Golden Hills RC&D will host a Freshwater Mussels Program on Saturday, June 1 at 10:00 am at Olsen Lodge in Botna Bend County Park, Hancock, IA.  

Join us for some classroom instruction before hitting the river to explore the mussel species found in the West Nishnabotna River. Remember to pack a lunch!

There is no limit to the number of participants in the classroom session running 10:00-11:30 am, followed immediately by lunch (please bring your own).  

But, to ensure adequate safety and effective instruction, the on-water session, beginning about Noon, will be limited to 20 boats.  Participants may use their own boats or boats/paddles/PFDs will be provided.  Follow the online registration instructions carefully to ensure that you are registering accurately for sessions and boats.

This event is free but due to space constraints, preregistration is required. 

Register online at:  http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=oqgqe6jab&oeidk=a07e7f924moda468e65 

Freshwater mussels can be found in many Iowa rivers and streams. They are valuable components of freshwater biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, and help keep the water clean by acting as Mother Nature's water filters. For something that looks like a living rock, they have a unique life cycle and interesting adaptations to the environment in which they live. Come learn more!

Presenter: Jennifer Kurth is a Natural Resources Biologist in the Watershed Improvement Section of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. She has a B.A in Theatre and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Minnesota and an M.S. in Ecology and Environmental Science from the University of Maine. Jennifer works on streams that are listed as impaired for aquatic life use (fish, bugs, and/or mussels) but the cause is unknown, and she likes to explain it as a sort of environmental CSI. Her area of expertise is freshwater mussels and she is currently in the midst of a six-year, state-wide survey of freshwater mussels in Iowa rivers and streams.

This event is cosponsored by Golden Hills RC&D and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.  For more information contact Emily Haase at Golden Hills RC&D; 712-482-3029 or Emily@goldenhillsrcd.org.  

The Great Iowa River Canoe & Kayak Race with Company Challenge serves as a community and fundraising event for the Iowa Valley RC&D.  The race is 9 miles from Sturgis Access in Iowa City to Hills Access in Hills.  Divisions include canoe, kayak, racing, recreation, youth, company challenge, and more.  The race is sanctioned by the United States Canoe Association.

Check in from 7:00-8:15 am at the Fin & Feather parking lot in Iowa City (including pre-registrants); receive race instructions at Sturgis Access at 8:30; race starts at 9:00.  Average run time is about 1.5 hours.  A free shuttle will be available.

A Pancake Breakfast will be available at Fin & Feather the morning of the race.  Find info about rules, T-shirts, and registration at http://www.ivrcd.org/projects-2/great-iowa-river-canoe-race. 

Invitation from Mary Hyland:

The Iowa River Greenbelt Resource Trust is sponsoring a June 8 clean-up on the Iowa River WT in Hardin County between Eldora and Daisy Long Memorial Park near Union.  This is the section that Project AWARE had to skip last July, due to low water levels, in spite of the perceived high trash levels.  It now looks like the water levels will be high enough to reschedule our clean-up.

Our clean-up will begin at the Eldora city boat ramp near the waste water treatment plant on the Southeast edge of Eldora. Don't want to get wet and muddy?  Even if you are not a paddler you can still help!   We need land volunteers to help with registration, sorting trash, and answering volunteer questions.   Please complete the registration form but make a note that you want to be a LAND VOLUNTEER.  

More info, an agenda, maps, and registration forms can be found on the Iowa River Greenbelt Resource Trust website: www.iowarivergreenbelt.org 

Thanks much and see ya' on the river.

Mary Hyland

1. Washington Park-Cedar Falls Access: Registration, receive bottled water, t-shirt, safety information and 1st poker card.
2. George Wyth Park Access: Receive 2nd poker card, fresh water, Freshwater Mussel education program.
3. Cedar Bend Park Access: Receive 3rd card, Aquatic Insect Sampling and Identification education program.
4. San Souci Park: Receive 4th card, Fish Assemblage (electro-fishing) Demonstration.

Jackson County Conservation will host a Summer Canoe Float/River Clean Up on Saturday, June 15, 2013, with a start time of 1:00 pm. The event will be held along the Maquoketa River from the Canton Access to the Royertown Access.  

A limited number of free canoes/kayaks will be available or bring your own. Pre-registration is requested to reserve a canoe/kayak and so we can be in contact with people in the event of weather or water conditions that require cancellation.

Please contact Environmental Education Coordinator Ann Burns, phone 563-652-3783, or email amburns29@jacksonccb.com.  Or visit http://jacksonccb.com/ 

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June 16 (tentative): Family Paddle and Picnic, West Nishnabotna WT.

Planning 8:00 am put on water, depart no later than 8:15; paddle Botna Bend to Oakland or Avoca to Botna Bend for lunch; free boat rental through RDO; registration fee for lunch ($ not yet set), local food may be available. For more information contact Emily Haase at Golden Hills RC&D; 712.482.3029 orEmily@goldenhillsrcd.org. 

JOIN US ON MONDAY, JUNE 17

Learn about the historic Bonaparte Pottery and its connection to the river at a tour and presentation on Monday, June 17 in Bonaparte, Iowa. The tour of the pottery begins at 4:30 pm and the presentation will start at 6:30 pm at the Bonaparte Opera House.

Archaeologists Cherie Haury-Artz and Lynn M. Alex will continue discussion of the history and archaeology along the Lower Des Moines River Water Trail with a program illustrating archaeology's contribution to our understanding of the Bonaparte Pottery. Also known as the Parker-Handback Pottery and Handback-Wilson Pottery, it was in operation from 1866 to 1895. Remains of the pottery were uncovered in the flood of 1993 and the pottery is now part of a National Historic Archaeological District.

Bonaparte Pottery is located at 411 First Street in Bonaparte and the Bonaparte Opera House is two blocks west at 616 First Street.

There is no fee, but preregistration is requested for this event.

Click on the link to REGISTER ONLINE:

EVENT DETAILS:

The stoneware industry was one of the important economic enterprises in the Euro-American settlement of Iowa during the mid- to late nineteenth century. Clay found along with coal deposits was used by some of Iowa's pioneer residents to create stoneware. These pottery works along the Des Moines River between Eldon and Farmington connected the resources and the river to the expansion of entrepreneurial efforts on the frontier west of the Mississippi River.

The session will also present suggested highlights for new interpretive materials for the Lower Des Moines River Water Trail and garner input from community members.This program will help determine what local residents of the area would like to learn and tell others about the river.

This program is sponsored by Pathfinders RC&D, the Iowa DNR Rivers Program and University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist.  Pre-registration is requested, though walk-ins are welcome.  For more information or to register over the phone, contact the Pathfinders RC&D office at 641-472-6177.

Find more information about Lower Des Moines River Water Trail resources, events, and activities 

at www.desmoinesriverwt.com 

Find more information about Pathfinders RC&D programs at www.pathfindersrcd.org      

Join presenter Brittney Tiller and trip leaders Julie Ohde and Katie Hammond to learn about the nocturnal wildlife of the "night shift" along the Odessa Water Trail. The Night Life Paddle will run from 9:00 to 11:00 pm the evening of Saturday, June 22, 2013.

The paddle length will be approximately 3 miles total (1.5 miles out and 1.5 miles back), starting and ending at Shafer Access, Odessa Wildlife Management Area, Wapello. 

This trip will need a minimum of 5 boats and will be limited to a maximum of 20 boats.  Registration will be by Louisa County Conservation Board (available soon).  Boat rental can be arranged at the time of registration.

In case of inclement weather, an indoor program will be held at the Izaak Walton League.

More information: www.louisacountyconservation.org or 319-523-8381

Direct link to event information: http://louisacountyconservation.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=79:full-moon-paddle&Itemid=528

The Night Life Paddle is sponsored by Pathfinders RC&D, Louisa County Conservation, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The Iowa Volunteer Mussel Corps is planning an ambitious mussel survey season, beginning in late June and, if water temperatures are good, running through September or October.

Only volunteers who have participated in DNR mussel training (e.g. last October at Kent Park) will be able to volunteer to assist with the surveys.  Newcomers must complete DNR mussel volunteer training (i.e. on July 27th) in order to volunteer. Everyone, "new" and "old," will be invited to participate in the July 27th training. The more we all know, the better! 

Jennifer Kurth and the DNR will host the Saturday, July 27 volunteer training workshop, this time an intensive combination of classroom and in-stream work, getting to know mussel species and collection techniques.  This will be a day-long training session, with the morning in the classroom and the afternoon in the water.  The location will be announced shortly.   

For more info, to get on the Mussel Corps email list, or to sign up for the training session, contact Linda Appelgate: Email: appelgate@hotmail.com 

June 22; Fish Assemblage, Lake Red Rock WT, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

June 29; River Critters and Wildlife, Lake Red Rock WT, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

June 29; Freshwater Mussels Program, Webster County Conservation, Des Moines River WT.

July 6; Manchester River Fest, Maquoketa River (future WW Park and WT), Manchester.

July 6-13; Project AWARE, Des Moines River.

July 20; Freshwater Mussels Program, Lake Red Rock WT, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Our thanks to everyone who provided event information for this issue.  And, that's a lot of information about a lot of events!

The mission of the IWTA is to facilitate the exchange of information, ideas and encouragement among Iowans working to create, enhance, or utilize our water trails.  Although we have grown to over 500 subscribers, the success of the IWTA Newsletter will be measured by how much we share, how much we learn, and how much we contribute to improving the Water Trails experience across the state.

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