Lake Superior Crossing Raises Water-Quality Awareness

When Michigan paddler Kevin Geshel returned to his native Keweenaw Peninsula on Lake Superior after a 13-year absence, he didn't like what he found. "I grew up fishing with my grandfather here," Geshel says. "When I moved back to Michigan two years ago I was surprised and saddened to hear warnings that I should only eat one fish meala week, and that my wife–who was pregnant at the time–shouldn't eat any at all. That's when it really hit home."

So Geshel decided to do something about it, teaming with four other paddlers and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) to promote an 18-hour paddle across Lake Superior in an effort to draw attention to water quality issues. The trip also had the goal of helping increase the chances of Lake Superior being designated an Outstanding National Resource Water (ONRW). Still, Geshel didn't take the crossing lightly, and included in his group Don Diamond, the only paddler to have crossed all five Great Lakes. "It's sobering that this lake has gotten the better of more than 20,000 seaworthy vessels in the past 150 years," Geshel says. "But our journey was carefully thought out and we were comfortable with the element of risk."

The group left on the morning of July 15, near Isle Royal and finished near Geshel's home on the Keeweenaw Peninsula. "I think the trip raised a lot of awareness about toxic pollution and the ONRW designation," says Tony DeFalco, Lake Superior Project Coordinator for the NWF. "The designation would be a great first step toward zero discharge of toxic chemicals."


Paddlers Raise Stink about
Potomac Smell

For decades, paddlers have complained about a stench along the Potomac River just upstream of Washington, D.C., as have people using the adjacent C&O Canal and towpath (a national park). It was assumed that the rotten egg smell assailing them was stagnant canal water. Not so, says the American Canoe Association (ACA), the Canoe Cruisers Association of Washington and the Potomac Conservancy. "D.C. essentially has a really bad gas problem," says ACA attorney David Bookbinder. According to Bookbinder, the source of the odor is large amounts of hydrogen sulfide spewing out of vents from the Potomac Interceptor sewer paralleling the riverbank and canal for several miles. The gas—a byproduct of raw sewage—is more than just offensive; it is actually dangerous, referred to by the EPA as "extremely toxic."

On Oct. 7, 1999, these groups filed a lawsuit against the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority for failure to properly install, operate, inspect and maintain the vents, a clear violation of requirements under its permit. "The stench emitted from the vents has long been a nuisance to people living, working and recreating along the C&O Canal," says Matthew Logan, Executive Director of the Potomac Conservancy. "The odor hangs like a dark cloud over the millions of visitors who enjoy the area."
—dj

Louisiana Says No to Dams

During its 1999 session the Louisiana legislature passed HB 962, a bill designed to strengthen the state's Scenic and Natural Rivers Act by prohibiting the placement of barricades, barriers, fences and other obstacles on rivers within the system. The bill was signed by Governor Foster and has become law. This new law will not only help protect the ecological and scenic qualities of Louisiana's waterways, it will improve the public's ability to recreate on these rivers. The law also orders the removal of a dam on Big Creek, a popular paddling stream. The law comes on the heels of other dam removals, most notably that of the Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River in Maine. Like most environmental successes, the law did not happen without hard work. Local groups, such as the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, the Pollock Area Chamber of Commerce, WATERS, the Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Federation spearheaded the effort to make the new protections a reality.
—dj

Park Service Ordered to Manage Niobrara River

A recent decision by U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler resulted in the management of Nebraska's Wild & Scenic Niobrara River remaining in the hands of the National Park Service (NPS). Under local pressure, the agency was seeking to turn management of the river over to a council composed largely of pro-development representatives. The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Canoe Association (ACA) and the National Parks and Conservation Association (NPCA) which asserted that the NPS could not legally give up its management responsibilities. "This decision affirms that the Niobrara belongs to all Americans and that the Park Service has a duty to protect it as such," says ACA Executive Director Jeff Yeager. After finding in favor of ACA and NPCA and issuing a strong rebuke to NPS, the Judge sent the agency back to the drawing board by requiring it to prepare a new general management plan and environmental impact statement, one that actually that complies with the National Environmental Policy Act.
—dj

River Runners
Team Up to Clean San Juan

The next time you float Utah's San Juan River, you might notice its banks are surprisingly cleaner. In September, the Grand Canyon Private Boaters Association joined New Mexico's Adobe Whitewater Club and the Colorado Whitewater Association for a week-long river clean up of the San Juan. "Nothing like that had ever happened there before," says trip coordinator Tom Martin. "This was the first time groups representing non-commercial river runners attempted a San Juan clean up together. All of our organizations deal with access and protection issues in our respective states so it made sense to work together. We were able to give back to the resource we enjoy while building stronger coalitions between our groups."
The groups were given the go ahead in early September by Utah Bureau of Land Management officials, who suggested some areas likely needing the most attention, including the heavily-visited region just down river from the Sand Island put-in. The party of 15 spent eight days cleaning up 84 miles of river during an unusually high run-off year. Their efforts paid off right away. At the first lunch stop downstream of Sand Island, the group gathered 600 pounds of junk, including a six-foot-diameter front loader tire. "There was so much garbage pilled on my boat I had to stand up to see over it," says participant Scott Thomas.
By the time the group reached the take-out at Clay Hills, the group accumulated more than 4,000 pounds of refuse, with the trash tally including 32 tires, a child car seat and an eight- by four-foot Road Closed sign. "But we did more than just pick up trash," says Richard Stoop, president of New Mexico's Adobe Whitewater Club. "This trip has allowed us to share our common issues, become acquainted with each groups local issues, and plan possible future cooperation." Realizing that a permanent bond had been created, the group is far from putting the lid on its plans to continue cleaning in the future. "We're already discussing getting together next spring for another one," says Liz Sutphin of the Colorado Whitewater Association. "We had a lot of fun and even did a little mud wrestling, so it wasn't all work."
—tb