This newsletter is a publication of the Central Iowa Paddlers (formerly Central Iowa Canoe Club), an informal group of paddlesport enthusiasts. The mission of the club is to share information, promote recreation opportunities and paddlesport safety, and encourage care of our aquatic resources. The group includes new and experienced paddlers with canoes and kayaks of all kinds. Pass the word!

I met recently with friends over grilled salmon to discuss plans for our western Canada sea kayaking adventure. In mid-July we will spend a few days paddling with Orca off Vancouver Island. Then we'll ferry across the inside passage and paddle along a bit of British Columbia coast line. The guidebooks talk about rainforest and fir forests, rocky coastline and great beaches, ferries and seaplanes, delicious seafood, etc. I have never toured by sea kayak before, so I am both scared and excited about the trip.

Remember the yellow kayak I got earlier this year? I've had it out about once a week since February to get my arms in shape for this trip. I'll let you know if the plan worked!
I hope you are enjoying summer! -Editor, Robin Fortney

Bring your kayak or canoe. Bring your experience or lack thereof. Practice your paddling and safety skills and meet other paddlers. We meet rain or shine, but we do get off the water during when there is lightning!

Our thanks to Rob Tull who has been hosting Club Night since early May. Rob has paddled quiet Iowa streams, wild white water, coastal waters and Lake Superior. He and other experienced paddlers share their paddling expertise and experience each Tuesday night from 6 to 8 o'clock. Ten to fifteen people are showing up when the weather is nice.

Want to practice the Eskimo roll or try a new paddling stroke? Come join us!

Let us know if you have paddling equipment to trade, sell or give away and we'll let folks know about it.

Canoe for Sale: Grumman aluminum canoe; 17 feet; approx. 20 years old; excellent condition; $400. Contact Richard Wacha @ 515-274-2931 or sjwacha@aol.com.

Our sources tell us that you have an opportunity to participate in the kayaking/canoeing events for the Iowa Games to be held at Gray's Lake on July 17. Visit your local Hy-Vee Store to get the information brochure. You can also sign up the day of the games.

Gerry Rowland reports that since he put up the Des Moines River web site in December, he's had lots of letters and e-mails. Here are some highlights of the past five months:

County conservation boards in 7 of 12 counties with river access points have endorsed the river trail concept

A major improvement project is underway in Rutland, Humboldt County, with a major fundraiser on the river planned for July 10

Des Moines River Greenbelt Commission is very receptive to the river trail idea

Web site now includes the Central Iowa Paddlers newsletter

Red Wing Access in Keokuk has been restored and given new signage

Check out www.keokukia.com/desmoinesriver and www.netins.net/showcase/gazebo/news.html!

The evening of June 23 was just perfect for remembering the many contributions of Iowa's own "Ding" Darling. Dozens of conservation supporters, area neighbors and paddlers came to Prospect Park in Des Moines for the celebration. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Polk County Conservation Board and the City of Des Moines have worked together to establish the "Ding" Darling Greenway. Measured by our own Gerry Rowland, it is 9.1 miles of Des Moines River greenbelt from Saylorville Dam to Des Moines.

Jay N. "Ding" Darling was well known as a Des Moines Register cartoonist and conservationist. He was also an excellent artist, and helped found the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Federation and Ducks Unlimited.

"Ding" and his wife donated the Prospect Park land to the City of Des Moines in 1939. Visit the park sometime soon and check out the beautiful marker placed near the boat map.

On June 27, a group of six kayakers will leave Squaw Bay, Canada for ECOLS99. ECOLS99 means "Environmental Crossing of Lake Superior 1999." The group will include Chad Brey, Don Dimond, Kevin Geshel, Brock Hunter, Rick Wright and me. We'll leave Canada and paddle 24 miles of open water to Isle Royale, go through customs and then camp on Grace Island off the tip of Isle Royale. This will be a 30+ mile day. After setting up camp on Grace Island we will wait for a good weather report before starting the 50-mile open water crossing attempt to Houghton, Michigan. With a good weather report, we will start in the evening to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and lighter winds. We will try to paddle an average of 4.5 miles per hour and take a five-minute break every hour. The crossing will take 12 to 16 hours.

We are doing this event in conjunction with the National Wildlife Federation to support the designation of "outstanding national water" for Lake Superior. This designation will help minimize lake pollution and improve water quality.

As you can imagine, ECOLS99 has involved a lot of planing and preparation. Crossing Lake Superior in a kayak isn't something to take lightly. The team has been training about every other day in our boats. We need to average 4.5 mph to get across the lake in the shortest possible time. Unpredictable weather and shipping lanes make crossing the big lake in a small boat a risky thing to do, and something that's best done in a hurry.

I've been training since early March I'm in the best paddling shape of my life. I've paddled uncounted miles on the Des Moines River and on local lakes. I also have been going to Lake Superior every other weekend to train with members of the team. I owe a big thank you to Dave Warden for training with me at least once a week. Thanks Dave! As much as I like to paddle, it would have been much harder to do every other day without someone to paddle with.

I did my last paddle training Sunday, June 20th on Red Rock Lake and Dave was with me. We did an easy 21 miles at an average speed of 4.6 mph. I'll take the rest of the week off to heal any small injuries I may have, and drive to Thunder Bay on Saturday, June 26. I hope we have good weather to pull this thing off. A different team tried last year, but had to abort the attempt. With a little luck we'll make it and maybe have an impact on how Lake Superior is treated.

Actually, the lake is beautiful even at current pollution levels. Come paddle with us sometime and see for yourself.

Please send highlights of your trip to the Newsletter Editor as soon as possible after your event so we can all enjoy hearing about your adventures!

John Poston hosted a wonderful float trip on the Chariton River on May 8. We put in at the access on river left just below Rathbun Dam. The day was overcast, but the river had plenty of water. John warned us to call the Corps of Engineers ahead of time since the trip was a go with 600 cubic feet per second. The Chariton River valley is winding and wooded downstream from the dam. There were lots of snags that kept paddlers focused. The highlight of the day for me came near the beginning of the trip - I heard some rustling up on the bank and looked up to see four large river otters staring back at me! They galloped off and left me with a big smile. We also saw kingfishers and herons. There were six boats in our group - only one couple took a swim. They would tell you that the water is still pretty cold in early May! There weren't many good places to stop (bars were non-existent), but we found a lovely spot for lunch that John called Twin Oaks. We perched on the rambling roots of a big oak tree and told paddling stories. The take-out was muddy and we had to muscle our boats up a steep bank near a walnut orchard. Thanks, John, for a great trip! I hope you've made peace with the orchard owner!

A friend of mine and I decided to give ourselves a fun and easy goal of canoeing the Raccoon in segments this summer and did our first leg on June 1-2. We started as near the source as we could find access, which turned out to be southwest of Marathon at the intersection of C25 and M50. It was about 12 feet wide there and medium full, easy to canoe. There were stretches that resembled a drainage ditch and were dull, but mostly patches of wooded banks with lots of bends. There were some trees down, but no problem. Wildlife included deer, Canada geese families, duck families, many owls, groups of turtles and the usual wide variety of birds.

We took out that evening at C43, a terrible access but one that fit our timing. The second day was great: full banks, river 60 to 90 feet wide, winding, with big cottonwoods. Paddling was easy and there were few snags. We stopped at Voegl access which is marked on the IDNR canoeing publication (IDNR does not note anything upstream from this access). The Voegl access has a nice boat ramp and lots of parking and place to camp. We were not too ambitious, covering about 35 miles in two days. My guess is that the first day of our trip would not work if the river level were lower. If anyone is interested in other specifics, call me at 515-222-9917.

Bob McConkey and I took advantage of an offer from our friend Vic Clark in Fayette to tag along on the Upper Iowa University's trip to the Wolf River in early May. Weather reports were for rain all weekend and river levels were low, but we were available to do the trip and you can't always count on weather reports. By the time we arrived in the area the river was up past 20 inches on the gauge (1000 cfs). We hooked up with another paddler who has fifteen years experience doing the Wolf to get a personal tour and second shuttle. Water and air temps were in the 50's when we put in at the top of section 2 near Hollister. The access was nicely placed at the start of Class 2 rapids for a warm-up run. The high water turned some of the rapids into Class 3 and we used lots of adrenaline! Swimming in the Wolf requires you to remember the proper way to shoot a rapids outside your boat is pointing your feet downstream and floating until you find a safe place to get out! Bob and I paddled on the conservative side that afternoon. He only took one swim that resulted from his skirt coming off - we accused him of grabbing the pull loop so he could hold on through the rapids. At Gilmore's Mistake, there were several world class kayakers practicing surfing waves that looked like they belonged in the ocean. Excellent day!

Adds Jerry Kemperman: A group of us were driving to the Kettle River in Minnesota on Friday (in early May), but we heard about high water on the Wolf River in Wisconsin. At Interstate 90 we turned east to Wisconsin and had a great weekend on the Wolf. I saw Al F at Gilmore's Rapids where there was fabulous surfing, but really nasty rapids below if you wiped out. Our group had one badly scratched helmet, some banged up elbows and a couple of swimmers - in other words, a great time!

Paddlethought: Remember, you can never count on the weather, so take your blue skies with you!

In spite of threatening weather, a big group of hardy paddlers met on May 16 for the Minburn to Adel trip. We had an armada of sit-on-top and regular kayaks and solo and tandem canoes on the North Raccoon. The weather and river flow were perfect, and it would have been an easy float except for the strong head wind. We stopped for lunch on a large sandbar and had a good time chatting since many of the folks had never paddled together.

The usual wildlife greeted us: great blue herons, belted kingfishers, and cliff swallows; plus columbine, strawberries and sweet william were in bloom. We saw a nude male sunbather indifferent to the 12 boats and 19 paddlers that passed by what had probably seemed an isolated sandbar.

Gerry had his GPS unit along and determined the trip was 11.4 miles long, a bit longer than the DNR brochure had indicated.

We topped off a wonderful paddling day at the Dairy Stripe in Adel.

By mid-afternoon on June 13, eight paddlers gathered at Nations Bridge Park north of Stuart to float the South Raccoon River. The trip had been delayed while Al F and friends pulled his van and loaded canoe trailer from the muddy road north of Stuart. It rained on us for awhile, but the sun came out in late afternoon. You can do the South Raccoon only when the river is up - and it was perfect, though muddy. Jack lost his new sandals in the mud at the put-in and later a couple of paddlers (we'll not name names) took a swim in fast water. We were all looking like water buffalo by the time we got off the river. Rather than stop for supper afterward, we all took off for home and a hot shower!

Travel is what whitewater paddlers living in Iowa do a lot of. The 14 hours on the road this June weekend got us 10 hours of paddling. Worth it? You bet! The trip included a first Class IV run down the lower St. Louis River near Duluth for a friend of mine. After successfully running the "Twin Sisters" and the "Octopus" (where a cousin lost a boat this spring), we came to the "Swinging Bridge Falls." This starts with a three-foot wide slide that drops 15 feet into a pool where one then paddles blindly over a ledge called "Air Time." The kayak is in the air for a 10-foot drop. The sound of a kayak hitting the water is a loud "boof," thus the name for this maneuver. Pie-size is the description of my friend's eyes as he paddled over that ledge for his first-time boof. Then big smiles as he realized he made it.

Wisconsin and Minnesota white water river levels are dropping to good beginner levels. If you are interested in this type of paddling, it's a good time to take some lessons and give it a try.

Actually, I test paddled this eight-mile stretch the day before. The river was running at about 3 mph, and the water levels were down a foot or so from previous trips. Since this was my first time as a trip coordinator, I wanted to be sure we had stopping places. My only problem was that the lotion I used as sun screen turned out to be insect repellent, so I got a bit of a burn.

On Sunday, June 6, ten people and six boats gathered at Sycamore. Rob Tull and his trusty side-kick Dave had paddled up from Birdland as part of their training for the Lake Superior crossing, and had left two vehicles downstream. We waited until 10:30 and launched. It was a gray day with storms possible, but the radar had shown no storms in the immediate area.

We had two canoes in the party. Leslie and Jerry from Corydon had been on the Chariton River float several weeks ago and were pleased to be on the Des Moines. Peggy and Marty, recently arrived from Virginia, had their 2 kids along and had a great time. I have a nice photo of them if they contact me at 277-3092.

Rob and Dave had some fun knocking around an old fishing bobber with their paddles, and at one point we were treated to some kayak jousting which involved paddling at full speed and getting as close as possible to splash before the opponent. Bob M seemed to get the worst of it, waiting just a little too long to get his paddle in the water.

We made four miles in about an hour, and stopped briefly at the sandbar in Highland Park just across from the Wofley Creek bridge. Since stormy weather was moving in, we pressed on and got into Birdland Marina by 1:00 p.m. The shuttle cars got people and boats back together in short order, and all pronounced the day very enjoyable.

Get your copy of the new Iowa Canoe Guide published by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The guide lists Iowa rivers, describes the history and highlights of each stream, and provides an area map and mileage information.

This guide replaces the single river leaflets formerly available from the Department. Call the IDNR at 515-281-5918 to request a copy of the brochure.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has a program that may be of interest to Central Iowa Paddlers. According to Michelle Wilson, program coordinator, you can make a difference in the condition of Iowa's streams. Families, groups and individuals can enroll in the program and sign up to participate in projects such as:

· River cleanups
· Water quality monitoring
· Tree and grass plantings
· Stream bank stabilization
· Hiking trail development
· Fisheries habitat improvement
· Outdoor classrooms for kids

You enroll for a one-year term Participants will get a certificate of appreciation from the IDNR. Call Michelle Wilson, Program Administrator at 515-281-8675 for more information.

Another IDNR program is called the Protected Water Areas Program. The objectives of the program include:

· Protection high-quality natural areas
· Prevention of damage to outstanding water and land resources
· Enhancement of riparian and aquatic habitat for fish and wildlife
· Establishment of recreational use guidelines while observing landowners rights

Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) funds have provided support for the Protected Water Areas program. To date, five stream sections have been designated:

· Boone River in Hamilton County
· 177 miles of the Wapsipinicon River
· Little Sioux River in Clay County
· Middle Raccoon River
· Upper Iowa River in Winneshiek County

These are favorite streams for paddling and fishing. Paddlers can help protect these streams by scouting stream banks for erosion. If you see large eroded areas on any of the protected streams, please contact Michelle Wilson at 515-281-8675.

Michelle encourages paddlers to identify on a map the area where the erosion has been found (i.e., miles from an intersecting roadway or bridge, etc.) and note other distinguishing information about the site (i.e., approximate size and other characteristics) to help IDNR to find the area.

IDNR will contact a wildlife or fisheries biologist and schedule a site visit. The Department will then work with the landowner and Natural Resource Conservation Service to develop a plan to control the erosion.

Check out the IDNR website for more information about Protected Water Areas in Iowa: http://www.state.ia.us/government/dnr/organiza/ppd/parksdiv.htm. The information you want will be under the "Protected Water Areas" button.

Contact Michelle Wilson at 515-281-8675 if you have questions or to request a beautiful Iowa Rivers poster.

Remember to register your boat with the County Recorder in the county where you live. Take the manufacturer's certificate with you when you register your boat.

If your boat is 17 feet or longer it must be titled.

Every vessel operated on waters under the jurisdiction of the IDNR must be registered, though canoes and kayaks that are 13 feet or less in length do not need to be registered.

The registration certificate must be carried in the vessel or on the operator when the vessel is in use.

Contact the IDNR at 515-281-5918 for a copy of the Iowa Boating Regulations.

Participants: Contact the Trip Coordinator ahead of time in case river conditions or plans change. Take rain gear, extra clothes in a dry bag, plenty of water and snacks, hat, sun screen, PFD, and extra paddle.

Trip Coordinators: Provide the following information to trip participants: stream section or lake, date(s), meeting time and place, expected float time, your name and phone number, and level of difficulty.

Tuesdays, Club Night at Grays Lake, Des Moines
Bring your canoe or kayak and learn some paddling techniques and safety lessons in an informal situation. Meet at 6:00 p.m. Sessions will continue as long as there is interest.

Saturday to Monday, July 3-5, Root River Paddling and Biking Trip
Camp at the Old Barn Resort near Lanesboro in southeast Minnesota. Bring your canoe, bicycle and camping gear. Contact Trip Coordinator Bill Boyce at 515-282-4438 for more information.

Saturday, July 17, Iowa Games
Participate in the kayaking/canoeing events for the Iowa Games to be held at Gray's Lake on July 17. Visit your local Hy-Vee Store to get the information brochure.

Sunday, July 18, Dealers Choice
A day trip down a Central Iowa river (maybe the Boone or the Raccoon). Contact Trip Coordinators Karla Van Hall (515-277-2469) or Jim Scrivner (515-266-8699) for more information.

August 1-7, Great River Rumble on the Mississippi River
This strenuous seven-day canoe trip will take you about 147 miles down the majestic Mississippi River from historic Quincy, Illinois to beautiful St. Louis, Missouri. Write to Great River Rumble, POB 3408, Dubuque, IA 52004-3408, or call Rex Klein at 708-747-1969, or visit http://www/riverrumble.org for more information.

August 14, Swiftwater Festival, Ottumwa
Four-hour float trip on the Des Moines River, and lots of other activities. Contact the Ottumwa Courier at 515-684-4611 for information and schedule.

Sunday, August 22, Missouri River
Get some experience on serious moving water, the great Missouri River, near Omaha. Contact Trip Coordinator Gloria Waters at 402-339-0842 for more information.

Mid-September, Boundary Water Canoe Area
Contact Trip Coordinator Bill Graham at 515-274-4319 for more information about location and dates.

Sunday, December 26 to Saturday, January 1, Big Bend of the Rio Grand River Paddle in the new millenium! Contact Trip Coordinators Tom and Susan Thomas at 515-466-3670 for more information.

Maine's Moose River, Canyonland's Green River, Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Grand Canyon Rafting, and Voyageur's National Park Wilderness Inquiry has paddling trips scheduled to these locations in 1999. For dates and more information, call 612-379-3858.

SWIFTWATER FESTIVAL
OTTUMWA COURIER'S RIVER RIPPLE

AUGUST 14, 1999

The river is calling you! Round up your friends and family, load your canoe (or
beg, borrow, or rent one), and join us for a paddling adventure on the Des
Moines River on Saturday, August 14.

The Courier's River Ripple canoe float is being held in conjunction with the
2-day Swiftwater Festival. When you pull in to Ottumwa by canoe, you'll find
music, games, food and exhibits, the Iowa Historical Festival encampment, OAKFAD
War Day events, and more.

ROUTES

Voyageur: Eddyville to Ottumwa, 17 miles, 5-7 hours, 7:30 a.m. launch,
west on Hwy. 137 across river, turn right on Ajinomoto Drive, take first right
past Ajinomoto plant to Hardfish Landing.

Tenderfoot: Chillicothe to Ottumwa, 8 miles, 2-4 hours, 11:30 a.m. launch,
west end of Chillecothe Road bridge, upstream side, steep dirt road to river
between river and railroad tracks.

MEALS

Breakfast will be available for purchase at the Eddyville landing. Lunch will be
available for purchase at the Chillicothe landing.

SAFETY

YOU MUST WEAR A LIFE VEST WHEN ON THE RIVER. Participants will be required to
follow all instructions given to them by the group leaders. Each canoe must
have one adult in it. Participants under age 12 must be accompanied by a
parent. For safety, the entire flotilla will stay within the boundaries of the
lead canoe and the sweep canoe. This is an alcohol-free event. Motor boat
support will be provided by the Wapello County Sheriff.

TRANSPORTATION

Shuttles will be available to take you from Ottumwa back to your vehicle.

CANOE RENTAL

A limited number of rental canoes will be available at the launch sites for $30.

SWIFTWATER FESTIVAL
OTTUMWA'S RIVER RIPPLE
REGISTRATION FORM

Name(s)______________________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________ City ___________________ State ______
Zip _______
Phone W( )_______________________ H( )________________________

Second registration:
Name(s)
_____________________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________ City ___________________ State ______
Zip _______
Phone W( )_______________________ H(
)________________________

This registration is for: ___ 1 canoe/kayak, 2 persons
___ 1 canoe/kayak, 1 person
___ Other (please specify): _______________________

Registration fee: $10 a person by August 7
$13 a person after August 7
(Includes a T-shirt, insurance, shuttle transport)
Please indicate T-shirt size(s): S, M, L, XL, XXL

Total participants x registration fee: $____________ TOTAL DUE

Make check payable to: Ottumwa Courier
213 E. Second Street
Ottumwa, IA 52501

___ Check here if you will need a canoe rental

What is your likely launch site? ___ Eddyville (Voyageur) ____ Chillicothe (Tenderfoot)

Questions? Call 515-684-4611

AREA CAMPING AND LODGING

Ottumwa Park Campground, 515-682-1307
White House Bed & Breakfast, 515-932-3329
Country Inn Motel, 515-684-6535
Royal Rest, 515-684-6535
Stardust Motel, 515-684-6535
Colonial Motor Inn, 683-1661
Days Inn, 515-682-8131
Parkview Plaza, 515-682-8051
Inn Towner, 515-682-8075
Sleepy Hollow, 515-682-2495
Wapello Motel, 515-682-5405
Super 8 Motel, 515-684-5055
Fairfield Inn, 515-682-0000
Heartland Inn, 515-682-8526.

Canoeing is a potentially life-threatening sport. Participants on trips promoted by the club must accept responsibility and liability for their own preparedness and safety.

Please contact the Central Iowa Canoe Club at 688 Polk Boulevard, Des Moines, IA
50312 or 515-277-1763 if you would like more information about the club.

Formed in March 1997, Central Iowa Paddlers is an informal organization started by and for people who find enjoyment and relaxation in the sports of canoeing and kayaking. The group's purpose is to exchange information and share paddling experiences.

For a $5.00 annual fee, each subscriber will receive:

· Club newsletter in March, May, July, and September
· Subscription list
· Schedule of paddlesport events

Since this is a cooperative organization, subscribers and friends are encouraged to share information about trips taken, lessons learned, equipment, safety, access, outfitters, eats, etc.

Scheduled and pickup trips are encouraged. If you want to lead a trip, please provide the following information:

· Identify the stream section or lake
· Date(s)
· Meeting time and place
· Your name and phone number
· Class of river, or difficulty, if applicable

To put information in the newsletter, please submit a notice to the Newsletter Editor, Central Iowa Paddlers, 688 Polk Boulevard, Des Moines, IA 50312. Deadlines are Feb 15, Apr 15, Jun 15, Aug 15 or Nov 15. Use the subscriber list to contact people about spur-of-the-moment trips. Contact Editor Robin Fortney at 515-277-1763 or rbfortney@midamerican.com if you have any questions.

To subscribe, send the following information and annual fee of $5.00 to the Central Iowa Paddlers, 688 Polk Boulevard, Des Moines, IA 50312.

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

Name:
Street:
Address:
City, State, & Zip:
Day & Eve Phone:
Email Address:
Paddle sport interests:

Gerry suggests we join him in writing to promote the idea to individual cities & counties along the trail to build and maintain boat ramps, camping facilities & chemical toilets and signs for portage trails, warnings at obstacles, etc.

Similar trails have been set up in Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, Washington, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Illinois.
Why not Iowa??