Big River - September 1994

September 1994 the monthly newsletter for people who live, work or play on the Upper Mississippi River ¡

Canoeing the Big River

By Reggie McLeod

Vol. 2, No. 9

$2

To Catch a Point Eddy, Stay Inside the Curve -

Piloting a Paddlewheeler on the Mississippi River

By Pamela Eyden

Many great canoeing rivers flow into the Upper ,.--

Mississippi. The Cannon, Chippewa, Zumbro, Whitewater, Trempealeau, Black, Root, Upper Iowa and Wisconsin Rivers all float canoe-loads of happy paddlers from early summer to late fall, but many end their canoe trips where I like to begin mine, in the Mississippi River.

There are good reasons for canoeists to avoid the Mississippi - barges, houseboats, giant cabin cruisers and water skiers - but on weekdays during the fall you can have the whole river to yourself. And, when the light of the setting sun falls on the steep wooded bluffs, the autumn leaves light up in incandescent colors you'll never see anywhere else.

Time stops as you rest your paddle across the gunwales, drift in the lazy current, empty your mind and let yourself be filled with the moment.

Even in summer the Mississippi River is a great place to canoe. Much of the river consists of backwaters so shallow that you can touch bottom with your paddle. The big boats

Even the bass boats get stuck in some of the backwaters where a canoe can go. pretty much stay on the Main Channel, and even the bass boats get stuck in some of the backwaters where a canoe can go.

Immediately below most of the dams are incredible

(Canoeing continued on page 4)

People dream of working on riverboats, but their dreams don't make good maps of the reality. Lured by romance, the size of the ships and the sound of the whistle, they run aground on routines, confinement and stress.

"Some people jump ship in the middle of their first cruise," said Dick Karnath, pilot of the Mississippi Queen and Delta Queen steamships. "It's a demanding life. Not for everybody."

A tall, lean man of 50 years, Karnath retains some of the dignity of a ship's officer, even dressed in jeans and a T-shirt at home in Winona on a Saturday morning. He seems wary of people's romantic ideas about the river, especially ideas about river pilots from reading Mark Twain.

(Paddlewheeler continued on page 2)

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September 1994

(Paddlewlieeler continued from page 1)

"Twain romanticized the river too much. Besides, he wasn't even on the river very long," Karnath said.

Twain spent five years as a novice and pilot. Karnath has been working on steamships since 1982. Riverboat life seems to agree with him. But then, he didn't grow up just dreaming about it. His father piloted the Delta Queen on the

"I told my family I did not want to be a river pilot. I wanted to be a school teacher," Karnath said.

"They didn't believe me, even when I left for college."

Upper Mississippi River for 20 years and started the first barge towing service in Winona. Dick was 14 years old when he went to work for his father. His grandfather started as a cabin boy on steamships in 1890 and eventually became a captain in the Army Corps of Engineers, at the boatyard in Fountain City, Wis. "I told my family I did not want to be a river pilot. I wanted to be a school teacher," Karnath said. "They didn't believe me, even when I left for college."

Karnath got a masters degree and taught math in junior high school for many years. It wasn't until after a divorce that river life started to look good. He took a two-year leave, signed on as a deck hand and never went back to the classroom. He's worked his way up the ranks from there.

As pilot, Karnath works six hour shifts round the clock, sleeps in quarters near the pilot house, in case of emergencies, and works 28 days in a row before taking 35 days leave.

With 165 crew members and 420 passengers, the Mississippi Queen is a floating seven-story hotel that never sleeps. Unlike steamships in Twain's day, it carries no cargo and runs for the pleasure of passengers. Steam drives the paddlewheel, which does all the work.

"There are no hidden propellers, although everyone assumes there are. The ship uses heavy oil, thick as molasses, to generate steam in the boilers to drive the paddlewheel. We also have to generate all the electricity for the passengers, whose need s must be luxuriously tended to," Karnath said. "In fact, the electrical generator gets power first . What's left over goes to the paddlewheel."

The Mississippi Queen travels the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio Rivers. The smaller Delta Queen travels the Mississippi, the Atchafalaya, Cumberland and Arkansas Rivers.

Karnath currently pilots both on the Mississippi River, and might be assigned to the American Queen, which will make its first cruise in the summer of 1995. The ships are scheduled far in advance, so Karnath knows where he'll be every hour of every working day next year.

Actually, he could draw you a map of where he will be.

Captain Dick Karnath in the pilot house of the steamship Mississippi Queen, docked at Oak Alley Estate, Mississippi mile #153.

To get a first class pilot's license on specific stretches of the river, pilots make practice runs, study and draw the river.

"You go to the offices of the Merchant Marines in Memphis, you sit down in front of three or four sheets of paper and draw every bend, every side channel, slough, wing dam and lock- to scale - on a particular section of the river.

You put in all the bridges, power lines, docks and buoys, and the islands with. their names. Then you list the lights and their identifying characteristics," Karnath explained.

"No bathroom breaks."

Karnath has one more stretch of river to draw - the 300 miles between St. Louis and Memphis. Drawings of the Upper Mississippi are austere and simple compared to those of the lower river.

"The river doesn't get complicated til you get down around Hannibal," Karnath said.

The real test, of course, is piloting a 382-foot, 3,364-ton, $27-million ship like the Mississippi Queen through high water and low, at night, in the wind and through all kinds of weather. With one hand on the throttle, the other on the steering lever, eyes alert for traffic ahead or on radar, the six

September 1994

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hour watch is a busy time. Each trip is different.

"A lot of passengers know their river history, but sometimes I wonder if they ever see the river itself," Karnath said.

"The three most common questions are, 'how wide is the Mississippi?' 'how fast is the current?' and 'how deep is the river?' People seem to think it all averages out somehow, but if they'd just look out there they'd see that the river is always changing."

In some places it runs swift and deep, dropping one foot in a mile. In other places it drops just an inch or two in a mile, and sand bars form. They've been forming in some of the same places for years, Karnath said. He remembers his father talking about them. Read's Landing, where the Chippewa River enters the Mississippi, is one; Diamond Bluff, up above Lock and Dam 2, is another.

Running aground on sand bars means calling for help from nearby tow captains, who have to park their barges before coming to pull the big ship loose. Nobody likes to talk about this kind of mishap, Karnath included.

Shifting sand bars can slow a steamboat down and fog can stop it altogether, but bend and point eddies, where the current turns and runs upstream, can speed it on its way. To catch a point eddy, you stay as far to the inside of a curve as you dare. To catch a bend eddy, stay outside. The higher the water, the faster the eddy.

'In some places you can catch these things and go up like a bat out of hell. But you have to be careful - when you come around the point, the current can spin you right around. It's risky."

That much has not changed since Mark Twain's day. _

Pamela Eyden is assistant editor of Big River.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, Usually the Big River staff and writers stay in the background, which makes a lot of sense for an eight-page newsletter.

However, this month we will emerge from the shadows briefly to mark a few noteworthy events.

We have many new readers this month, thanks to a great article by Dick Merryhue in the July 31 issue of the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune. Associated Press got hold of Dick's story and before the dust settled nine or ten papers published it, from St. Cloud to Clinton.

This month Big River is 21 issues old. We've dressed up the old rag a bit with some color front and back. We also changed the format of the calendar to make it more useful. We also added an almanac to the calendar page to note river changes and comings and goings.

Most of the suggestions we get can be lumped into one of two categories: either "I like learning about environmental problems facing the river;" or "you publish too many gloom-and-doom articles about environmental disasters."

Well, that river that we enjoy playing on is the same river that faces serious threats. It also floats a good share of the agricultural production of the Upper Midwest and offers thousands of beautiful development sites. We try to strike a balance over time, if not in each issue. If we get a little heavy in one issue we try to lighten things up in the next issue. You can help by sending us feedback, ideas and clippings from your local newspapers.

Pamela Eyden, Big River's assistant editor, is working on a story about old timers' memories of the river. She'd like to hear from or about such fonts of river lore.

Our subscription list passed the 500 mark in August and should top 600 this month. It's exciting to grow this fast, but we have a ways to go before we reach solid ground. We need more than 2,000 subscribers to be in the blnck. We'd appreciilte any help you can give. Good word of mouth beats any advertising we could buy.

Gift subscriptions are an even better way to spread the word.

School and public libraries also appreciate gift subscriptions.

In the near future we will send our subscribers a list of the articles and maps that appeared in back issues, all of which are still availnble for $2 each or $1.50 each for orders of three or more. We hope to put together a good index of the first two years by early next year. More nebulous plans include publishing materials for teachers and putting together a catalog of river items.

Welcome aboard, netv readers. We enjoyed your letters and calls. We hope our Big River makes your big river a bit deeper and more enjoyable.

And a tip of the cap to our veteran readers. Thanks for your encouragement and support.

Reggie McLeod editor/publisher

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(Canoeing continued from page 1) mazes of backwaters. The Reno Bottoms, on the Minnesota side across from Genoa, Wis., has a reputation for being one of the most confusing labyrinths on the river. There are stories of people getting lost for days there. No map of the sluggish streams is much help. Many corridors end where a fallen tree blocks the way, or simply peter out in a patch of weeds. The current you were following to find your way might abruptly reverse direction. No, the Reno Bottoms, and backwaters like them, are no place for any boat that cannot be picked up and carried. However, canoeists who are feeling lost and desperate can catch sight of a bluff then simply drag and carry their canoe through the muck and poison ivy until they get out.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service maintains well marked canoe trails on the river just below the dam at Trempealeau, Wis., and at Wylusing State Park, south of Prairie du Chien. The Indian Creek backwaters, upriver from Fountain City, Wis., is also a popular canoeing spot.

Many backwaters are easily accessible and fairly well mapped. In late July and early August backwater lakes are full of floating white water lilies and bright yellow lotuses that stand a couple of feet above the water, as if to upstage the lilies. Great blue herons, snowy egrets, kingfishers and ducks scold you for intruding into their quiet world. With a canoe you can explore fishing spots that are rarely visited or, perhaps, discover a heron rookery or a small clear lake that a larger boat could never get to.

This makes a great day trip, but for a longer trip, week days in autumn are ideal. You can canoe for hours at a time without seeing any other humans; it's as if you have the river to yourself. Sandy islands, which are as busy and crowded as state parks on summer weekends, are deserted in the fall. When the sun goes down and the mosquitoes

Although helpful, there will be times when you'll find yourself in sections of the river that bear no¡resemblance to the map. come out, it's cool enough to feel comfortable in a sweater or jacket. The water is usually low and the current sluggish.

Massive flocks of coots and blackbirds join smaller flocks of ducks and geese on their fall trip downriver. The summer residents of the small river towns have packed up and left behind sleepy streets almost as quiet as the nearby backwaters.

Barges do run in the fall, but on most of the river it is easy to keep a narrow island or two between you and the Main Channel. If you do get caught in open water when a barge or other large boat passes by, you might end up so jostled by the wake that you find yourself paddling the air.

September 1994

While it's a good idea to put some distance between your canoe and the larger boat, don't get too near the shore because the wake bouncing off the shore and wing dams will make you feel like you're in a cross fire.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has fairly good maps of the Mississippi River, available for free at their offices and at some other locations along the river. Although helpful, there will be times when you'll find yourself in sections of the river that bear no resemblance to the map. The river is a living thing that changes from year to year. In addition, the water level fluctuates by several feet, and a change of several inches can make islands and passages appear or disappear.

Because most of the river bottoms and islands from Lake Pepin to Rock Island, Ill., are owned or managed by the Army Corps of Engineers or the Fish and Wildlife Service, they are open to camping and require no permit or fee, with the exception of a few campgrounds operated by the Corps.

The sandy islands are nice, especially if you can find a sheltered spot. On many islands the main form of vegetation is poison ivy, which sometimes grows to the size of small trees, so it's a good idea to survey your campsite and carefully choose your firewood before it gets dark. Also, poison ivy's appearance varies from region to region, so look for those shiny leaves in groups of three.

In some places hospitable islands are common, but in other sections of the river they are rare. Usually you see a Jot of good campsites in the morning and early afternoon . In the late afternoon and early evening, when you are getting anxious to find a place to settle into, islands are hard to find or mucky and covered with a tangle of poison ivy. Unless you know of a good island that you can reach before nightfall, set up camp a little early if you find a good spot.

My favorite part of the river is the 60-mile stretch between La Crosse and Prairie du Chien, with only two dams and one city of more than a thousand people - Lansing, Iowa. The reason for the lack of cities is also the reason the river is so beautiful there, the 400-foot bluffs rise almost immediately from the river, leaving no room for settlements. In fact there is not even enough room for a road along a stretch of the Iowa shore below Lansing. The journey can be made in three or four days. At the end of the trip, at Prairie du Chien or Marquette or McGregor, Iowa, there are a number of fine state parks, motels and restaurants.

September and early October are usually generous for providing warm sunny days. If you can find another paddler, a canoe and a few days for pleasure, and the weather is kind, you might get into the habit of saving some of those vacation days for a fall canoe trip on the Mississippi. a

Reggie McLeod is editor of Big River.

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September 1994

Foon WITH

Av IEW

Trempealeau Restaurant, Hotel & Saloon

By Steve Schild

Don't bother asking for a table with a view at the Trempealeau Restaurant, Hotel & Saloon . You'll get one wherever you sit. This 1871-vintage building stands literally within a stone's throw of the Mississippi. Windows ring the long, rectangular dining room and adjacent porch. Just downriver, barges push through Lock and Dam 6. Burlington Northern freight trains make the hardwood floors hum, inviting you to lean closer for conversation with your dinner companion.

"A real relaxing dining experience," is what Bill King and co-owner Jim Jenkins had in mind for the place. They've succeeded.

If you have to wait for a table, you can look at the riverlore photos and wildlife art lining the walls. Or, you can step outside, walk across the deck and stroll through a well-kept

If you have to wait for a table, you can look at the river-lore photos and wildlife art lining the walls. yard. There are picnic tables, a garden of phlox, hollyhocks and peonies, and a stage for the hotel's "Stars Under the Stars" concert series, which can accommodate up to 3,000 people.

When they bought the place, eight years ago, "it was basically a local tavern," King said. And it needed more than a little work.

"It was quite a run-down building. The windows had been painted shut for 30 years. Everything was mustard yellow." The grounds were notable for nothing more than "a falling-down garage and a dumpster."

But King and Jenkins were right in their element. They'd both worked as contractors specializing in renovating historic buildings, and this building, which has eight Europeanstyle hotel rooms upstairs and is on the National Register of Historic Places, has seen ongoing improvement since they took over.

The most recent work reflected what King calls a "change in focus" for the business.

"We used to do weekly indoor Saturday night entertainment, "King said. The music drew good crowds but "really disrupted the whole dinner scene," what with bands setting

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up and doing sound checks. "The restaurant was gaining in popularity all the time, and we wanted to focus on really good dining."

So last November, they shut down for five months for more renovation. They doubled the kitchen size and put in a new women's rest room.

"It all fits in with the 1871 building," King said. "We're immersed in history here. There aren't many places left on the whole river that are authentic like this."

With the most recent renovation came conversion to smoke-free status, the thirteenth bar in Wisconsin to do so.

(If you're so inclined, though, there's no better place for a puff than the deck or the yard between the restaurant and the river.)

With the expanded kitchen came an expanded menu.

House specialties include blackened or grilled seafood, such as halibut, yellowfin tuna, and salmon. There's pan-fried catfish, gourmet pastas, spaghetti and walnut balls. The walnut balls, which also come in burger form, are made of walnuts, three kinds of cheese, eggs, and herbs and spices.

"It's a nice alternative sandwich," Jenkins said, "but often times people don't realize that it's meatless."

You can also get a steak or cajun chicken in generous portions. Entrees include choice of homemade soup of the day or tossed salad, and baked or American-fried potatoes or spicy Spanish rice with bits of green olive and onion. Two thick slabs of good dark bread come with the meal.

Jenkins' wife, Linda, makes most of the desserts, including big cookies, fudgy oat bars, Swedish apple pie and "decadent" chocolate cake.

Most entrees run from $10 to $12, most sandwiches on the lunch menu are between $3.75 and $6.95.

The I-shirted wait staff, though not uniformed, is uniformly friendly; the service is quick and attentive. The crowd ranges from families with little kids to bicyclers to bikers having a beer in the bar, which still retains the flavor of a small-town tavern - there's a pool table, a dart game, a taxidermied deer and publicity photos of performers who played there, from Ario Guthrie to Cannibal and the Headhunters.

Out on the porch, the only obstacle to the river view is a 65-year-old pear tree. King said it was planted by a local "old-timer" who still stops by occasionally to see how the fruit is doing.

"They're some of the best pears going," King said.

"They're real juicy." That fits real nicely as a description of dinner on a summer night at the Trempealeau Hotel.

The hours are Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner. Friday's dinner schedule runs until 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays feature breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., lunch until 5 p.m., and dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. =

Steve Schild teaches journalism and mass communications at Saint Mary's College of Minnesota.

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CURRENT EVENTS A Good Prognosis for Survival, With Protection he Endangered Species Act has done some creatures a world of good the bald eagle and the American peregrine, to name two.

Nearly 40 percent of the plant and animal species that have been protected under the act are now stable or improving, according to a study done by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a report to Congress. Of the 711 species on the list in September 1992, 28 percent were considered stable and 10 percent had improved.

The Endangered Species Act is 20 years old and up for renewal this year.

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Railroad Depot to be Restored he old Dousman Depot on the flood plain of St. Feriole Island in Prairie du Chien, Wis., was the site of a frontier post during the War of 1812. In 1857 it became Wisconsin's first railroad loading terminus. Now the State of Wisconsin has decided to rehab, restore and spruce it up to reflect its historical value as a state and national landmark on the Mississippi River.

The depot will be restored and period lighting will be installed, along with fencing, landscaping and walkways. The project is estimated to cost $292,000, and the state will reimburse $233,600 of that.

It is part 2 f a five-year renovation plan for the island. (See Big River, August 1994, for more about plans for ''Untangling Business, the Environment and History" on St. Feriole Island.)

river maps covering the boat landings and backwaters from Prescott, Wis., to Dubuque.

Designed to be a companion to Wisconsin - A Great State to Fish, both are available in local DNR offices.

Dock & Landing Funded he Wisconsin Waterways Commission awarded a $24,272-grant to the Town of Genoa, Wis., to help fund construction of an boat landing and parking lot at the Dairyland Power Cooperative Genoa Generation Station on the Mississippi River.

The commission also awarded $13,800 to Prairie du Chien, Wis., to build a transient public docking facility on the Mississippi.

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Boating & Fishing Brochure and Boating on the Mississippi F is~ing River has a water resistant cover, so you know the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources made it to use on the river.

The new 64-page booklet includes 22

Dredge Material Manual

W

hat used to be "dredge spoil" is now "dredged material." Whatever you call it, it sometimes contains contaminants.

The Army Corps of Engineers' draft Evaluation of Dredged Material Proposed for Discharge in Waters of the U.S., which is also known as the Inland Testing Manual, is being made available for review. Copies can be requested from Ms. Shirley Walker, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station, IM-MIR, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd., Vicksburg, MS 38180-6199, (601) 634-2571.

Roschen Park Boat Access Closed for Repair

B

oaters looki~g.for access to the river at Lake Pepm m September will find the Roschen Park boat ramp and parking lot in Lake City closed for repair. Alternative boat launch sites include those at Hok-si-la Park Public Water Access, three miles north on Highway 61, and the private for-fee ramps at the Lake City Ma-

September 1994

rina and at Hansen's Harbor, 4.5 miles north on Highway 61.

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0

Big Fish

isconsin anglers set new state records for four fish species this summer: black crappie, 3 pounds, 8.8 ounces; bluegill, 2 pounds, 8 ounces; striped bass, 11 pounds, 14.6 ounces; and chinook salmon, 44.92 pounds. None of the record fish were caught in the Mississippi.

Larry Schlueter, of Dubuque, probably thought about the record book when he landed a 43.5-pound flathead catfish on July 23. Actually the Iowa record is 81 pounds. The cat was eventually released back into the river to fatten up, according to articles in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald (7-24-94 and 7-31-94).

Missouri Water Wrestling Towing company executives are angry over an Army Corps of Engineers proposal for controlling water in ...-:!.) the Missouri River, according to The Waterways Journal (8-1-94).

Municipalities, tow boat companies, recreational interests, environmentalists and farmers have been wrestling over the water in reservoirs on the Missouri for a long time, especially during a prolonged drought that ended dramatically last year.

The Corps plan would boost river flow in the spring; reduce flows and barge drafts from July to October; and end the shipping season at the end of October, shortening it by a month.

Towing company executives claim this would end commercial navigation on the Missouri, drive up freight rates, flood Missouri bottomland in the spring and threaten commercial traffic on the Middle Mississippi during the fall.

The new plan aims to create seasonal flows similar to those on the river before the reservoirs were built. This should benefit the plants and animals that have adopted to the river's seasonal fluctuations.

--d/ The plan was released in the form of an Environmental Impact Statement,

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR which will be open to comment until mid November.

More Ducks, Longer Season

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oose and duck populations have increased substantially in the last year. Twelve million mallards are expected to head south this fall, up from 8.8 million last year. The fall flight total of 71 million ducks is the largest since the early 1980s.

Because of this abundance, Wisconsin extended its duck season to 40 days for the first time since 1987. At press time Minnesota also leaned toward a 40-day season.

Many wildlife managers credit the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for the higher duck and goose populations.

The CRP pays farmers to set aside land that is highly erodible or near wetlands, which provides more nesting space for waterfowl. (The CRP program may not be funded in next year's Farm Bill.)

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reassuring hunters that it has no plans to end hunting and fishing on national wildlife refuges that have been open to those activities .

The service, in response to tight funding, is studying compatibility issues and ways to economize . Any proposed changes would need congressional approval and would be submitted to states and the public for comment, according to Mollie Beattie, director of the service.

It would take at least five years of favorable conditions for the plants to reach their pre-drought densities, Carl Korschgen, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Biological Survey, told the Daily

News .

Fingernail clams also suffered during the drought, but they also appear to be making a comeback. Researchers will measure their populations in pools 5 through 14 this month.

Fingernail clams, which are less than a half inch long and white, are eaten by waterfowl and fish.

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I may be a pessimist, but I believe the populations of fish species that use the backwater areas of the river have crashed.

Bluegill sunfish are scarce and largemouth bass are as common as tuna in the river.

It wasn't a gradual dwindling of the populations; it was a crash. The DNR should do an electroshock study of largemouth bass or sunfish in Pool 6. It would be very interesting.

Pat Carter, Winona

Banned at the Fair

ou won't be able to pick up a copy of the Mississippi River Revival's new brochure at the Minnesota State Fair this year. The River Revival has a display in the Department of Natural Resources area, but DNR officials decided a portion of the brochure "has some confusing information that would cause the general public to question the DNR's public policy."

The "confusing information" begins with the statement "You are subsidizing

the barge industry ...... and the destruction of the Mississippi River."

The brochure goes on to say that the barge ind us try pays less than 5 percent of the cost of maintaining the commercial navigation system. Taxpayers pay the balance.

For a copy of The Upper Mississippi River: An Ecosystem in Peril, call the River Revival at 1-800-957-4837. =

Adopt-a-River Cleanups in the Twin Cities It's a good idea to bring gloves, sun screen and drinking water.

September

Wildcelery and Fingernail Clams Return

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n the mid 1980s, before the drought, scientists counted as many as 174 wildcelery plants per square meter in parts of Lake Onalaska. Last year they counted two plants per square meter.

This year they are finding six plants per square meter, according to an article in The Winona Daily News (8-17-94).

Wildcelery is an important food for canvasback ducks and provides shelter for insects and young fish.

Lake Onalaska is just above Lock and Dam 7, north of La Crosse.

1 & 10 Minnehaha Creek from Lake Harriet and 35W, U.S. Department of Agriculture, (612) 370-2164.

4 01' Man River Cleanup of Mississippi River, Hobart United Methodist Church, 1 p.m., Minnehaha Park, Minneapolis. Call Mike Hipps, (612) 827-3721.

6-9 Riverside's Mississippi River Cleanup, Northern States Power, northeast Minneapolis. Call Don Roger, (612) 520-6934.

17 Mississippi River Cleanup, Small Mouth Alliance, 9 a.m.-2 p.m ., Elk River area.

Call David Stringfield, (612) 780-0480 (h) or (612) 624-2697 (w).

24 Minnehaha Creek, U.S.S. Czar'ak (Star Trek Fan Club), Cedar Ave. and Lake St., Minneapolis, 9 a.m. Call Al Pederson, (612) 436-1996 .

24 Mississippi River Cleanup, Inver Grove Heights Recreation Department with Boy and Girl Scouts, 9 a.m., Southside Park. Call Marcie Padgett, (612) 450-2588.

25 Cleanup of the St. Croix River, Hegman Croix Monitors, Taylor's Falls area.

Call Jim Hegman, (612) 784-6400 (days).

BIG RlvER

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RIVER CALENDAR September Special Events 3-4 Mark Twain Festival, Alma, Wis. Call (608) 685-4555.

3-5 American Indian Pow Wow, $7, Fort Snelling State Park, St. Paul. Call Peacemaker Community Center, (612) 724-3129.

3-5 Historic Fort Snelling Fur Trade Rendezvous, Historic Fort Snelling, St. Paul. Call (612) 726-1171.

10 Public auction of surplus vehicles, and confiscated firearms and bows, DNR Headquarters, Grand Rapids, Minn., 9:30 a.m. Call the Surplus Auction Hotline, (612) 296-4883.

10 River Rally at Murphy's Landing, with exhibits, canoe rides, music and more, Shakopee, Minn., noon - 11 p.m.

10-11 Villa Louis Carriage Classic, Wisconsin's largest and most stylish carriage driving event, at Villa Louis, Prairie du Chien, Wis., (608) 326-2721.

24 Public auction of surplus vehicles, and confiscated firearms and bows, Surplus Property Distribution Center, 5420 Hwy. 8, Arden Hills, Minn., 9:30 a.m. Call the State Surplus Auction Hotline, (612) 296-4883.

24-25 Harvest Celebrations, at Stonefield, a museum of agricultural history, Cassville, Wis., (608) 725-5210.

30 Tour the Environmental Management Technical Center, Onalaska, Wis., 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. For reservations (limited to 24) call Natural Resources Foundation (608) 2661430.

through Sept. 5 Minnesota State Fair, river-related events include cleanups. Call Minn. DNR (612) 297-5476. through Feb. 14, 1995 Magnificent River: The Mississippi from Minnesota to Missouri, a show of photographs, artifacts, interactive exhibits and two full-sized boats, Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science, Davenport, Iowa.

Workshops & Conferences 15, 16 The Zebra Mussel Menace: Leadership Training for Educators and Natural Resource Professionals, 9:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m., $40. Sept. 15 at Days Inn, La Crosse. Sept. 16 at Duck Creek Park Lodge, Davenport, Iowa.

24 Reauthorizing the Endangered Species Act Conference, sponsored by state and private environmental and conservation organizations, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., $30 ($15 for seniors and students). UW Memorial Union, Madison. Call (608) 257-4501.

Oct. 4 Working Together to Protect Natural Diversity, workshop, the Friends of the Minnesota Valley, 8:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m., $20. Minnesota Valley National. Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington, Minn. Call Ann Haines, (612) 854-5900.

September 1994

Meetings 6 Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission, St. Croix River Regional Committee meeting. Call (612) 4367131 or (715) 386-9444.

8 Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission, Mississippi River Regional Committee meeting, Prairie du Chien. Call (612) 436-7131 or (715) 386-9444.

8 Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board monthly meeting, 5 p.m. Mazomanie, Wis. Call 1-800-221-3792 or (608) 739-3188.

12 Sierra Club, St. Croix Valley Interstate Group, monthly meeting, 6:30 p.m., Stillwater (Minn.) Public Library.

15 La Crosse Area River Folks, an informal gathering of biologists and managers, with a presentation on herptile management, by Bob Hay; 7 -10 p.m., $3. Heileman Hall, 111 S. Third St., La Crosse. Call Pam Thiel, (507) 452-4390.

15 Mississippi River Parkway Commission of Minnesota monthly meeting, DNR Fisheries Office, 1801 S. Oak St., Lake City, Minn., 2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. Call Nancy Gallagher or John Erdman, (612) 224-9903.

16-17 Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen, annual meeting, Hotel Lafayette, Mariette, Ohio. Write J.W. Rutter, 126 Seneca Dr., Mariette, Ohio 45750.

21-23 National Waterways Conference, annual meeting, Hotel Inter-Continental, New Orleans, Call Verna M. Boucher, (202) 296-4415.

27 Sierra Club, Coulee Region, monthly meeting with presentation on sustainable farming and environmental effects of next farm bill, by Ken Tschumper, 7 p.m., Trane Employees Credit Union, La Crosse.