News From Iowa Water Trails Association; Lots of Events/Updates/Reschedules, What WT Means to Bram, Training Mussel Corps & River Stewards, and the Quizzes!

This issue celebrates the 12th monthly issue of the IWTA Newsletter. It has been a year of solid growth--growth in events, articles, participation, and subscribers (now over 520). With your input and support, we look forward to providing even more support to the managers, supporters, and users of Iowa's water trails in the next 12 months.

Wow! What a variety of Water Trail events you have scheduled during the month of June!

Let's hope that Mother Nature will give these events the benefit of favorable water levels and pleasant weather. If in doubt, check the event or group website, call ahead, or plan some alternate activities for where you're headed.

With your help, we'll do our best to keep everyone informed of any event changes, delays, reschedules, or cancellations.

Needless to say, there are no articles about drought in this issue of the IWTA Newsletter.

We hope that you make the most of these opportunities to enjoy our Iowa Water Trails.

Where Is It? Quiz

Paddler Dave Hillman snapped this photo as he arrived at the takeout in fading light. We enhanced the photo a bit, but it will still be very challenging for most folks to identify.

Where Is It?

Make your best guess, then click on

Where Is It Answer

What Is It? Quiz

What Is It?

Make your

best guess,

then click on

What Is It Answer

What Water Trail Means to Bob Brammer

Sycamore Access on Des Moines River WT.
Photo by Bob Brammer.

Bob Brammer ("Bram") was communications director for the Iowa Attorney General's Office for many years. He is on the board of Iowa Rivers Revival, and is especially interested in citizen action for public policies that support Iowa water trails and river restoration.

On a warm Sunday afternoon in April, I heard the siren call of the River. On the spur of the moment, I loaded my canoe and bicycle and drove 15 minutes to Sycamore Access and the Des Moines River Water Trail for my first float of the year.

The Trail runs below Saylorville Dam into the city of Des Moines - "surprisingly wild," as the Water Trail sign says, "with its abundant woodlands, wildlife, and sandbars."

I laid my bike in the Penobscot, launched into the swift water, which was running a little high, and beat a steady stroke just to feel the paddle at work again. Sweet solitude. I saw king fishers, white egrets, great blue herons, swallows, cormorants, and an impressive osprey.

It was a solo float. I would go to the takeout, hop on my bike, ride back up the Neal Smith Bike Trail next to the river, return to the Sycamore put-in, and drive back down the Dragoon Trail road to the take-out. Slick, quick.Easy way to go solo.

But the more I thought about it, it was hardly a "solo" trip. Water Trails are chock full of social and human connections. People are the past, present and future of Iowa water trails.

1837 Ioway Map. Read about the history of the map at
http://www.uiowa.edu/~osa/IAM/2007Ioway/1837_Ioway_map.htm

After all that's what "trail" means -- a pathway used by people. Iowa streams, including my stretch of the Des Moines, have been used as water trails for more than 9,000 years, according to the excellent interpretive Water Trail sign at Sycamore. (See also the marvelous "1837 Ioway Map" - no doubt Iowa's oldest surviving water trail map.) With the rebirth and recognition of water trails, we are tapping into a long and rich heritage of human river passage in Iowa.

Modern Iowa water trails were revived by people of vision and commitment. I think of Gerry Rowland, the Father of Iowa Water Trails, who floated the entire Des Moines River from Estherville to Keokuk in 1997-98 - and spent years scouting accesses, talking up river trails, working with County Conservation Boards, and finding funds to establish trails. (Gerry paddled many stretches of the Des Moines River alone, doing "self-shuttles" with his bike.)

Iowa's Water Trail system is growing today because of a remarkable collaboration of people and agencies - the DNR, county conservation boards, cities, the U.S., watershed organizations, citizen volunteers and advocates. As a member of Iowa Rivers Revival, whose mission is to help Iowans be a voice for rivers, I'm glad to see the Legislature investing in the DNR's Water Trails program - and citizens supporting water trails.

Iowans are stepping up to keep our water and rivers clean, with impressive river cleanups, and with careful stewardship when they are on the rivers and river corridors. A group of Iowans right now is undertaking Iowa River Revival's 8-week "Master River Steward" training program, learning how to protect and improve and speak for rivers.

So, even when I'm alone on the water trail, I am compelled to remember the millennia of humans that traveled the waters before us, and I am inspired to renew my commitment to be in that "boatload" of folks it takes to revive our precious rivers.