Big River - September 1995

September 1995

Lake Pepin Towns Awash in Tourists

By Tamberlain Jacobs

Lake Pepin, an hour's drive downriver from the Twin Cities, buzzes all summer with motorboats, sailboats and fishermen. The once struggling small communities around the 21-mile long lake are now taking advantage of increasing tourism. Business owners on both the Minnesota and Wisconsin sides of the lake created the Mississippi Valley Partners to promote tourism in the area. Yet, the tranquility of these little towns may be in danger, if tourism continues to rise.

Alma Begin the 75-mile loop around the lake at Alma, Wisconsin, a little town nestled against the bluffs with plenty of vintage storefronts downtown.

"People have taken pride for their town and have refinished the fronts of the houses and store buildings to make them back to the way they were," explains Lorena Hungerford, a clerk at the Beef Slough Store.

Joe Hopkins, owner of the Gallery House says, "We want to keep the small town flavor."

Speaking of flavors, your nose gets a treat when you step into some of these little shops. The shelves are stuffed with 1800s-period spices, candies, coffees and other delights.

Yet, Alma attracts passing tourists with more than just fancy storefronts. Buena Vista Park, a ten minute drive up the bluff, offers a view of the river valley from a 500-foothigh rock balcony. Below, a barge locks through Lock and Dam 4, and a shuttle boat carries people across the Main Channel to a floating fishing dock.

Hopkins explains that in the fall turning leaves and migrating tundra swans attract quite a few visitors. In mid-

(Lake Pepin continued on page 2)

$2.50

Vol. 3, No . 9

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

Poison IvyIrritating but Successful

By Reggie McLeod

I learned to spot poison ivy at an early age, a necessity for a kid spending a lot of time in the fields and forest. In southeastern Michigan, poison ivy was usually less than knee high and sported thick, dark-green, waxy, symmetrical leaflets. The three leaflets on a stem were identical.

About 20 years ago, shortly after moving from southeastern Wisconsin to southeastern Minnesota, I was exploring an island in the Mississippi, near Brownsville. A small tree had me stumped. I couldn't figure out what it was "not a box elder, not an ash, what the heck? Oh my god!

That's a poison ivy tree!"

Yes indeed, I was looking at a monster poison ivy plant.

Then I checked out the other shrubs, low-growing plants and vines on the island. It was a poison ivy island.

A little research told me that poison ivy (toxicodendron radicans) comes in more shapes, complexions and sizes than just about any other plant. The venerable Peterson Field Guide (Ivy continued on page 5)

WHAT'S INSIDE ...

Letter tq the Editor The Bodt Toilet Issue

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Current E~nts ¡ Hot Potato, Reawakening, River Wrestling . .

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River Calendar & Almanac Water Ski Shows, Hunting Clinics

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September 1995

(Lake Pepin continued from page 1)

¡i.nter, the pace slows, allowing me folks to close shops and take vacations.

Nelson

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Nelson, seven miles upriver, is a sparsely populated, quiet, farming community with a cheese factory, gift shop, hotel, cafe and local appliance stores.

"Nelson will grow a lot more, but before this can happen, the water and sewage needs to be worked on," remarks James Eckstein, owner of the Nelson Superette.

"Nelson is not classified as a tourist trap," says Lynda Chapman, owner of a four-year-old business, the Foxfire Shoppe, "but we have a lot of free things, such as scenery."

You might see hang gliders soaring from the hills in the summer, and fishermen heading for nearby backwaters.

"We get plenty of tourists, but money is tight," says Eckstein. "Tourists are being critical - spending, but spending lightly."

"Little towns don't have a lot of money," explains ., apman. "It's hard for the locals to think in the terms of ~urism because they don' t want to be overrun."

The Great River Road is bringing more traffic to Nelson.

"Have to learn to take ten minutes to get out of your driveway because of the traffic," jokes Chapman.

The traffic is a familiar complaint in many Lake Pepin communities.

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l Pepin f

A few miles upriver, in Pepin, Jeanette Mares says, "We stay away from First Street because of the traffic. It doesn't bother m e except on the weekend."

Pepin has a couple of museums in log cabins on the river road. However the town's claim to fame is a reconstructed log cabin, seven miles away, where Laura Ingalls

The Japanese are also trying to get the people in Pepin to host a 10-day Laura Ingalls Wilder festival next year, in Shibe, Japan. ' 'ilder was born. In the last four years, Pepin has filled the rd weekend in September, Laura Ingalls Wilder Days, with special events, including a parade, to celebrate the late 1800s.

Viewers in Buena Vista Park watch a tow approach Lock and Dam 4.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Days draws people from all over.

Last year, 8,000 people gathered for the events, boasts Leon Cochran, chairman of the festival. "All the motels within a 20- to 25-mile-radius are just booked."

"It's beginning to be where we need more facilities," he adds. But the community "plans to limit the grow th, so the city can handle the influx of people."

The festival even attracts a large Japanese following.

"They were so excited, we just stopped the parade for them to take pictures," recalls Cochran.

The Japanese are also trying to get the people in Pepin to host a 10-day Laura Ingalls Wilder festival next year, in Shibe, Japan.

The Harbor View Cafe's creative menu and scenic view of the lake draws diners from as far as the Twin Cities, Rochester and Winona.

But some may not like their quiet little town being crowded with tourists.

"Some people don' t want change, but I think [people' s attitude] is a part of ignorance," states Lois Black-Chapps, a 63-year-old woman in town visiting h er mother. "Tourists are just people interested in an area, and I think tha t's a compliment."

Stockholm In Stockholm, the next town upriver, Mary Anne Collins-Svoboda, owner of the Amish Country store, believes some locals worry that the increase of tourism could cause property taxes to rise, but she also believes the p eople are proud to see their town on tourist maps.

"This town never went through a 1960s false-front stage," explains Svoboda. So the buildings h ave their original storefronts. It makes you feel like you 've stepped back in time. "Now, when a building is built, it has to be architecturally compatible with the buildings already here."

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(Lake Pepin continued from page 3) .R.esponsible Energy (CURE), which opposes the proposed ..1clear waste storage site in Florence Township, which includes Frontenac. "I think it's a completely incompatible project for the community," she says. "It will be visible from the road, and it will be embarrassing having people drive down and see these high-level nuclear waste storage casks."

Tollefson believes nuclear waste would affect tourism around the whole lake and hopes to gain support from all the lake communities.

Lake City A few miles downriver is a booming community and the birthplace of water skiing, Lake City.

Jeannie Miller, 19, says tourism here is seasonal. There used to be a sign outside of town that said, "Welcome back boater."

This town's large marina, has fishing docks, and a summer trailer park. Since 1983 the marina has added 250 slips.

Lake City celebrates Johnny Appleseed Days in the fall, and a Winterfest with ski races on the ice and fireworks.

Iver Eggenberger, a 69-year resident, observes, "It's a very aggressive community." But he added, "I like it."

"Our mayor says we have more people who work in Lake City than who live here."

Susan Freytag, a tourist from Rochester, enjoys the calmness of the lake and notes, "There are a lot more boats , nd sailboats than there used to be." ~ "It's a nice lake. They have really cleaned it up a lot."

Wabasha Freytag and her family also enjoy traveling to fishing spots in Wabasha, just downriver from Lake Pepin. That town has worked hard to get a lot of mileage from the movie "Grumpy Old Men," which was set there, though it was filmed elsewhere.

"I thought it was a good show, but they sometimes overdo things . They have plenty of other things to promote," comments Freytag.

Patty Kuhn, a local artist in Wabasha for eight years, believes some older people were a little offended by the movie's language.

"I knew the man who was represented in the movie," states Lorrina Curdue, a 50-year resident. She doesn't believe the movie was a good representation of the community, "But if it gives them [the town] publicity, then I can't be against it."

The lakefront is a popular place for watching eagles and boating.

"I tell you, on the weekend the river buzzes all over the place with boats," says Curdue. "My husband and I enjoy sitting and watching the boats and traffic go by."

Each one of these tranquil towns still has its own character. The challenge is to try to keep these qualities alive and still adapt to increased tourism.

September 1995

How much tourism can they handle without losing the qualities that attract tourists and residents? Without tourism, these towns would suffer. A delicate balance between the two is the ideal goal.

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Tamberlain Jacobs is a freelance photographer and writer who Lives in Winona.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR A few Sundays ago, on a day with record breaking temperatures and humidity, my family went on a boat ride downriver in search of cool air, refreshing water to swim in, and a picnic site the whole family would enjoy. The river was crowded - lots of other people had the same idea . Finally we found a bay to beach the boat in, side by side with many others. Although crowded, it felt good to be on the breezy river and dive in the cool water.

The next day I received in the mail the minutes from the June 8th meeting of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission meeting. The following caught my attention: " .. .Harrison summarized history of the EPA 'Boat Toilet' issue, referring to the Commission's successful early efforts to get laws and regulations enacted to prohibit discharge from marine toilets into the St Croix Riverway. He said federal law preempted state laws and marine toilets are still allowed to discharge wastes directly into both the St Croix and Mississippi .. ."

The pleasant memory of the day before on the river vanished as I thought of the river crowded with boats and swimming in water that some boater may have dumped his/her toilet waste into. I'd like to know if there is information on how common an occurrence the dumping is? Are there convenient, low-cost alternatives? What can we do to educate boaters and other river users of this practice? Can Big River find some answers?

Sincerely, Mary Anne Wise, Stockholm, WI Big River responds: According to Jim Harrison, public affairs director for the Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission, it is legal to dump treated, not raw, toilet wastes into the Mississippi River.

Boats must be equipped with a Coast Guard approved Type 2 or Type 3 sanitation device, also known as a macerator-chlorinator.

"It's probably not common among recreational boaters," said Harrison. "After all, a lot of them are out there swimming, fishing and camping. They probably don't spoil their own waters."

Minnesota and Wisconsin Imus prohibit discharge of toilet wastes into their rivers, but the Mississippi and the St. Croix rivers are under federal jurisdiction. Of 12 objections to a proposed ban on toilet dumping in 1977, 11 came from commercial towboat operators, who said they had to discharge waste into the river because there weren't adequate pumping facilities between the Twin Cities and Dubuque.

The Boundan; Area Commission recently got the EPA to declare the St. Croix River a federal no-discharge area beginning next year, Harrison said.

September 1995

BIG RlvER

(Ivy continued from page 1)

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to Trees and Shrubs really narrows it down: "They may be stiff and leathery or merely thin, somewhat hairy beneath or not, shiny or dull, coarse-toothed and wavy-edged, or neither." In fact, poison oak, which has leaves shaped like those of a white oak tree, is just a variety of poison ivy. The Peterson Guide admits that poison ivy can grow 10 feet high. I think I've seen taller, but I didn't shimmy up to the top with a tape measure.

A good way to learn to identify poison ivy is to learn to identify plants that look like it or often grow near it, such as box elder and Virginia creeper, or woodbine.

Poison ivy has many irritating relatives around the world . Its cousin the cashew produces a tasty nut, but the juice from the cashew husk is so caustic that some South American Indians use it to burn tattoos onto their skin. Another cousin produces the lacquer that Japanese artisans use to produce that rich black finish on woods, but be carefulmany people are allergic to it.

Actually, poison ivy isn't poisonous; it produces an oil, urushiol, that triggers an allergic reaction after penetrating the outside layer of dead skin and attaching itself to a protein in live skin cells underneath. Nearly every part of the leaves, berries, roots, bark and stems contain urushiol.

Urushiol gets around. You don't have to touch poison ivy to get a rash. If you pet a dog that played in poison ivy

Urushiol can penetrate rubber or leather gloves. The oil can remain potent for years, perhaps decades. or tie your shoe lace after walking through poison ivy, you may get the rash. Urushiol can penetrate rubber or leather gloves. The oil can remain potent for years, perhaps decades.

The worst thing you can do with poison ivy is to burn it. The smoke carries urushiol that can, if inhaled, give you a rash in your lungs, a threat that firefighters must bear in mind.

Lots of people, including me, believe they are not allergic to poison ivy. Don't push your luck; only about three percent of us are actually not allergic. The intensity of people's reactions vary greatly, and your body has to learn to be allergic to poison ivy. First exposure doesn't lead to the rash, but your immune system will note the event and put urushiol on its "watch for" list. Your next exposure may provoke an all out attack by your immune system. Since the "enemy" at this point is a portion of your own skin, the resulting battle is very unpleasant. Generally, your reaction to poison ivy becomes less severe the longer you avoid it.

Avoidance is the best strategy. If you know you have touched poison ivy you may be able to wash the oil off your skin before it penetrates, but you may only have a few min-

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utes. One folk remedy recommends swabbing the area with the juice of jewelweed, which often grows near poison ivy.

Another remedy recommends pulverized crayfish. A commercial product called Tecnu is supposed to break down the oil. But whatever you do, don't spread it to other parts of your body.

Once you've got it, about all you can do is treat the itching with the standard remedies, which include lotions, oatmeal baths and hot showers. You'll get better when you shed the contaminated skin, in about two weeks. Prescription steroids are about the only thing that can actually stop the reaction, but they work by suppressing the immune system, which could lead to worse problems. Over-the-counter steroid creams reportedly have little or no effect.

Scratching won't spread the rash after you wash the urushiol off, but it may cause an infection. If the rash looks bad or you feel bad, visit a doctor.

Of course, nothing is all bad. More than 60 species of birds eat poison ivy berries, which are white and stay on the plant over the winter. The seeds pass through the birds undigested, providing the plant with good transportation. I've watched goats happily eat poison ivy . The late Euell Gibbons also chomped the stuff after discovering that loggers in the Northwest and Indians in the Southeast eat the tiny leaves in spring to build immunity to it. In Stalking the Wild Asparagus he reports: "Does it work? Well, it seems to work perfectly on me, so far. I have religiously followed this rite for the last two years, and I haven't once been bothered by ivy poisoning. I have become almost contemptuous of the plant, pulling it from flower beds and off shade trees with my bare hands, with no more precaution than merely washing my hands afterward. However, the effects of poison ivy vary so from person to person that I don't feel this remedy can safely be recommended for general use until further experiments are made."

The book was written in 1962, and I don't think any researcher has tested this technique yet. If it doesn't work, you could wind up with a rash at both ends of the old digestive track. Ouch! Ouch!

Researchers for the Environmental Management Technical Center in Onalaska, Wis., count and measure birds, fish, trees, algae and lots of other things living on the river, but they haven't done much with poison ivy except avoid it, according to Sara Rogers, plant ecologist for the National Biological Survey.

She acknowledges that it probably grows on every island in the Upper Mississippi and makes up a significant part of the vegetation. Her informal research downriver to Cape Girardeau revealed one interesting trend: "It seems to get bigger and better the farther south you go."

Reggie McLeod , editor of Big River, may or may not be allergic to poison ivy.

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CURRENT EVENTS

By Molly McGuiri; and Reggie McLeod

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Catfish Casting Call

fishy casting call for the sequel to "Grumpy Old Men" ended with a giant catfish's return to murky obscurity rather than a Hollywood career.

The film "Grumpy Old Men," which starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann Margret, was set in Wabasha and filmed in the Twin Cities.

The makers of "Grumpier Old Men" offered agents and anglers $500 each for two SO-pound catfish to perform in the new movie, which is also being filmed in the Twin Cities. A commercial fisherman in Winona reportedly offered the filmmakers a 45-pounder, but they still needed an understudy.

Then on the night of August 20 three La Crosse fishermen caught a 60-pound flathead in the Black River, near where it '0ins the Mississippi River. It took Rory .\.nderson, Brian Smith and Dan Smith about 45 minutes to land the 47-inch cat, according to an article in the La Crosse Tribune (8-23-95).

They first put the fish in a plastic swimming pool filled with city water, then a trough of well water and finally in aerated river water at the Pettibone Boat Club. Following a busy night they called the filmmakers only to discover that the Humane Society had talked them into using a farm-raised catfish in the movie.

So the men released the 60-pounder into the Mississippi.

Prairie Island's Hot Potato

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September 1995

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he debate over radioactive waste from the Prairie Island nuclear generators may last as long as the waste itself.

The plant's owner, Northern States Power, asked permission to store giant casks of high-level nuclear waste near the plant, which is on the Mississippi f upriver from Red Wing. Last year it took L,, ne Minnesota Legislature several votes and many tough debates to hammer out what supporters called a compromise to

store the waste somewhere in Goodhue County, farther from the river. Not a single environmental group agreed with the plan.

The process set in motion by the legislation has targeted a site in Florence Township, near Frontenac. Many township residents oppose that plan and even threatened to secede from Goodhue County.

In August, the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board approved studying the proposed sites further, but it also asked legislators to reconsider keeping the waste on Prairie Island, according to an article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press (818-95).

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Changes to the Corps

he newly formed Mississippi River Project will manage Army Corps of Engineers activities on the Mississippi from headquarters in Fountain City, Wis. Dean Peterson, who worked at the Corps' Winona office, has started his duties as the first manager of the new office.

Previously, river work was managed from the Corps district office in St. Paul.

The St. Paul District extends to Guttenburg, Iowa. The Corps also operates a boatyard in Fountain City.

On September 25 new rules will make it easier for a homeowner to fill up to a half acre of wetlands for home construction projects, including a house, driveway, garage or shed. The change is part of a 40-point plan put forth by the Clinton Administration two years ago to make the rules more effective and less cumbersome.

The streamlined permit should take 30 days or less rather than the typical 120-day process. It a pp lies only to singlefamily dwellings and can be used only once on a parcel of land.

The Corps is also asking for public comment on a process that would allow landowners to appeal Corps wetland decisions and permit denials. Currently appeals can only be made through the courts.

Other rule changes eliminate Corps responsibility over activities with a minor impact on wetlands, in order to concentrate resources on more critical problems.

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Reawakening

iver lovers who like to sip their soup and nibble their greens to the gentle roll of the river can finally return to the reborn No Wake Cafe. After months of working through red tape and construction delays, they reopened for business August 24th on the restored tugboat Covington, now a four-bedroom bed & breakfast. The boat is moored on Harriet Island in downtown St. Paul, although that's not its ultimate location. St. Paul's Riverview Times (Aug. 10-Sept. 13) reports that construction delays on the island's public dock forestalled the restaurant's anticipated July 1st opening, and complex negotiations with the city and Riverfront Development Corp. finally resulted in the boat's temporary mooring site near the park shelter.

The floating cafe, a popular spot for an assortment of diners since it started on a boathouse in 1987, offers great views of the Mississippi and will now be open year-round. Co-owner and former towboat cook Penny Miller said it had been "a little crazy" getting going again.

Big River published a review of the cafe in July 1994 and a story about the Covington in February 1994.

Poached Crane or Cooked Goose?

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ildlife in Marathon County, Wisconsin, may be safer now that a Hatley m an has been apprehended and charged with 31 poaching-related offenses. The Wisconsin State Journal (8-395) reported that authorities discovered photographs of the man's exploits that suggest he has been killing wildlife illegally for years. So long, in fact, that some allegations cannot be prosecuted under the statute of limitations, including the shooting of a trwnpeter swan 12 years ago.

Apparently the hunting was not all for sport. The man told investigators that last year his wife cooked a sandhill crane

September 1995

his 8-year-nld ao"' lldd shot while riding with him in a truck. When asked what the crane tasted like, he said it tasted like bald eagle.

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River Wrestling Match

ep. Steve Gunderson (R-Wis.) got an amendment passed to deny funding for the Army Corps of Engineers Navigation Study to study any portion of the Mississippi above the Quad Cities (see Big River, June 1995).

Gunderson also cosponsored an amendment to kill the Mississippi River Heritage Corridor Study Commission (see Big River, February 1995).

The fate of both bills is now up to the Senate.

Coons Boom, Diseases Loom

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here are lots of raccoons out there and disease is following in their little tracks. At least in Wisconsin, where their numbers are reaching record levels, health officials are worried about outbreaks of raccoon-carried diseases, according to the Baraboo NewsRepublic (731-95).

Trapping the critters is not as rewarding as it used to be: pelts are bringing only $3 to $8 due to a flat European market. So, the raccoon population is growing exponentially, said John Olson, forbearing animal specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in Park Falls. "We have never seen anything like this before in Wisconsin."

More raccoons mean more creature contacts. Raccoons may carry baylisascaris, a parasite that can cause death in children or blindness in adults. Sarah Hurley, DNR wildlife health specialist for wildlife management, said the death toll due to ingesting the round worm is unknown, but there is a fear that the disease will become more common as raccoon numbers increase. Another risk is salmonella contamination of picnic tables and other surfaces used for serving or preparing food. Finally, there is a concern that raccoon rabies, last recorded in Wisconsin in 1983, could make a comeback, posing an extreme health threat to other animals and people.

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Books, etc.

TA "fild About Birds: The DNR Bird Feed-

V V ing Guide by Carrol Henderson tells you all about birds, food, and feeders in 278 pages with 425 color photos.

Three years in the making, this comprehensive guide features 26 plans for building bird feeders and serves as a companion to Henderson's earlier books, Woodworking for Wildlife and Landscaping for Wildlife. Available from Minnesota's Bookstore, 1-800-657-3757, $19.95, and soon in bookstores.

Want to learn more about the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource's land use policies? "Common Ground" is the final report of a DNR Internal Land Use Task Force, endorsed by the Natural Resources Board. You will learn who the land-use decision-makers are in Wisconsin; population and demographic trends; effects of land-use decisions; and DNR strategies for the next several years. Call the DNR Bureau of Environmental Analysis and Review, (608) 267-7536.

If you are thinking about tooling around on the Great River Road in Wisconsin this fall, a Division of Tourism brochure provides handy information and directions between St. Croix Falls and Dickeyville, including area attractions and recreational facilities. You may want to travel the River Road to check out Grant County's new route, closer to the river between Prairie du Chien and Cassville. Call the Division of Tourism, 800-432-8747.

Wisconsin Water Law: A Guide to Water Rights and Regulations, written by Paul Kent and published by the University of Wisconsin-Extension provides an overview of legal issues related to water rights and regulations. Useful to anyone interested in water issues, including county planning departments, business owners and environmental consultants. The author is an attorney who specializes in environmental law. Call (608) 262-3346, ask for #G3622, $15.

Parks and recreation are good for cities and business. The Trust for Public

Land has a 15-minute video, "The Power of Parks" showing why cities are investing in green space to reduce crime, spur economic development and protect natural resources. Call 1-800-714-LAND, $5 for shipping and handling.

A Citizen's Guide to Co11servi11g Riparian Forest, a cooperative project by the River Network and the Appalachian Mountain Club, offers advice for identifying, establishing and protecting riparian forests. The 82-page handbook focuses on rivers in the Northeast, but the principles and examples are broadly applicable.

Order for $7, frorn River Network, PO Box 8787, Portland, OR 97207.

Missouri Reservoirs High

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ater levels in the six reservoirs on the Upper Missouri River were much higher than normal at the end of July. Runoff in July was 170 percent of normal, according to an article in The Waterways Journal (8-21-95).

With normal precipitation the rest of the year, the 1995 runoff will be the fourth highest in 97 years. The reservoirs will release more water than normal into the river for the next few months, to draw down the reservoirs enough to hold snowmelt waters next spring.

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Moving Wetlands

win Cities environment watchers are concerned about a wetland mitigation site proposed by the Metropolitan Airport Commission. The St. Paul Riverview Times (Aug.10-Sept 13) reports that the MAC still needs to compensate for 21.4 acres of wetlands filled for the 1983 expansion of Holman Field. Rather than honor a longstanding pledge to reclaim Pickerel Lake in Lilydale/Harriet Island Regional Park, the MAC asked the Army Corps of Engineers to permit them to meet federal mitigation requirements in Nobles County on the Iowa border, more than 100 miles from the area.

To comment to the Corps, call (612) 290-5360.

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RIVER CALENDAR

September 1995

Minn. State ra.1. Vnlksmarches, 1-800766-6000.

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2 Hike, Afton.

23-24 Hike, O.L. Kipp.

September Special Events & Festivals through 4 Minn. State Fair, DNR exhibit, St. Paul. Wildflower prairie trail, simulated life-size water-drinking moose, fish pond with Junker ca tfish, (612) 772-7986.

1-3 Old Time Farm Fest, Fountain City, Wis. 1-4 American Indian Pow Wow, Ft. Snelling State Park, St. Paul, 800-766-6000 or (612) 726-9247.

1-4 Melon Days, Thomson, Ill., (815) 2593581.

1-4 Bergen Fire Dept. Celebration, Stoddard, Wis., (608) 689-2549.

2 Quad Cities Night Lighted Boat Parade, Rock Island, (319) 359-9506.

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23-24 Victorian Fair, Winona, (507) 4542723.

23-24 Fall Tour of Hornes, Galena, Ill., (815) 777-0229.

24 Fun Days, East Dubuque, Ill., (815) 7473310.

30-0ct.l Hike or Bike, Lake Bemidji.

Oct. 7 & 8 William O'Brien, Wild River.

Oct. 15 Fort Snelling.

Workshops, Meetings, Conferences

29-0ct. 1 Old St. Anthony Octoberfest, Minneapolis.

6-8 Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Diversity Symposium, East Dubuque, Ill., $50. Glen Kruse, (217) 785-8290.

29-0ct.5 Oktoberfest, La Crosse, (608) 784FEST.

22-24 Rivers Council of Minnesota planning retreat, St. Paul, (218) 547-7263.

30 Art Along the River, Bellevue, Iowa, (319) 872-5830.

22-24 Becoming an Outdoors Woman, Iow a DNR, Springbrook Education Center, Guthrie Center, $100, Gloria Baker, (515) 747-8383.

Stories of the Mississippi River, m usic by Charlie M aguire, Mississippi National River & Recreation Area and Friends of the Mississippi River, free, (612) 290-4160.

28 Pool 8 Island Phase 2 Program meeting, 7 p.m., American Legion Hall, Stoddard, Gary Palesh, (612) 290-5282.

2-3 Mark Twain Festival, Alma, Wis., (608) 685-3300 I 3827.

16 Springbrook Nature Center, Fridley, Minn., 12:30 p.m., naturalist program following concert.

2-4 Flea Market, Marquette, Iowa, (319) 873-3521.

23 Minn. Children's Museum Playhouse, St. Paul, 11 a.m.

9 Eau Cla ir e, Mike Gullickson, (715) 9624221.

3 Parade & Water Ski Show, McGregor, Iowa, (319) 873-2186.

Oct.14 Oliver Kelley Farm, Elk River, 1 p.m., jawharp & spoons workshop, 2:30 p.m.

9 Horicon Marsh, Bill Volkert, (414) 3877877.

Old Fort Crawford Arts & Crafts Fair, Prairie du Chien, Wis. 4 Mississippi cleanup, Royalton, Minn.

Bruce, (218) 338-5441.

4 Labor Day parade, Rock Isla nd, (309) 7933300.

8-10 Riverfest, Dubuque, (319) 583-8535.

9 Viva Quad Cities Fiesta, Moline, (309) 792-5330.

9 Fall Fest, Genoa, Wis., (608) 689-2549.

9 Walleye Tournam ent, Winona, (507) 4530830.

9-10 Watermelon Festival, Kellogg, Minn., (507) 767-4953.

9-10 Villa Louis Carriage Classic, Prairie du Chien, Wis., (608) 326-2721.

14-17 Applefest, La Crescent, Minn., (507) 895-2800.

16-17 Laura Ingalls Wi_lder Days, Pepin, Wis., (715) 442-3011 or 2461.

19 Great River Walk, Trempealeau to Onalaska, Wis., (608) 791-6872.

22-24 Prescott (Wis.) Daze, (715) 262-3512.

23 Wa terfowlers Warm -up, Holmen (Wis.) Ro d & Gun Club, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., state duck and goose calling championships, demos, guns and dogs, (414) 524-8460.

23 Germanfest, Guttenberg, lowa, (319) 252-2323.

Effigy Mounds National Monument, Marquette, Iowa, (319) 873-3491.

9-17 Archeological Week, activities.

23 Bird Walks, 7 a.m.

23-24 Hawk Watch, activities.

Wis. waterfowl hunting skills clinics, other dates & locations, 1-800-524-8460.

Oct. 15-21 Managing the Mighty Mississippi, Elderhostel course, Winona Sta te U ., 1:30 p .m. -3:00 p.m., (507) 457-5080.

March 14-16,1996 The Mississippi River & Her People, Memphis, National Archives symposium, call for papers, (312) 5817816. Submissions focusing on impact of federal government or use of federal records. September deadline.

ALMANAC Most people pull their boats out of the water right after Labor Day, about six weeks too early. We almost always get at least one rainy .week in September, but we also usually get at least one glorious week around the end of September and the beginning of October. ¡ If you are lucky enough to to get out on the river during that week, you'll pretty much have it to yourself. The bluffs will be ablaze with red-orange oaks and maples, and golden birches and poplars.

The fish will be as hungry m ever, especially the northerns. The mosquitoes will be shy andretirlng, but who cares, you'll have on a long-sleeve shirt. From time to time your boat will send acres of coots dashing across the water trying to grab e nough air with their awkward wings to lift off. When the sun sets, the wind will pause briefly, allowing the still water to perfectly reflect the high-voltage colors of the river bluffs. :::;::;