also somewhat of an activist; he introduced the world to the concept of “Civil Disobedience” through his essay of the same title.

Thoreau once spent a night in jail for failing to pay a poll tax. It wasn’t that he forgot to pay the sum; he was making a statement against government policy that he saw as “looking the other way” on matters related to slavery, among other things. (History suspects his aunt paid the tax, leading to his release.)

Having stopped to visit him at the jail, his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson was said to have jokingly asked, “What are you doing in there?”

Thinking principle and justice were on his side of the jailhouse bars, Thoreau responded by saying, “Perhaps the better question is, “What are you doing out there?”

On more than one occasion, people have asked why we would spend our precious leisure time picking trash from rivers, streams or shorelines.

Perhaps the better question is, “Why isn't everyone?”

Navigable rivers are public property. That means, "All citizens share ownership." I enjoy thinking about that as paddle down a particularly beautiful stretch of waterway: I own a piece of this. And the same goes for a publicly supported park, preserve or sanctuary.

When we engage in a clean-up, we're not just doing Mother Nature a favor. We're tidying-up our own back yard. I think the magic of Earth Day is that, even if only for the week or two around that event, folks from all walks of life realize they're cleaning up their own back yard. That day, the question isn't, "Why." It is, "Why not?"

(As always, click on any image to enlarge.)

© Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN. All rights reserved.

A fun way to celebrate Earth Day

2009-04-01T18:03:00.007-05:00

As eager as I am to get underway with this season’s geo-trashing work, mid-April is still rather early for our water-based efforts. The rivers we work on are still high enough that much of the debris we hope to inventory or remove is still submerged… and the water is still cold enough that you don’t want to risk a spill into the river. So I’ve been wondering, lately, how I should spend the day.

Then, last week, I received an email from Karen Solas, the River Stewardship Coordinator for the Friends of the Mississippi River. In cooperation with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, they’re hosting clean-up events throughout the metro Mississippi watershed on the morning of Saturday, April 18th. And she asked if I’d be willing to join in, and talk to participants about our project. (She didn’t exactly have to twist my arm!) FMR will be staging their clean-up from two sites on West River Road.

As for me, I’ll be heading to the clean-up site at Nokomis Park, which is also a part of the city-wide clean-up, sponsored by the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board. Because of the facilities at Nokomis, I'll be able to bring along the laptop and share some digital photos, inventory maps and stories we’ve gathered along the way. I hope you’ll stop by (in the gym) and say hi!

Remember that one (Earth) day is not enough. As you celebrate Earth Day activities, please encourage folks to think of stewardship a lifestyle, not an event.

Darkrise

2009-04-01T00:11:00.005-05:00

My career sometimes requires considerable air travel. When I’m on the way to an assignment, I usually spend the flight time finishing up project details, or running through a presentation in my mind. But on those rare occasions when I’m flying home and there is still daylight, I enjoy studying the landscape of the places I fly over.

Recently, I enjoyed such a flight from San Antonio to Minneapolis. Having received an upgrade for the trip, I was able to study the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers from the vantage point, literally, of a first-class window seat… and from a cruising altitude of 37,000 feet. Not long after we flew over that geographically fascinating area, an even more dramatic view came into focus.

An incredibly bright sun was setting to the west, sending those last few high-beams sharply into the aircraft cabin, just as a soft layer of clouds crept over the planet below us. It was if a pair of invisible hands was pulling a white blanket over the landscape. Left with no more features to study on the ground, my eyes focused on the sky. I was seated on the right side of the aircraft, which facing east… wishing I was on the other side of the plane so I could have a better vantage point from which to view the final seconds of sunset. But then, I glanced out my own window, and caught a remarkable contrast to the sun on the other side of the plane. Flying this high, you could see the shadow of the earth climbing in the east, and the sun was dropping in the west.

For a moment, I could not tell whether it was the sun that was setting, or the darkness that was rising.

I grabbed my PDA and tried to take a photo, but the picture below does not do the image justice. (Hard to take a picture through a plane window, much less with a PDA camera. The shot is tainted with fingerprints and water spots on the window of the plane.) But it was worth a try. The light layer at the bottom is cloud cover. The lighter layer at the top is fading blue sky. The dark strip in the middle is the shadow of the planet as it lifting out of the eastern horizon.

I wanted so badly to see the sun set in the west that night. But the coolest view was on the other side, where the people on the plane least thought to look. I think that’s a lesson. Maybe that hasn't anything to do with cleaning up rivers. Or, maybe it does.

© Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN. All rights reserved.

A giant leap for our project, courtesy Tim Brown at MPRB

2009-03-29T20:05:00.008-05:00

The whole concept of Geo-Trashing came from our time on the north metro Mississippi River. We took on this stretch of river knowing there would weekends when we could not find the time to head for one of our more remote adoption sites. And we were overwhelmed by the amount and type of debris we would discover. There were discarded appliances, tires and other auto parts, construction debris, safes… an unimaginable variety of junk. We realized, early on, that we could not possibly remove it all... at least, not on our own.

That’s when we decided that a problem well stated is half solved; we would help “define the pollution problem” by taking an inventory of all the debris that needs to be removed. We began the process of collecting digital photographs of the junk, and GPS waypoints of where it rests. Then, we could either build a plan to grab the junk on our own, or hope for the help of additional volunteers.

A major development on the Mississippi. Last fall, I had the privilege of meeting Tim P. Brown, P.E., the Environmental Operations Manager for Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. In what has turned out to be a picture-perfect example of public/private partnership, Tim has offered a plan that will help clean the vast majority of our north metro Mississippi adoption area.

By last fall, we had already gathered an extensive inventory of the debris targets on this stretch of the river. Well, as it turns out, the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board has acquired significant additional property along this stretch of the river. Over the next three to five years, considerable re-development will take place, affecting these newly acquired properties as well as existing MPRB lands.

Tim had a great proposal: I would provide him with a copy of our GPS maps in a language that is ARC-compliant maps (the common computer language used by most government agencies when it comes to mapping), they would include the recovery of those trash targets into those development plans. A few weeks ago, I was able to provide Mr. Brown with maps in .gdb, .gps, .gpx and .mps languages; the .gpx and .gps versions turned-out to be files that could be translated into the ARC-compliant language he was after. That means that ultimately, various contractors involved in the redevelopment would be given a map of the trash targets in their project area, and assigned the task of removing those items as a part of the redevelopment.

I cannot overstate the enormity of this help! This development will affect a huge piece of geography, essentially covering the areas along the Mississippi River south of 57th Avenue North, all the way to Boom Island near downtown. (Much of the land along this stretch which is not under MPRB jurisdiction is, for the most part, industrial.) To gain an understanding of just how significant this area is, revisit the summary map we published back on March 3rd.

There will still be some light trash and floatables to remove along this entire stretch of waterway. But as a result of this development, I can now place significant focus on the northern portion of our adoption area, beginning at Rice Creek Park in Fridley, flowing southward to 54th Avenue North. And as far as heavy debris items are concerned, much of the west bank work has already been finished. (The work we documented in video last fall occurred primarily on the west side of the river, north of 57th Avenue North.)

Our deepest thanks to Mr. Brown for recognizing this opportunity to enhance the efforts of the public agency he serves… by using our humble inventory of trash as a map to a more beautiful river. He has shown that “public/private cooperation” can be more than a campaign slogan used by politicians; indeed, he has made it a common sense reality, and we’re delighted to work with him to make the parks—and the Mississippi—more enjoyable for all.

Note: North of 57th Avenue on the west bank, there is still one oversized tank (perhaps some kind of a compressor or LP tank) that awaits recovery, but it won’t be accessible until mid- to late-summer. But aside from that, I believe all the large objects in this area have been removed. A considerable pile of construction debris and some other items await removal on the west bank between 54th Avenue and 57th, which is Three Rivers Park District land. And the recurring light debris will need to be removed on both the east and west banks north of 54th Avenue. (Especially on the south border of River Ridge Park on the east bank; a large spillway in that area has contributed to a massive field of floatable trash, such as beverage bottles, soda cans, drinking cups, etc.)

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

The trash revealed by the snowmelt

2009-03-28T20:55:00.000-05:00

Back in January, we renewed our commitment to focus on “floatables,” as one of the most preventable—but pervasive—pollution problems affecting our waterways.

The recent snowmelt is a great reminder of just how much trash accumulates in the streets and parking lots in any population center. I snapped a couple of shots on my cell phone camera. Both photos were taken Saturday, March 28, 2009. The first is in the parking lot of a movie theatre, located in a shopping center in Maple Grove. The second shot is in the parking lot of a big-box store in Fridley (about a quarter-mile from the Mississippi River, as the storm sewer flows). Both are the residue that remains after piles of snow, plowed to clear the lot, have melted away. It demonstrates, in one consolidated glance, just how much crud we throw out of our cars when we’re walking out of a theatre or store, or navigating a simple parking lot.

You have seen me assert that every street and storm sewer is a tributary that leads eventually to the Mississippi River. The plastic you see in these pictures will not simply evaporate. It will wait for the rain to wash it into the river… or for an astute store manager or property manager to come and clean it up.

To whom shall we direct this question?

2009-03-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

I could not have predicted the immense education I would gain from launching this project... just on the topic of jurisdictional controls… and sometimes competing interests. A great example is the 9.7 mile segment of the Mississippi River that we have adopted. With its designation as a federal waterway and national waterway, it is technically policed by both the Coast Guard and the National Park Service. But I’ve been pulled over (yes, in my kayak, to check my license) by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department… and I know the waterways and adjacent landings to also be patrolled by the Brooklyn Center, Fridley, and Minneapolis police departments, as well as Anoka County Sheriff’s Department, Three Rivers Park District staff and the Minneapolis Park Police. Most of the public facilities along this stretch are maintained by either Anoka County Parks and Recreation Department, Three Rivers Park District, or the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board.

Of course, the same stretch of river is overseen by the MN Department of Natural Resources.
And as if all of that wasn’t enough, when it comes to discharge into the river, each of the Cities along the river has a storm sewer system that drains into the waterway. And the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization helps guide how many of these organizations all work together.

So when you have a question, who do you ask? Anyone. The one thing you discover about this task is that jurisdictions sometimes overlap, interests sometimes compete, and organizations do not always agree about the best way of doing things. But most everyone you’ll talk to agrees that the river needs better protection than we have given it… and anyone who’s trying to clean it up is okay in their book.

My default source of information is often the Adopt-a-River program at the Minnesota DNR. Program coordinator Paul Nordell either has the answer, or knows who to ask. And he has never been less than passionate about helping anyone who wants to help the river.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

A perspective of the task ahead

2009-03-03T20:48:00.009-06:00

This winter, I have been working to update our "inventory" of trash targets. The goal is to match dozens of GPS waypoints with their corresponding digital photo. Together, these "geotags" and photos will each identify a debris field or dumped object. I still have plenty of this organizing to do, but I can give you a preview that illustrates just how complete our inventory of trash targets has become.

Look at the map below... and feel free to scroll around, zoom in, and snoop around. Each pointer or flag you see on this map below represents a debris field or dumped object (ranging from tires to appliances to construction debris, and yes... more safes). Keep in mind that this map represents just a 9.7 mile stretch of the north metro Mississippi River (our Adoption Site #3).

There is much to clear. But a recent development may lead us to a plan that helps clear many of these trash targets very soon. More later!

View Larger Map
© 2009 Mike Anderson, Crystal, MN.

Kind remarks from the folks at Minnesota Waters!

2009-03-03T20:20:00.010-06:00

As many readers of this blog already know, cleaning crud out of a river can be a humbling experience. You go out in a canoe or kayak you take great pains to maintain, keeping it in ship-shape through the most brutal of seasons... and you load it up with sloppy, muddy, slimey crud. Or, you slosh around on a slippery riverbank knowing you'll never be able to wear these shoes and jeans again, because of the abuse you're subjecting them to!

Of course, there are great rewards that make the project very worthwhile. In your wake, you leave behind a place that is nicer than when you started, and your eyes are the first to take it all in. But also, this nicer place will be appreciated by many who follow, and hopefully, help keep it clean and pristine for years to come.

Another reward is when peers you respect get excited about what you're doing.

Today, I got an email from Carrie Maurer-Ackerman, the Program Coordinator for Minnesota Waters. She let me know that a story about our project would be published in the Spring 2009 newsletter/tab. It turned out really nice, thanks to the hard work of Jamison Reginek, the author of the story and a dedicated intern for MN Waters. You can visit the organization's web site at http://www.minnesotawaters.org/, or surf right to the complete newsletter by clicking here. The group also gave us permission to create some reprints. So you can click on the image below to enlarge the story, or download a copy by clicking here.

Our thanks to Minnesota Waters for their kind remarks about our project.

Today at the Capitol, the river was heard

2009-03-02T19:58:00.008-06:00

It was my privilege to testify today before the Senate Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources at the Minnesota State Capitol Building. My testimony was requested by Senator Ann Rest, who has renovated and re-introduced a Plastic Bag Recycling bill, now known as S.F. No. 267. (A similar bill was introduced last year by Senator Ellen Anderson, but it timed-out. Senator Rest took up the cause, “at the urging of one of her constituents.”)

Several weeks ago, I wrote Senator Rest (and members of the Environment & Natural Resources Committee) to encourage the re-introduction of this measure. My motives are quite simple: Based on the many miles and hours I have logged on our rivers, I know that what is being done now is insufficient. Plastic bags continue to represent a significant share of the “floatables” that we recover during our clean-up efforts. If more of them were captured for recycling, then fewer would end up in our landscapes, lakes, and rivers. This is an issue which can be more economically prevented than solved.

To this point, CleanUpTheRiver.com has remained fairly pure in its focus, speaking to matters of river restoration… ranging from geo-tagging the targets which need to be removed, to actual riverside clean-up efforts. It has remained fairly (albeit not completely) free of political debate. In an effort to keep it that way, I’ll reserve details of my testimony for our sister site, DisposeOfProperly.com.

I'll just add that there were a few different people in the hearing room today who spoke against the idea of this recycling bill. It is worth noting that while I shall not profit from the passage of this measure, each of the people who spoke against it represented industries or companies who will profit from its defeat. Still, I was given an equal measure of time to share my testimony. I liked that. Whether or not this bill prevails, and regardless of the final form it takes, it is important to appreciate that I was allowed to speak on behalf of the rivers we aspire to protect… and I was heard.

Thank you for that opportunity, Senator Rest, and thanks to each member of the Committee.

© 2009 Mike Anderson, Crystal, MN.

A certificate from the Governor and the Commissioner of the DNR

2009-02-25T19:10:00.007-06:00

The mail brought a smile to my face today; it contained a certificate recognizing our efforts to help clean the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers, as participants in Minnesota's Adopt-a-River program. It was signed by Governor Tim Pawlenty, and Mark Holsten, the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. (Click on the image to the left to enlarge.) A letter enclosed with the document expressed the appreciation of Adopt-a-River Coordinator Paul Nordell, as well as Eva Johnson from Minnesota Conservation Corps/AmeriCorps.

As fun as it is to receive a little recognition for our project, Julie and I also know we're just a very small part of what's going on here in the state of Minnesota, with regard to river restoration. According to the Adopt-a-River page at the DNR website, over 2,500 cleanups were completed by over 73,000 volunteers in 64 Minnesota counties between 1989 and 2007. During those efforts, nearly 5 million pounds of rubbish was removed from 8,500 miles of Minnesota's public waters, utilizing 250,000 hours of effort.

In other words, our efforts represent but a drop... in a very large river of advocacy throughout the state of Minnesota. Our thanks to Paul Nordell, who has been eager to offer ideas and advice since we first were involved in a major river cleanp-up back in 1994. And thanks, too, for engineering the citation, Paul. We'll add it to a nice archive of memories!

Give and take...

2009-02-01T20:24:00.008-06:00

"So let me get this straight. You spend the weekend floating down a river, looking for trash. Do I have that right?"

I had the good pleasure of talking with an old friend, recently, who was both fascinated and dumbfounded by our project. (He was too polite to call me crazy, but the tone of his voice sufficiently made the indictment.) He was curious about the steps involved as we locate, photograph, geo-tag, and then make plans to extract debris along a river.

"Wow… you have a huge investment in tools and time for this project. It’s really very generous,” he said.

His compliment led to a very good conversation about the nature of generosity, and the generosity of nature. I won the debate on these two points:

1. Generosity is not demonstrated when we give away a thing for which we have no further use.

When other of life’s demands allow it, I greatly enjoy spending time on the river. I can think of few better ways to indulge a few spare hours. In other words, I had no better use for that time, at that moment.

2. An act of true charity occurs when a person identifies and satisfies a need that is not his own, and in doing so, gives something of himself or his possessions… even when doing so might cause him sacrifice or inconvenience.

My river restoration work is not entirely unselfish. Yes, it will be a better place for others when we are done. But it will also be a better place for Julie and I to enjoy, or for our kids and grandkids; those people we call “our own.” And as I confessed earlier, spending time on the water is hardly a sacrifice.

Besides, I’ve done no more for the river than it has done for me.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

Treasure!

2009-02-01T20:20:00.006-06:00

When people learn that we’ve recovered several discarded safes during our river cleanups, they almost always follow-up with this question: “Have you ever found anything of value?”

Sorry. Every safe we have recovered has been compromised (broken open and emptied).

But that’s not to say we have not found treasure. One of the best rewards of this project has been our accumulation of new friends; those we have met while on the water, doing the work. And those we have met through the social nature of blogging and the Internet. Often, we’ll receive feedback from folks who are miles away, but just as passionate about river recovery as we are.

Our latest friend addition is a gentleman who goes by the name of Suasco Al. His nickname is borrowed from the Suasco watershed, which includes the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Rivers in Massachusetts. We noticed Al following us on our blog, so I turned around to introduce myself, via email. Al was quick to compliment our site, and tell us of the inspiration that led him to the clean-up effort.

“I remember a paddling friend of mine saying, "This river will look a lot better without this soda can floating in it," as he retrieved the can and placed it under a deck bungee. His comment and action stuck in the back of my mind and eventually it became difficult for me to just paddle past the trash I encountered.”

Al is a member of The Charles River Watershed Association, one of the oldest and most successful advocacy groups in the Northeast. He also has a blog where he chronicles his river clean-up efforts, at http://www.trashpaddler.com/.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

Which picture do you prefer?

2009-01-27T20:24:00.007-06:00

In this posting, there are two photos of the same place; it is the point at which Shingle Creek joins the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. It is a beautiful park. In one photo, there is a plastic shopping bag which has caught on a limb in the middle of Shingle Creek. The other photo is a shot of the same spot, but after this single eye-soar has been removed.

Click on one or both pictures to enlarge them. Sometimes, it’s good to visualize the difference between un-kept and well kept.

By the way, I received an email from Senator Ann Rest today, indicating that she will indeed introduce a plastic bag recycling bill in the current legislative session. Click here to read more details.

Letters of the law

2009-01-25T19:13:00.017-06:00

Harsh winter weather can keep me off the rivers, but it need not slow our effort to protect them. Last summer, I decided to spend the off-season learning what I can about light pollution and those items we refer to as “floatables.” At face value, it may seem like there is not much to know about floating junk… but I’m devoted to understanding everything I can about where this trash originates, how it travels through the network of ditches and storm sewers, and the damage it does to wildlife, habitat and water quality. Common sense dictates that pollution prevention will be more effective where pollution problems are better understood.

Part of this learning process has involved the study of existing and proposed public policy. In that effort, I discovered legislation that was intended to help clean various waterways, or in some cases, bills that would help prevent lands and waters from becoming tarnished in the first place. The bills and regulations which have been considered are as varied as the places they are intended to protect.

Among these: The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Act, approved as a constitutional amendment by Minnesota voters last fall. (See this explanation offered by the DNR.) As you might imagine, I supported this amendment. At the same time, I fear an unintended consequence: That people may wrongly assume the problem is solved, just because we have thrown some money at it. A checkbook, alone, never removed one piece of debris from a waterway; it takes people who are prepared to get their hands dirty. That might mean attending to the street gutter out in front of their house, picking up some trash that lays on the ground next to a waste container, or even going down to the shoreline to pick up some crud.

Two other works deserved attention last year but did not receive such strong attention in the media, both having to do with important matters of pollution prevention. One of these was a “bottle bill” (as they are commonly called), introduced in the House by Representative Melissa Hortman, and intended to extend the recycling efforts of companies who produce or sell plastic bottles. Another measure, introduced by Senator Ellen Anderson, would have placed a similar mandate on companies who produce or distribute plastic bags (like those used when you carry groceries out of the supermarket).

Neither of these proposals matured into law during the last legislative session. But last week, I wrote to both Representative Hortman and Senator Anderson, encouraging the resurrection of these measures. The final wording or detail of these statutes is beyond my expertise… but the essence of both bills was to make the people who produce (and profit from) these materials more accountable as to their final disposal, and encourage them to engage the public on the methods and benefits of recycling.

Plastic bags and bottles have two things in common, as far as I am concerned. First, they were both garbage on the day they were born; the manufacturer knows these items to be generally of single-use, and that they are headed for a landfill (or worse) after only a momentary stop in the hands of a consumer. Secondly, these items constitute the vast majority of “floatables” that we see on every trip down the river; they degrade, but do not decompose; and they will thus tarnish the landscape or waterway until such time as someone picks them up.

More effective measures to recycle these products would do the river a world of good.

Now, rather than go on any further about these two measures here, I have devoted more space to this conversation at our sister site, DisposeOfProperly.com. At that site, you'll see more discussion on these two proposals, and you can read the actual letters I sent to Senator Anderson and Representative Hortman.

While I want to avoid having CleanUpTheRiver.com become a political pulpit, there are times when public policy and water quality are inextricably linked. And when it becomes both logical and necessary to share that conversation with you here, I will.

Let me close this post by saying it is not my goal to impose a single-sided opinion. If you would like to join the conversation, or challenge any assertion I have made here… I invite your emailed point of view, and will enthusiastically build it into my online conversation. Just drop me a note.

© 2009, Mike D. Anderson. All rights reserved.

A renewed focus on floatables

2009-01-20T21:27:00.005-06:00

One recurring question accompanies every summertime trip to the metro Mississippi River: Where is all this trash coming from? I’m not talking about the large scale objects that have been blatantly “dumped.” That stuff comes from people who suffer from both ignorance and apathy.

I’m talking about the floatables: The glass and plastic bottles that held beer, water, soft drinks or sport drinks; the plastic “fountain cups” that came from a fast food restaurant, coffee shop or gas station convenience store; the Styrofoam cups and bait containers; the plastic bags that held a loaf of bread or carton of milk from the neighborhood grocer or supermarket. These are floatables I have written about before, at DisposeOfProperly.com. (See “We’ll have to pay for our plastics,” and “Sacking one source of pollution.”)

Where does all this trash come from? Well, after paddling just past the many spillways that drain our streets of rain and snow runoff, you start to notice a pattern. There is consistently a debris field just downstream of many of those spillways. It doesn’t take long to realize that much of this trash is delivered to the river systematically… from your friendly neighborhood storm sewer.

Prevention is the best cure.
It does not take a rocket surgeon to realize that if we could stop more stuff from hitting the sewers, we could prevent a lot of this crud from hitting the river. So, this winter, I have begun a campaign that involves educating myself about various options. I’ve been in touch with Dan Kalmon from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (http://www.mwmo.org/), as well as Lois Eberhart, the Surface Water & Sewers Administrator for the City of Minneapolis Department of Public Works. Also, I had a chance to sit-down with Tim P. Brown, the Environmental Operations Manager for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (the MPRB owns much of the land along our adopted section of the Mississippi River, where this trash is most pervasive).

With each conversation, I have learned more about the politics of water management, the mechanics of storm sewer runoff, and the dynamics of how debris flows into the river from across the watershed. These are important alliances, because these people have the capacity to help me alleviate ignorance and develop some wonderful prevention ideas.

During one of these conversations, Dan Kalmon made a simple but profound remark to sum-up what I was telling him about my passion for prevention: “Every street is a tributary,” Dan said. I’ll be using that line a lot… and I’ll probably tell people I came up with it.

Thanks, Dan, Lois and Tim.... for sharing your intelligence. I know that I'm going to learn a lot (more) from you folks. And of course, I'll share that knowledge as best I can, right here.

Still over a barrel

2009-01-20T20:41:00.001-06:00

As I mentioned last time, the river was not stable enough to risk chasing that barrel which rests on the St. Croix River near Osceola. We thought about trying again on Sunday, but open water warned us against the idea, even after the deep cold we had last week.

Better safe than stupid.

It’s only a matter of time. Perhaps the ice will eventually give us a bridge sufficient to walk down to the drum; we’re supposed to get sub-zero temperatures again this weekend. If not, I’ve devised another plan to recover the item—via solo canoe—after the ice thaws this spring.

But more on that later.

© 2009 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

You're on thin ice, my friend

2009-01-05T18:00:00.019-06:00

If you will just listen, the river will often whisper a warning... if and when risk is at hand.

On New Year’s Day, Julie and I set-out to recover that blue drum that sits in a log jam south of the Osceola bridge. This is the barrel brought to my attention by Lisa at the St. Croix River Association; her group had discovered it while on a general clean-up voyage back in July. It eluded our capture when Julie and I were kayaking back in late October, due to the quickly setting sun and the fact that we still had more than a mile of paddling ahead of us (against the current).

My strategy—and I think it remains a good one—was to walk 1.2 miles from Osceola Landing to where the barrel is resting; I had marked its location as a GPS waypoint. The most direct path would be over-water, leaving from the point at the southern end of Osceola Landing. From there, I would walk a straight line on the frozen river... or at least, on what I thought was a frozen river.

I was well equipped. Julie gave me a pair of Atlas snowshoes for my birthday last fall. They are designed for “trailing,” which means they are slightly more short and narrow than you might think... allowing easier navigation through woods and brush. They are also equipped with teeth… which bite into the ice both just under the ball of your feet, as well as beneath the heel. This Christmas, she upgraded my experience with a pair of North Face boots intended for snowshoeing. (With the right equipment, it has been easy to fall in love with winter hiking!)

Our kids were in on the gift theme, too, as they gave me a Petzl ice ax; I admit to dropping a hint or two about this tool… which is intended to help hikers and mountaineers “self arrest” when sliding down a steep slope. My use would be slightly different, but no less important. When a river freezes after the autumn rains, the water levels often fall… and the ice tends to sink in response. Thus, the ice at the center of a waterway can be several inches (or even feet) lower than the ice on the riverbank, creating a “slope” that draws a hiker from the shoreline out to the channel (not a place I choose to be, as the ice is often more dangerous out there). So, if/when gravity pulls me out in that direction, I can use the ax to arrest the slide. Also, if I found the barrel to be “iced-in” when I arrived, I could chip it out using the ax.

We took a few other precautions, too. I put a 15 foot length of rope on the sled; if I were to break through the ice, the sled far behind me would give responders something to grab hold of. With a two-way radio clipped into my collar pocket, I could call Julie back at the truck to summon such help. My son had provided me with some nail spikes which are designed to jam into the ice, allowing a hiker to pull him/herself out of the water onto the ice ledge, assuming the ice was strong enough to hold you. If not, there was always the ice ax—which would literally become an ice breaker—clipped to the belt of my cargo pants, where I could reach it easily. And most importantly, Julie was waiting for me back at the truck; she knew roughly my route, the time I expected to be back, and that I would check in along the way.

Even with all of this careful planning—and even with several sub-zero days of weather so far this winter—one could not take for granted that the mission would be successful. Nature gave me a number of clues as to the degree of risk involved with my venture.

First, there was open water visible just south of the bridge, in the middle of the river. That wasn’t a shock to me… as large structures and stumps tend to create a "wake" in the current just downstream. But my walk would start more than a quarter mile downstream… far from the obstruction of the bridge. And after all, the St. Croix is not all that deep where I would be walking (our kayaks have even bottomed-out on dunes near here during the summer). That having been said, I’m smart enough to know that there are deep spots, too (as deep as 14 feet in some spots along the path I would be walking). And with a windchill of about zero degrees right now, even three or four feet of water is too deep for me.

There is one other clue as to the risk: No paw or hoof prints. No rabbit, no fox, no deer… no footprints of any kind, anywhere beyond the solid ground of the shoreline. I find the lack of their presence on the ice to be a bit odd. (Sometimes, critters know things humans don't.)

I made my way to the southern tip of the peninsula, and cautiously started onto the ice. At first, my snowshoes create a fluffing sound as they drop into and then lift the fresh snow. But about forty yards offshore, I notice an audible change: Now, there is a snapping sound as my feet pierce the top surface of the snow… followed by a soft mush. Before, you could hear a crisp “bite” as the teeth on my snowshoes gripped the ice. But the those metal tips were penetrating something much softer now. After five or six steps, I stopped, turned around… and realized my most recent footprints have immediately filled with water, and the edges of those imprints were surrounded by fresh slush. Although I have only recently begun learning the art of snowshoeing, I know that while walking over a lake or river, one is wise to pay attention to the conditions by sound, as well as by sight. More importantly, I’ve spent enough time on this river and living through extreme winters... to know that challenging either is a fool’s game. So, I changed paths… opting for to hug the shoreline. But even then, several hundred yards to the south, I discovered more open water. This day, the barrel will have to stay.

Going over ice to retrieve the drum is still a feasible idea, but one that is better saved until January has brought several more deep freezes. The recent cold temperatures have been off-set by the fact that the St. Croix River is heavily fed by spring water. These springs have a moderating effect, cooling the flow in summer, but warming it in winter. Further, the heavy December snows have had an insulating effect on the ice.

I have learned many things over the past few years, spending considerable time on the river. More than anything, I have learned respect… for how the beauty of a waterway like this can belie its power and danger. Even with all of the precautions I have taken in preparing for this day, the greatest measure of safety is having the good sense to call it a day. The river, like a true friend, gave me several warnings that I was on thin ice. Like a friend, I listened.

If you'd like a glimpse of winter on the St. Croix, indulge in the three and a half minute video below.

The Riverside Inn & Tavern

2009-01-04T12:12:00.036-06:00

Aunt Mary was legendary for her candor & common sense, and was proprietor of the Riverside Inn and Tavern in Woodland, Washington. We visited her during a family vacation when I was young… and the stunning beauty of the area has stayed with me since. Pine covered mountains, crisp air, and the crystal clear waters of the Lewis River, which flows here from Mount St. Helens, and then merges with the famed Columbia River just downstream.

Aunt Mary was locally famous for her beer-battered onion rings… and for the way she could tell a story, delivered in a compelling style with her booming, near-baritone voice (it sounded as if she was a bar-owning smoker). There was the time her fishing boat, motor and trailer went missing, stolen from the parking lot between the tavern and her house. About a week later, she noticed the equipment hitched to the back of a truck that was parked in the lot in front of the bar. Apparently, the thieves were drunk enough at the time of the robbery that they had forgotten where they had stolen the boat from… and now, they were throwing-back a few beers served by the very person from whom they had stolen it. Mary quietly called the police, the boat burglars were apprehended, and she had only to walk out the front door to retrieve her property.

Mary’s small house and bar were situated just across the road from the Lewis River. On one day, during our short visit, I wanted to cross the road and do some fishing; there were steelhead in The Lewis… a much more sporting fish than the catfish in the Red River back home. My mom was reluctant to give her permission, fearing for my safety. But she caved-in, eventually, after both dad and Aunt Mary convinced her it would be okay.

I climbed over the floodwall and started down the bank. Willing to get my shoes and pant legs wet, I was able to make my way out to one of two large rock formations in the middle of the river. The scene was breathtaking. Here was the crisp, rushing rapids and mountainous backdrop the likes of which I had only seen in an Outdoor Life magazine… and I was sitting in the middle of it all! I could see clear to the bottom of a 12 or 14 foot-deep eddy beneath the island. And although my gear was intended for spinning, I was able to catch one of those storied steelhead. Excited to share my success with everyone, I decided to run back to the house with my trophy!

But as I looked toward the riverbank where I had walked across the rocks, I realized that the rock formation I was standing on had now become an island. Unaware of my surroundings while I fished, the water had risen more than a couple of feet, covering the path I had taken to the rocks in the middle of the river. What was a gentle rapids only an hour or so earlier had become an angry, thunderous flow… powerful enough that anyone would be swept away who tried to cross it. I was half scared, half excited; this was exactly the kind of adventure many a young boy dreams of but few experience. How long would it be before my parents might notice I was overdue, and come to find me stranded in the middle of the raging river? Would the water that swallowed my path rise even further, submerging the island where I was stranded? If swept into the water, how far downstream would I be carried before my swimming brought me to shore?

I sat for a while, both fretting the danger and admiring the adventure I now faced. But as they say, all good things--even epic adventures like this--must come to an end. Less than an hour later, the river had receded, again exposing the route across the rocks that would take me safely to the shoreline. I gathered my fishing tackle and ran back to the house, eager to tell everyone of the thrill I had survived! The same story brought horror to the face of my mom (who would agree that she was always just a tad protective) brought a grin of admiration to the face of my dad (he could picture himself living the adventure).

And without pause, the recounting of my adventure drew an out-loud, belly-deep laugh from Aunt Mary. She explained that an old logger’s dam about ten miles upstream was opened up almost every day about the time I was stranded. (I was later told the actual name of the site is Merwin Dam.) She knew the rise in water was both predictable… and far from life-threatening. But she held back just enough of her knowledge about the managed flow of the river to let me retain the adventure of my new childhood memory.

This past fall, my company sent me on an assignment that involved working in both Seattle and Portland. To save expenses, I flew in an out of SeaTac, and rented a car for the Portland part of the trip. Driving back around six in the evening, I decided to pull off Interstate 5 to see if I could find the old haunt. Somehow, without an address or map to work with, I drove immediately to the site of the Riverside Inn & Tavern… not one wrong turn.

The place had run down a bit. It was lined with posters of 1980’s-era tv stars and pin-up models. And there was a “for sale” sign out front. The current owner was hoping to sell it and use the money for retirement, knowing both the house and tavern would likely be razed, and replaced by a McDonald’s, Starbuck’s, or some such ubiquitous establishment. Mary had sold the bar back around 1980--it has changed hands more than a few times since--and she passed away in 1983. The surrounding area has been developed into rows of condos and townhomes, in numbers sufficient to remind us that humanity is drawn to beautiful places along the river, and that a beautiful place can lose some of its natural serenity as a result.

Knowing this was likely to be my last trip to the Riverside Inn and Tavern as it now stands, I ordered a cheeseburger and onion rings. Even though the rings now come from the local Sam’s Club, they were sufficient to let me imagine Mary’s famous beer-batter coating. I convinced the proprietor to sell me a few shot glasses, that I might have something tangible to remember The Riverside by, even after the wooden walls and stone chimney are gone.

Then, I walked across the road, climbed over the floodwall, and sat by the Lewis River for a few moments. The Merwin Dam must be less active now; trees and shrubs have grown from the rock formations where I fished as a boy. But the waterway was no less spectacular than I remember.

Before walking back to the car for the drive north to catch my flight, I noticed a few bags of fast food trash sitting near the road… presumably tossed from cars traveling the road that is adjacent to the river.