Tonight, our project was featured in the KARE 11 News Extra, known as Earth KARE. My name is Mike, and I’m the guy you saw picking junk out of the river from a little 10’ kayak. I’m really glad you stopped by, because there are a couple of things I’d like to reiterate from tonight’s story.
First, let me share a few thoughts about how to navigate this site. Start by realizing it is a blog, more than a web site. Thus, you’re reading the most recent postings first. As you read each progressive posting, you’re going back in time, through the chronology of events that have brought us to today. For your convenience, see the “Important Pages” on the navigation bar to your right. They'll take you to the specific topic you may be looking for. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email… and I’ll do my best to either provide you with the answer, or suggest where you might find it.
Next: Know that river cleanup can be a tricky task. I implore you to NEVER work on or near the river alone… always work with a friend. Plus, note that the water is still pretty high due to our late winter thaw and heavy spring rains in northern Minnesota. So hold back for a couple of weeks before you get started, for safety’s sake. In fact, I’d watch this USGS web site, and wait for the water level to be under the 3 to 3.5’ point, per the USGS water gage on the Mississippi at the Anoka measuring site. For more safety guidelines, visit the Minnesota DNR’s Adopt-a-River web site… and follow their safety tips, written based on their years of experience and wisdom. IMPORTANT: Anyone who engages in river clean-up does so at their own risk. Be careful. Know your limits. And work with friends.
We hope you enjoy exploring CleanUpTheRiver.com. Don’t worry about getting too deep into the technology and complexity of how we’re attacking river restoration. Remember that anyone with a pair of gloves, a few garbage bags and an old pair of tennis shoes is equipped enough to help clean a shoreline. And if you want to clean up the environment, don’t just pick-up a lottery ticket the next time you stop at a convenience store… pick up a drink cup or beverage bottle you see laying in the parking lot. Just that one gesture will keep a lot of trash from washing down the storm sewers, and eventually into the river. We have a motto: Anyone, on any given day, has the power to improve a place.
Friends and Support. It has been a gratifying day for my wife and I. Friends who have seen the promotional announcements about our project on KARE 11 have been calling throughout the day. And one of those friends (thanks, Todd) introduced our project to a couple of gentlemen by the name of Jim and Joe Rauscher. Jim and Joe are the owners of Joe’s Sporting Goods, a third-generation family sporting goods store. Joe gave me a call this evening, saying, “We love what you’re doing, we thank you for your effort, and we’d like to help provide you with some new tools.” With that, Joe offered to provide us with a new kayak.
This contribution to the cause is greatly appreciated, but it is not terribly surprising. The product line at Joe’s Sporting Goods covers the gambit of outdoor sports… and they’ve been close to Minnesota’s outdoors for 75+ years. Thus, their livelihood depends on the continued protection and respect for our great outdoors. We’re just pleased that they see our work as worthy of their support. [For more information about Joe’s, visit http://www.joessportinggoods.com/, or stop at their store in Little Canada, at Highway 36 and Rice Street.]
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
The TV Table
Recently, our river restoration efforts and this blog site caught the eye of Greg Vandergrift from KARE 11 News. Accompanied by Deb, his photojournalist, we paid a visit to the fishing pier just south of I-694 on the Mississippi River (part of Three Rivers Park District). That is the location of an oversized debris field; the pier naturally catches the logs and trash which have floated downstream with the spring run-off.
During their visit to the river, we were able to explain the different types of trash and debris we’ve found in the river, and some of the ways we go about cleaning it up. We also proved that we know when to quit: A tire proved too dangerous to dislodge from a log jam under the pier, so we left it.
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I also had the chance to briefly demonstrate how geo-trashing is done (the process of geo-tagging trash). We came across a busted-up picnic table that was floating upside-down near a spillway. I paddled up to it, captured a waypoint on my GPS device, and then paddled back a few feet to take a photo of the object. That simple: Photo of object, stamped with location of object.
In case you wanted to see the object featured in the new story, it is shown above (and you can click to enlarge it). Below, there is a Google Map showing where the table was trapped in the water (as of 5-18-08).
During their visit to the river, we were able to explain the different types of trash and debris we’ve found in the river, and some of the ways we go about cleaning it up. We also proved that we know when to quit: A tire proved too dangerous to dislodge from a log jam under the pier, so we left it.
+copy.jpg)
I also had the chance to briefly demonstrate how geo-trashing is done (the process of geo-tagging trash). We came across a busted-up picnic table that was floating upside-down near a spillway. I paddled up to it, captured a waypoint on my GPS device, and then paddled back a few feet to take a photo of the object. That simple: Photo of object, stamped with location of object.In case you wanted to see the object featured in the new story, it is shown above (and you can click to enlarge it). Below, there is a Google Map showing where the table was trapped in the water (as of 5-18-08).
NOTE: Anyone who attempts to recover the items listed in this posting does so at their own risk. Please adhere to the safety instructions and guidelines provided by the DNR. Finally, let me know if you either intend to remove one or more of these items or debris fields, or that you have succeeded in doing so. Simply share your success story email, and we’ll be happy to publish it at CleanUpTheRiver.com.
Clean with caution
Health care providers abide by a Hippocratic Oath in their practice. The essence of that oath: “First, do no harm.” In other words, don’t rush so quickly into the treatment of a patient that you make a mistake… be sure you’re doing the right thing. Likewise, a river clean-up project should be conducted with care, so that the best of intentions do not yield harmful, unintended consequences.
First, be safe. Be careful of your footing. Don’t over extend yourself. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way. A river—any river—can have surprising currents, submerged hazards, inescapably slick shorelines, and other hazards. Know your limitations, and err on the side of caution. Anything that seems a bit too heavy—or just out of reach—can wait to be recovered another way, another day. The Minnesota DNR has loads of helpful tips about how to conduct a safe cleanup. Visit their web site for more information.
Hazardous waste. If you come across paint cans, drums or barrels which could contain petroleum products, fertilizers or other potentially hazardous waste… your smartest move is to not move them at all. If these objects are poorly sealed or partially rusted, even the slightest movement could cause their contents to leak into the water. Worse yet, the contents of those canisters or drums could have explosive or combustible properties. If there is even a chance… leave those objects alone, make a note of their location, and share that information with the proper authorities.
Respect the wildlife and their habitat. We’ve been lucky to see a lot of different critters on or near the water, including muskrats, beaver, raccoons, fox, deer, turtles, bald eagles, cranes… Minnesota and Wisconsin are blessed with an amazing variety of wildlife which depend on the river for sustenance. It’s a good idea to remember they “we’re just visiting, and they live here.” In some cases, this respect is mandated by law. For example, mussels are a completely protected species on the St. Croix River. (It is even unlawful to collect an empty shell.)
Protect and report culturally significant or historically important artifacts. Don’t move them or alter their position. Instead, record their location, take a photo of the object if you can, and report your findings to the National Park Service, Department of Natural Resources, or whichever agency has jurisdiction over the waterway where the finding occurred. For example, on the St. Croix Scenic Riverway, there is a Cultural Resources Specialist who is in charge of providing guidance in the protection of cultural and historic artifacts. Her name is Jean Schaeppi, and you can click here to send an email to her with any questions you might have on the topic. Jean will tell you that the National Park Service is very interested in these items, however, once they are removed from their location, they lose much of their historical importance and become just another historical object. Again: leave them alone, record their position, and report them to Jean (on the St. Croix) or other appropriate authority.
Beware that not all junk is trash! In our surveillance of the Mississippi River, we’ve come across a lot of concrete and cinder block along the shoreline… but not all of it is bad! To be sure, there are a few sites where someone has clearly dumped their leftover construction materials or items removed during a project demolition. But in other cases, discarded concrete has been used by the city, county or state to protect the riverbank from erosion. So if you come across a bunch of street curbing or cinderblock, don’t assume they should be removed. They might be serving an important purpose.
Respect property rights. People who own the property adjacent to a river have the right to control traffic on their land. If you’ll be conducting a cleanup effort which involves land that is privately owned by a person or business, ask their permission. If your cleanup involves “public” lands, you might still need permission; our efforts, so far, have required communication with Three Rivers Park District, Minneapolis Parks and Recreation, Anoka County Parks & Rec, the National Park Service, and we’ve also been in touch with both the Minnesota and Wisconsin DNR offices. County administrators can usually help you figure out who the landowners are… so that you can clean up the river without getting into hot water.
Natural states. When working on a clean-up, I’m of the opinion is that if Mother Nature put something in the river, it is not my job to take it out. Often, there will be logs jarred against a fishing pier or bridge truss which can cause debris to gather. In that case, I have no interest in trying to remove the logs or branches. That’s up to nature. My job is to focus on the debris that was placed by human hands.
Anyone who has had the chance to spend time on the river and appreciate its’ beauty can become passionate about efforts to preserve and cleanse those waterways. But in our enthusiasm, it is important to “first, do no harm.” A river can be a fragile thing… and we’re well advised to handle it with care.
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
First, be safe. Be careful of your footing. Don’t over extend yourself. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way. A river—any river—can have surprising currents, submerged hazards, inescapably slick shorelines, and other hazards. Know your limitations, and err on the side of caution. Anything that seems a bit too heavy—or just out of reach—can wait to be recovered another way, another day. The Minnesota DNR has loads of helpful tips about how to conduct a safe cleanup. Visit their web site for more information.
Hazardous waste. If you come across paint cans, drums or barrels which could contain petroleum products, fertilizers or other potentially hazardous waste… your smartest move is to not move them at all. If these objects are poorly sealed or partially rusted, even the slightest movement could cause their contents to leak into the water. Worse yet, the contents of those canisters or drums could have explosive or combustible properties. If there is even a chance… leave those objects alone, make a note of their location, and share that information with the proper authorities.
Respect the wildlife and their habitat. We’ve been lucky to see a lot of different critters on or near the water, including muskrats, beaver, raccoons, fox, deer, turtles, bald eagles, cranes… Minnesota and Wisconsin are blessed with an amazing variety of wildlife which depend on the river for sustenance. It’s a good idea to remember they “we’re just visiting, and they live here.” In some cases, this respect is mandated by law. For example, mussels are a completely protected species on the St. Croix River. (It is even unlawful to collect an empty shell.)
Protect and report culturally significant or historically important artifacts. Don’t move them or alter their position. Instead, record their location, take a photo of the object if you can, and report your findings to the National Park Service, Department of Natural Resources, or whichever agency has jurisdiction over the waterway where the finding occurred. For example, on the St. Croix Scenic Riverway, there is a Cultural Resources Specialist who is in charge of providing guidance in the protection of cultural and historic artifacts. Her name is Jean Schaeppi, and you can click here to send an email to her with any questions you might have on the topic. Jean will tell you that the National Park Service is very interested in these items, however, once they are removed from their location, they lose much of their historical importance and become just another historical object. Again: leave them alone, record their position, and report them to Jean (on the St. Croix) or other appropriate authority.
Beware that not all junk is trash! In our surveillance of the Mississippi River, we’ve come across a lot of concrete and cinder block along the shoreline… but not all of it is bad! To be sure, there are a few sites where someone has clearly dumped their leftover construction materials or items removed during a project demolition. But in other cases, discarded concrete has been used by the city, county or state to protect the riverbank from erosion. So if you come across a bunch of street curbing or cinderblock, don’t assume they should be removed. They might be serving an important purpose.
Respect property rights. People who own the property adjacent to a river have the right to control traffic on their land. If you’ll be conducting a cleanup effort which involves land that is privately owned by a person or business, ask their permission. If your cleanup involves “public” lands, you might still need permission; our efforts, so far, have required communication with Three Rivers Park District, Minneapolis Parks and Recreation, Anoka County Parks & Rec, the National Park Service, and we’ve also been in touch with both the Minnesota and Wisconsin DNR offices. County administrators can usually help you figure out who the landowners are… so that you can clean up the river without getting into hot water.
Natural states. When working on a clean-up, I’m of the opinion is that if Mother Nature put something in the river, it is not my job to take it out. Often, there will be logs jarred against a fishing pier or bridge truss which can cause debris to gather. In that case, I have no interest in trying to remove the logs or branches. That’s up to nature. My job is to focus on the debris that was placed by human hands.
Anyone who has had the chance to spend time on the river and appreciate its’ beauty can become passionate about efforts to preserve and cleanse those waterways. But in our enthusiasm, it is important to “first, do no harm.” A river can be a fragile thing… and we’re well advised to handle it with care.
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
Friday, April 18, 2008
The project summary: A follow-up to our brainstorming session with the Ocean Conservancy
After our conference call with Sonya and Katherine at the Ocean Conservancy back in March, they asked whether we’d be willing to provide a written overview of our project. They thought having it might help them explain geotrashing and the rest of our project to people who work on the Ocean Conservancy’s “International Coastal Cleanup” team.
Truth be told, we found their interest a bit gratifying. After all, even though our first major clean-up campaign occurred more than 14 years ago, Julie and I are relative newbies to the cause. Having the interest of an organization like the Ocean Conservancy, in a way, validates some of our work. So we did our best to hastily draft a report. (Perhaps a bit too hastily… please forgive any typos you discover!)
Since then, we have shared copies of the Project Summary with several people familiar with our project. One of those recipients was Kris Stepenuck, coordinator of the WAV program for the University of Wisconsin Extension Service and the Wisconsin DNR. She responded by asking if she could post it at the program’s web site. We agreed… so if you’d like to download a PDF copy of the overview, you can click here. (Warning: It is 8 MB, due to intense use of photography.) The document is designed to be read from the screen, rather than be printed; it provides the reader with a set of links to gain more information about any topic mentioned.
Writing the report was a healthy exercise, because it helped us realize how far we’ve come in a relatively short time. But it was helpful for another reason: While we’ve kept a chronicle of our activities at this blog, the nature of blogging means the reader will read everything backwards… the most recent posting is the first thing you see. Writing a project summary forced us to put everything back into chronological order. (So, “in case you’ve just joined us,” it’s a great way to get caught up on this project!) Click here to open.
-Mike
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
Truth be told, we found their interest a bit gratifying. After all, even though our first major clean-up campaign occurred more than 14 years ago, Julie and I are relative newbies to the cause. Having the interest of an organization like the Ocean Conservancy, in a way, validates some of our work. So we did our best to hastily draft a report. (Perhaps a bit too hastily… please forgive any typos you discover!)
Since then, we have shared copies of the Project Summary with several people familiar with our project. One of those recipients was Kris Stepenuck, coordinator of the WAV program for the University of Wisconsin Extension Service and the Wisconsin DNR. She responded by asking if she could post it at the program’s web site. We agreed… so if you’d like to download a PDF copy of the overview, you can click here. (Warning: It is 8 MB, due to intense use of photography.) The document is designed to be read from the screen, rather than be printed; it provides the reader with a set of links to gain more information about any topic mentioned.
Writing the report was a healthy exercise, because it helped us realize how far we’ve come in a relatively short time. But it was helpful for another reason: While we’ve kept a chronicle of our activities at this blog, the nature of blogging means the reader will read everything backwards… the most recent posting is the first thing you see. Writing a project summary forced us to put everything back into chronological order. (So, “in case you’ve just joined us,” it’s a great way to get caught up on this project!) Click here to open.
-Mike
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Sharing ideas for inland water restoration with the Ocean Conservancy
Back in January, Paul Nordell from the Minnesota DNR encouraged me to get in touch with several organizations, and let them know about our river restoration strategies. He was an early supporter of our project, and thought others would be interested by our approach, too.
We took Paul's advice, and did hear back from several groups. One of the most fascinating: the Ocean Conservancy. Specifically, I was invited to participate in a conference call with Sonya Besteiro and Katherine Sherman; they were hoping to hear more about our approach to geo-tagging large scale objects and oversized debris fields (aka “Geotrashing”).
Sonya is the Manager, and Kate is the Project Coordinator, for the organizations’ annual International Coastal Cleanup. Every September, volunteers “storm the beaches,” intent on removing trash and debris from coastal areas and waterways. Don’t let the reference to “coastal” fool you… the group boasts “project coordinators” in all fifty states, as well as five U.S. territories. And the word “International” is used with merit: The organization has a presence in 127 countries around the globe... and volunteers in 76 different countries participated in the 2007 cleanup. The effort resulted in the removal of more than 6 million pounds of trash.
One of the challenges (these are my words, not theirs): When all those volunteers show up, you don’t want them wasting time trying to figure out where their help is needed. Instead, you want those volunteers going right to work, removing pollution… not heading off on a scavenger hunt, unsure of where their effort will do the most good. As you can imagine, a successful clean-up involving this many people requires some exhaustive scouting work in advance... and thousands of these events occur simultaneously with each of the annual ICC events!
It was my pleasure to explain how we’ve been using digital photography and GPS tools to inventory the pollution problems here in Minnesota. Deploying this same approach, casual beach-combers, kayakers, boaters or hikers could begin to record where pollution problems exist… and a library could be created, offering the reconnaissance necessary to put the right number of volunteers in the right places to solve the most important problems. Maintaining such a catalog of "debris targets" could make the deployment of manpower more efficient and effective.
We took Paul's advice, and did hear back from several groups. One of the most fascinating: the Ocean Conservancy. Specifically, I was invited to participate in a conference call with Sonya Besteiro and Katherine Sherman; they were hoping to hear more about our approach to geo-tagging large scale objects and oversized debris fields (aka “Geotrashing”).Sonya is the Manager, and Kate is the Project Coordinator, for the organizations’ annual International Coastal Cleanup. Every September, volunteers “storm the beaches,” intent on removing trash and debris from coastal areas and waterways. Don’t let the reference to “coastal” fool you… the group boasts “project coordinators” in all fifty states, as well as five U.S. territories. And the word “International” is used with merit: The organization has a presence in 127 countries around the globe... and volunteers in 76 different countries participated in the 2007 cleanup. The effort resulted in the removal of more than 6 million pounds of trash.
One of the challenges (these are my words, not theirs): When all those volunteers show up, you don’t want them wasting time trying to figure out where their help is needed. Instead, you want those volunteers going right to work, removing pollution… not heading off on a scavenger hunt, unsure of where their effort will do the most good. As you can imagine, a successful clean-up involving this many people requires some exhaustive scouting work in advance... and thousands of these events occur simultaneously with each of the annual ICC events!It was my pleasure to explain how we’ve been using digital photography and GPS tools to inventory the pollution problems here in Minnesota. Deploying this same approach, casual beach-combers, kayakers, boaters or hikers could begin to record where pollution problems exist… and a library could be created, offering the reconnaissance necessary to put the right number of volunteers in the right places to solve the most important problems. Maintaining such a catalog of "debris targets" could make the deployment of manpower more efficient and effective.
It was a delightful and intense conversation; these things happen when passionate people of like minds are focused on problems like ocean and river restoration. Sonya and Kate are remarkable people working for what I’ve come to realize is an amazing organization. I only hope our brainstorming session and subsequent dialogue will be as helpful to them as it was enlightening for me.
One of the wonderful byproducts of our conversation with the Ocean Conservancy is learning of the group’s presence right here in Minnesota. Sarah Erickson is the Director of Education at the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth… and she is also the project coordinator for the International Coastal Cleanup here in the land of lakes. I’ve already had one brief email exchange with Sarah, and know she’ll be a great resource.
Julie and I feel privileged to share ideas with folks like Sarah, Katherine and Sonya. As we indicated in a recent posting at DisposeOfProperly.com, inland behaviors can have a profound impact on estuaries and oceans which wait far downstream. Gradually, we hope to grow our body of knowledge about the relationship between inland waters and the saltwater seas they're flowing into... at a site which serves as a companion to this blog, called http://cleanupthecoast.com/.
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
One (Earth) Day Isn't Enough
One of the best things to ever happen to the planet: Earth Day. According to Wikipedia, Earth Day was born in the Pacific Northwest back in 1969, with the idea of promoting conservation, preservation and care for the planet. With its’ early roots on college campuses, “Earth Day” is a bellwether event in bringing environmental issues to the front of the world’s newspapers and to the forefront of peoples’ minds.
Park systems, public service groups and activist organizations of all kinds get involved in Earth Day. It is a very good thing.
One of the worst things to ever happen to the planet: The day after Earth Day. An unfortunate byproduct of Earth Day is that, for some, it can create the illusion that a single day of stewardship is sufficient. That 1/365th of our time should be devoted to “supporting the cause” of environmental awareness or action. It's great that folks come out and volunteer... but it would be tragic if that single day of effort were to leave anyone with a false sense of accomplishment, or the idea that one day per year might be adequate to clean-up what needs cleaning.
Pardon my brief rant. And please don’t mistake the intentions of my remarks. It is important to celebrate Earth Day, and I’ll be doing it, too. But I encourage anyone and everyone to elevate their Earth Day frame of mind… to a lifetime of care and commitment.
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
Park systems, public service groups and activist organizations of all kinds get involved in Earth Day. It is a very good thing.
One of the worst things to ever happen to the planet: The day after Earth Day. An unfortunate byproduct of Earth Day is that, for some, it can create the illusion that a single day of stewardship is sufficient. That 1/365th of our time should be devoted to “supporting the cause” of environmental awareness or action. It's great that folks come out and volunteer... but it would be tragic if that single day of effort were to leave anyone with a false sense of accomplishment, or the idea that one day per year might be adequate to clean-up what needs cleaning.
Pardon my brief rant. And please don’t mistake the intentions of my remarks. It is important to celebrate Earth Day, and I’ll be doing it, too. But I encourage anyone and everyone to elevate their Earth Day frame of mind… to a lifetime of care and commitment.
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
High (water) marks for the USGS
It’s been a long winter, and we’re eager to get on the water to begin cleaning. Julie and I took a drive to the park where one of our surveys had revealed a lot of debris, in the hope of figuring out whether it would be possible to organize a clean-up for Earth Day.
It was not to be. The spring rains and snowmelt runoff leaves the Mississippi River too high for safe recovery efforts. The high water leaves literally no riverbank to walk… only a ledge that would put people at risk of falling into very cold and fast moving water.
So I went home and hit the web, with the goal of comparing the river level from September 29, 2007 (the date we surveyed this part of the river) to the river level this week. I found most of my answers at the US Geological Survey. But the web site only provided historic discharge (which is the volume of water moving through the river). I could not find a historic record of water level… which is what I was after. So I found a phone number for the USGS office in Mounds View, and was connected with Eric Wakeman. Within just a few minutes, Eric was able to provide me with precisely the 2007 annual watermarks I needed.
This is a valuable resource! Now, I can check-in to see the real-time river levels at USGS.gov… and compare the water depth today to that of the survey date. In other words, I’ll know when the water has receded far enough to again expose the items we inventoried last fall.
The USGS long been a resource to taxpayers and government agencies; today, it finds a new use in our river restoration projects. My thanks to Eric Wakeman, and all the folks at USGS.
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
When you get help like this, even a challenging project can be... "a walk in the park"
On our Mississippi River survey trips last fall, we were seeing a lot of river bank for the first time (and much of this "first look" was coming from the seat of a 10’ kayak). We were considering the situation only from the perspective of the river, without regard to where the river sat, in relationship to the Twin Cities we know and love. There are some easy-to-recognize bridges, of course. But the buildings and landscape look different from this point of view.
After capturing digital photos and GPS waypoints of voluminous trash targets and debris fields, we had the winter and spring to see where all of these hot spots were, exactly. As luck would have it, many of the metro Mississippi clean-up sites we’ve identified lie within three different park districts. [Note: When you’re planning a river clean-up, it is critical to gain permission of the land-owners involved, giving volunteers access to the areas where a clean-up will occur.] Having our target areas within these park systems has served to accelerate the process.
First, it was my good fortune to get the help of Jeff Perry, the Park Operations Manager for Anoka County Parks and Recreation Department. Much of the shoreline which remains to be surveyed on this part of our adopted Mississippi lies on the eastern shoreline… and Jeff has let us know we need only to give him a call in advance of our clean-up efforts.
Next, Del Miller got me in touch with his colleague, Steve Fatsis, the Guest Services Manager for Three Rivers Park District. Upon hearing about our project, Steve was more than pleased to provide us with a season-long permit to use the Three Rivers access areas which lie on the western shore just south of I-694 in the Brooklyn Center area. The Three Rivers Park District took this area over relatively recently, and they see our initiative as another way they can jump-start the stewardship of this precious stretch of riverbank.
Last but not least, we got in touch with Tina Austin, the River District Crew Leader for Minneapolis Parks and Recreation. Tina is obviously a doer, and connected us quickly with Group Coordinator Arik Rudolph, and she has even led us to the gentleman in charge of the Boom Island park area on the other side of the river (and downstream). Further, Tina offered the cooperation of her department in disposing of items we recover from MP&R lands. (Again, Tina is obviously a doer!)
Navigating the proper channels.
When you're not familiar with the officials in charge of public lands, it can be time consuming to figure who to talk to, much less who's in charge. My wife and I would like to thank Jeff, Dell, Steve, Tina and Arik for making shortwork of the paperwork… and helping us get to the solution faster! When the weather and river levels allow… I’d rather be in the water—making it better—than sitting behind a desk trying to figure out how to get permission to do the right thing. Thanks to you all.
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
After capturing digital photos and GPS waypoints of voluminous trash targets and debris fields, we had the winter and spring to see where all of these hot spots were, exactly. As luck would have it, many of the metro Mississippi clean-up sites we’ve identified lie within three different park districts. [Note: When you’re planning a river clean-up, it is critical to gain permission of the land-owners involved, giving volunteers access to the areas where a clean-up will occur.] Having our target areas within these park systems has served to accelerate the process.
First, it was my good fortune to get the help of Jeff Perry, the Park Operations Manager for Anoka County Parks and Recreation Department. Much of the shoreline which remains to be surveyed on this part of our adopted Mississippi lies on the eastern shoreline… and Jeff has let us know we need only to give him a call in advance of our clean-up efforts.Next, Del Miller got me in touch with his colleague, Steve Fatsis, the Guest Services Manager for Three Rivers Park District. Upon hearing about our project, Steve was more than pleased to provide us with a season-long permit to use the Three Rivers access areas which lie on the western shore just south of I-694 in the Brooklyn Center area. The Three Rivers Park District took this area over relatively recently, and they see our initiative as another way they can jump-start the stewardship of this precious stretch of riverbank.Last but not least, we got in touch with Tina Austin, the River District Crew Leader for Minneapolis Parks and Recreation. Tina is obviously a doer, and connected us quickly with Group Coordinator Arik Rudolph, and she has even led us to the gentleman in charge of the Boom Island park area on the other side of the river (and downstream). Further, Tina offered the cooperation of her department in disposing of items we recover from MP&R lands. (Again, Tina is obviously a doer!)Navigating the proper channels.
When you're not familiar with the officials in charge of public lands, it can be time consuming to figure who to talk to, much less who's in charge. My wife and I would like to thank Jeff, Dell, Steve, Tina and Arik for making shortwork of the paperwork… and helping us get to the solution faster! When the weather and river levels allow… I’d rather be in the water—making it better—than sitting behind a desk trying to figure out how to get permission to do the right thing. Thanks to you all.
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
A busy winter, preparing for an even busier spring
If you were judging by the frequency of postings over the past month, you might think little was happening with our river restoration efforts. But while work (my real job) has been particularly demanding recently, it is also true that we’ve been “painting the corners” on evenings and weekends, gathering an important collection of additional connections and resources.
Like the relationship we already enjoy with the DNR offices in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, these new acquaintances will provide guidance, experience and other valuable assistance as we move forward.
For example, we were finally able to connect with a group called “Friends of the Mississippi” here in the Twin Cities metro area. Irene Jones took time to chat and introduce us to the rich history of this group of citizens. They are involved in stewardship efforts that run from Anoka to Hastings, including clean-up efforts which generally focus more on the central- and south-metro area (from the Stone Arch Bridge in downtown Minneapolis, southward through the area known as “The Gorge”), and in the Vermillion watershed. (I'm betting we can learn much from their experience and success.) Friends of the Mississippi has a record of consistency. They’ve been involved with river clean-ups for better than 15 years… and realize that river restoration takes more than an annual weekend event. According to Irene, they are also involved in land protection and restoration, water quality, land use and riverfront development issues in a variety of areas. In the Above the Falls area, their work focuses on land use, development and park planning. You can read more about their endeavors at http://www.fmr.org/.
Irene has directed me toward a couple of other organizations and contacts that will provide valuable help going forward. It is a privilege to be among “Friends.”
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
Like the relationship we already enjoy with the DNR offices in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, these new acquaintances will provide guidance, experience and other valuable assistance as we move forward.
For example, we were finally able to connect with a group called “Friends of the Mississippi” here in the Twin Cities metro area. Irene Jones took time to chat and introduce us to the rich history of this group of citizens. They are involved in stewardship efforts that run from Anoka to Hastings, including clean-up efforts which generally focus more on the central- and south-metro area (from the Stone Arch Bridge in downtown Minneapolis, southward through the area known as “The Gorge”), and in the Vermillion watershed. (I'm betting we can learn much from their experience and success.) Friends of the Mississippi has a record of consistency. They’ve been involved with river clean-ups for better than 15 years… and realize that river restoration takes more than an annual weekend event. According to Irene, they are also involved in land protection and restoration, water quality, land use and riverfront development issues in a variety of areas. In the Above the Falls area, their work focuses on land use, development and park planning. You can read more about their endeavors at http://www.fmr.org/.Irene has directed me toward a couple of other organizations and contacts that will provide valuable help going forward. It is a privilege to be among “Friends.”
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Removing light trash and oversized debris fields
+GPS+copy.jpg)
(Mending the Mississippi: A Site 3 Project.) So far, we’ve explained “recovery targets” made of some pretty large objects: Concrete and construction debris, scrap iron, tires, and even safes. But the fifth target we’ll focus on is the collection 
of light trash and “litter” items... some of which have gathered into rather large debris fields. These fields can be waterborne, deposited by the current of a river into an eddy or against a bridge footing… or, wind, waves, current or water recession can deposit the trash onto the shoreline. Any obstruction to the river’s current can cause a debris field to materialize, from man-made piers and docks, to natural obstructions like partially submerged logs or fallen branches.+copy.jpg)
There's a good reason that we have focused on these debris types last; as spring unlocks the ice from this part of the Mississippi, so will it unlock a wide variety of debris items, both upstream and downstream. Just because we had a fix on where these debris fields were located last fall, doesn't mean they'll be in the same place when the ice is out.
I first became aware of the significant problems light trash can cause when working on the 1994 Mississippi Headwaters clean-up project in Northern Minnesota. Bob Wagner, then a co-chair for the Headwaters Canoe Club, recounted 
the endless supply of Styrofoam bait containers and plastic bottles and cups he had seen while cruising the river. He opened our eyes to just how much of this crud is floating through our waterways. With regard to harming the waterways, its marine life and adjacent habitat, small trash items can have a major impact. (Please see the postings titled "Paying for our plastic" as well as "Hiding under the snow," both recently published at our sister site, DisposeOfProperly.com.) Plastic bottles and cups, along with other "floatable" debris are among the most important pollutants we can remove in the process of river restoration. Recovery of these items can have a favorable impact not only here in Minnesota, but all the way down the river, to the Delta, into the Gulf of Mexico, and beyond.The Google Map below illustrates where these sites are located (click on the link just below the map to enlarge it). As I’ve explained in a previous posting, after enlarging the map it becomes possible to view the area in Google Earth, thus allowing the waypoints on this route to be transferred to your handheld GPS with just a few drag & drop maneuvers.
View Larger Map
The photos within this posting are placed in essentially geographical order, as if you were traveling North to South on the Rice Creek-to-Boom Island route (see Site 3 clean-up). For more information about this project, or to get involved, feel free to drop us an email.
NOTE: Anyone who attempts to recover the items listed in this posting does so at their own risk. Please adhere to the safety instructions and guidelines provided by the DNR. Finally, let me know if you either intend to remove one or more of these items or debris fields, or that you have succeeded in doing so. Simply share your success story email, and we’ll be happy to publish it at CleanUpTheRiver.com.
© 2008 Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.
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