Fort Dodge, June 1998 |
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| Return to Main Page | June 6, 1998 Editor Ft. Dodge Messenger I want to thank the Ft. Dodge police for checking to see if I was safe during my kayak portage around the low head dam on Tuesday, June 2. The officer was probably not quite sure what to think of a person in a "cat-in-the-hat" hat with a yellow kayak strapped to a cart. Or, perhaps he was taken with the "Enrich Iowa, Fund Libraries" stickers all over the boat. I also appreciate the concern of the fishermen who called the police and reported that I was having difficulty in the high water near the dam. I was fine, really. It was, however, quite a trick finding a place to pull my boat out above the swift-running water of the dam. I have a suggestion that might save the police a few trips to the waterfront. I have been kayaking on the Des Moines River for 3 years, making day trips of 10-20 miles in summer and winter. This summer, I have added a downstream tow car to my system, and I have been making trips of 20-40 miles. The previous day, I had paddled from Dolliver State Park to the Boone Water Works, about 38 river miles according to my portable GPS (global positioning system). With my trip through Ft. Dodge and down to Dolliver State Park, I have covered just about every inch of the river from Ft. Dodge to the Lake Red Rock dam, about 160 river miles. My goal this summer is to cover the Des Moines River from Minnesota to the Mississippi River. The Des Moines River is a lovely and under-used resource. My wife's family is from Ft. Dodge, and they have never seen anyone paddling a kayak on the river. I did not see anyone on the river during the 15 mile trip down to Dolliver, and I saw only one other boater on the Dolliver to Boone run. The scenery is spectacular, with high limestone and sandstone bluffs alternating with marshy lowlands and sleepy small towns. Occasionally, massive pilings from abandoned railroads stand like mighty monuments to a lost civilization. South of town, there are rusty tracks that disappear into the woods on rotting trestles. There are geese and goslings, magnificent red tailed hawks, and the occasional great blue heron that will fly out ahead of your boat, then wait for you downstream, only to take flight on great beating wings. I think that more people would paddle through Ft. Dodge if there was a better way to portage around the low head dam. There are access points above and below the hydro dam. There is also an access point below the low head dam. A graded ramp just above the dam would provide access to the shore, and allow boaters to enjoy a river trip through your lovely city. It would also mean that the river access points in Ft. Dodge might be listed in the next edition of the Iowa Fishing Atlas, which would bring tourism dollars to your fair city. Gerry Rowland 3521 Franklin Ave. Des Moines, Ia. 50310 |