Big River - August 1996

August 1996

Vol. 4, No. 8 $2.75

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

Julia Belle Swain Brings Here Come Grace & Charm to the River the Mayflie~ /

By Dean Gabbert

D

espite her regal bearing, Julia Belle Swain is no queen. Such a title might be much too tawdry for this grand lady of the Upper Mississippi River. She's more like a Victorian dowager who brings grace and charm to her new home port of La Crosse, Wis. The Julia Belle is said to be one of only five authentic steamboats operating on America's western rivers. It's also the pride and joy of Bob Kalhagen, a Madison, Wis., businessman and riverboat buff. Kalhagen, 45, is the owner and founder of the Ideal Crane Co. Now he's also the owner of the Great River Steamboat Co. and an elegant excursion boat that is giving tourism a boost in La Crosse and on the river.

Kalhagen first rode on the Julia Belle Swain in 1992, when it was based at Le Claire, Iowa. "I kind of fell in love with her then," he admits. The boat was offered for sale in 1994 by the Sangamon Packet Co., but there were no takers. It went on the auction block a few months later. "I went

By Dennis M. Robertsoµ;

down there, and I was the only one to bid on it," Kalhagen said. "And so I bought it. I just couldn't resist."

The price was $500,000, which Kalhagen considers an incredible bargain. The Julia Belle is only 24 years

Like no other vessel, she captures the beauty of those fabled 19th century packet boats. old with a steel hull as well as priceless steam engines and other equipment. It accommodates 124 passengers on three levels. And like no other vessel, it captures the beauty of those fabled 19th century packet boats.

Family History The Julia Belle Swain is the brainchild of Capt. Dennis Trone, Petersburg, Ill. A marine engineer and veteran river pilot, he designed and built the boat at Dubuque, Iowa, in 1971.

(Julia Belle continued on page 2)

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he mayfly (fishfly, shadfly, river bug, willow bug, Canadian soldier, sand bar fly) will likely be seen along the Mississippi River many summers into the future. It is one of the most ancient and persistent of insects, having existed for at least 300 million years.

Mayflies emerge from relatively slow moving, shallow areas of the river to invade riverside towns and their environs during summer nights.

Although they are usually little more than a temporary nuisance, mobs of (Mayflies continued on page 4)

What's Inside.

• •

As Big as a Minnow Some are pretty big ............ 3 River Map Festivals on the River .......... 5 Current Events Ducky Autumn ............... 6

River Calendar & Almanac Catfish Festival, Log Boom .... 8

(Julia Belle continued from page 1)

Excursion Packages

L

ynn DeBauche, general manager of Great River Steamboat Co. and Gift Shop, is excited about these 1996 excursion offerings: Rivertown Discovery, two-day excursion - A round trip from La Crosse to Wmona, Minn., includes meals on board, overnight shore accommodations and a historical tour of Wmona.

WISConsin Frontier, two-day excursion -A round trip from La Crosse to Prairie du Chien, Wis., mCtu~s meals on board, overnight ·] shore accommodations and a hislciric k1ur in Prairie du Chien.

Both pf the C1bove t~lurs featttre two !v1ississip~i Rive,c lQ~!?-1 !li§torical narrativ~, ~~Wroti~'f-n~

and entertainnwnt by area artists, including j,1zz, riu•r folk-singing and Dixieland. music.

Othl'r excursions include a fo'e-hour lunch cruise from La Crosse, a Murder Mystery lunch cruise from La Crosse and fall color tours beginning in midScptember.

Overall, it's 149 feet long with a beam of 27 feet. TI1e vintage reciprocating engines were built in 1915 and came from the City of Baton Rouge , a

The boat also boasts a steam calliope, a 7.51oot pilotwheel that is recessed into the pilothouse deck, a big brass bell mounted on the boiler deck, a melodious steam whistle that makes your spine tingle, and a 211oot paddlewheel that turns at a steady 10 revolutions per minute.

Louisiana ferryboat. The boat also boasts a steam calliope, a 7.5-foot pilotwheel recessed into the pilot-

house deck, a big brass bell mounted on the boiler deck, a melodious steam whistle that makes your spine tingle, and a 21-foot paddlewheel that turns at a steady 10 revolutions per minute.

During its early years, The Julia Belle ran on the Illinois River with Peoria as its home port. Later it divided its time between Peoria and Chattanooga, Tenn., where the boat carried fall excursions on the Tennessee River.

For several years Capt. Trone operated both the Julia Belle and the Twilight on two-day excursions between Le Claire, Iowa, and Galena, Ill. The flood of 1993 and the competition of Quad City gambling boats, however, forced him to sell the Julia Belle. The Twilight, another richly appointed boat, continues to operate from Le Claire.

The Julia Belle also has some interesting Northern roots. Starting soon after the Civil War, Capt. David Swain built steam engines in Stillwa-

T/1e Juli-a Belle Swain i•isits B11rli11gto11, Jc11u11, in 1974. It looks the same today, altlwug/1 the interior is 1ww 1111/C/i 11/0ff

elegant.

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Big River

August 1996

ter, Minn. Later he and his sons built numerous stemwheel boats there.

James V. Swift, river historian and contributing editor of the Waterways Journal, says it remains a mystery why the Swain family built boats on the St. Croix River, while operating most of them from Peoria on the Illinois River.

The Julia Belle Swain is the second boat to bear that name. The first was purchased by the Swain family in 1913 and renamed in honor of Capt.

Percy Swain's daughter, who was Captain David's granddaughter. Julia Belle, who later became Mrs. Dolph Westphal, christened the present boat during ceremonies held in 1972.

Riverboat Therapy As a river writer, I long ago discovered the therapeutic effects of riverboat travel at the measured pace of eight miles per hour. In 1974 my wife, Joyce, and I had the privilege of travelling on the Julia Belle Swain from Chattanooga to St. Louis. It was a "dream" trip with a volunteer crew that included singer-composer John Hartford and a host of bluegrass musicians. Ever since, I've thought of the Julia Belle Swain as a magical time machine. If nothing else, she offers a welcome contrast to the glitzy gambling boats that command most of the attention on Midwest rivers.

Dean Gabbert writes about the river from his home on its banks in Nauvoo, Ill., (river mile 378.6). He is the retired publisher and editor of The Faiifield (Iowa) Ledger.

For excursion dates and prices call 1-800-815-1005. All excursiQns begin from the Julia Belle Swain dock in Riverside Park, La Crosse.

August 1996

As Big as a Minnow

By Mark Endris

W

hat is a minnow? Most of us are pretty sure we know one when we see one.

They are those little fish you buy at the bait shop or see swimming in the river. However, from a fisheries biologist's point of view the question is more complicated. Minnows are not just any small fish.

Scientifically, there is a group of fish classified as the Cyprinidae, also known as the minnow family.

Although most species of minnows are small, some can be very large.

Within this family are several subfamilies with names familiar to many of us: carps; minnows; chubs; daces; shiners; stonerollers; and even goldfish. The other little fish we see and incorrectly call minnows are often young sunfish and suckers or other fish species with small adults, such as darters, sticklebacks, silversides and sculpins.

Minnow species form the largest family of fish and, for that matter, vertebrates (animals with backbones).

There are approximately 2,010 species of minnows in the world, with 270 species in the U.S., 49 species in Wisconsin and about 34 species of minnows in the Mississippi River within 50 miles of La Crosse.

The largest and smallest minnows in the world both come from Asia.

The smallest species is about 3/8 of an inch long when it is an adult, and the largest species can grow to nine feet. The largest minnow in the U.S. is the Colorado squawfish, which grows to five feet, and the largest minnow in Wisconsin is the common carp.

Some larger minnows you see in bait shops include golden shiners and emerald shiners. The "crappie" and "walleye" minnow is usually the fairly dull, fathead minnow, but there can be quite a variety of fish in your bait bucket. It is not uncommon to find colorful redbelly dace, stickleBig River

backs, small bullheads (often sold separately as "willow cats") or other small fish, such as bluegills, that are accidentally captured when harvesting bait minnows. Bait minnows may be raised in local ponds or caught wild from lakes and rivers. When local supplies run low, minnows may be brought from hundreds of miles away.

Dumping your unused minnows into rivers and lakes is illegal. It amounts to stocking the river or lake with undesirable species and may introduce harmful fish diseases. Also, harmful exotic species, such as ruffe, white perch and zebra mussels, may hitch a ride in a bait bucket.

Mark Endris works for the Wisconsin

Deparhnent of Natural Resources.

Visit the Big River on the Web Our World Wide Web site includes stories from past issues of Big River, an updated River Calendar, and links to other interesting resources. http:/ /www.luminet.net/ ~bigriver

Big River Big River (ISSN 1070-8340) is published 111011tilly

by Big River, 701/2 East Fourth Street, Suite 203, Winona , MN 55987; (507) 454-5949; fax: (507) 454-21 33; e-11111il: bigriueT@aol.ca111; web site: http://www.lu111i11et.11et/-bigriver.

Reggie McLeod editor/publisher Pm11eln Eyden assistant editor Molly McGuire assista11t publisher Mary Feat/1ergill bookkeeper Jayn e L. Stokke gmphic artist Subscriptions are $28 fo r one year, $50 for two years or $2.75 per single issue. Send subscriptions, single copy orders and cliange-of-address requests to Big River, PO Box 741, Winona, MN 55987.

Second-class postage paid at Wi1101111, MN. POSTMASTER: send change-of-address requests to Big River, PO Box 741, Winona , M N 55987.

Big River, Volume, 4, N11111ber 8, copyright Š August 1996. Reproduction in whole or in part without writte11 pa111ission of the publisher is prohibited. Printed on recycled paper.

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(Mayflies continued from page 1)

them attracted to the lights of bridges and riverside roads can create slippery driving conditions. On the rare occasions when the bodies really pile up, snowplows are called into action to remove heavy accumulations of these insects.

Pest control is impractical for mayfly nymphs, because they are so widespread. Control of the adults is ordinarily unnecessary, since they usually dry up and die within 48 to

They can't even eat, because shortly before they emerge from the water their digestive tract becomes a closed buoyant air bladder to help the nymph ascend from deep waters to the surface.

72 hours. Other than making roads slippery and the unpleasant tickle you feel when they alight on your skin or hair, mayflies are not a threat to plants or animals. Fortunately, they do not bite, or sting. They can't even eat, because shortly before they emerge from the water their digestive tract becomes a closed buoyant air bladder to help the nymph ascend from deep waters to the surface. That crackling sound you hear when you step on a dead mayfly is caused by this air bladder bursting.

A female mayfly carries up to 4,000 eggs. After they are fertilized, she deposits the eggs in the water. The eggs drift toward the river bottom where they hatch within about two weeks. The hatched insects, called nymphs, may live in waters up to 25 feet deep. The nymph breathes with gills and uses well-developed chewing mouth parts to feed on bits of dead plants and animals in the mud (detritus).

It generally completes its life cycle within one to three years, during which time it undergoes as many as 20 transformations, or moltings. Most of the moltings occur underwater, but the second to the last takes place on the water surface. At this point the 4

insect is particularly vulnerable, as it must shed its nymphal skin at the water surface and maintain its balance on the skin while it frees its wings for flight. This process of shedding its skin lasts only about one minute. If the insect steps off the skin before its wings are dry, it can become crippled and die. Perhaps this is why the biggest mayfly invasions seem to occur on calm summer nights, rather than on windy nights with rough water.

When their wings have dried, the insects fly to the shore to rest on trees, buildings or other objects, where they lose much of their weight through evaporation. During daylight hours, they undergo a final molting to become an adult mayfly. This final molting usually begins a half day after emergence and peaks in the late afternoon, continuing into the evening. In cool weather, however, winged forms may take one or more days before their final molt into an adult mayfly.

Adult mayflies mate in the swarms you see around lights or at low levels near the river banks. The males hover in the same relative position within the swarm and mate with the female when she enters the swarm. Once fertilized, the female will then deposit her 4,000 or more eggs into the water to begin the cycle again.

Emergences do not correlate with air temperature, water temperature, water levels or phases of the moon.

Mayflies tend to emerge in waves six to 11 days apart. In one study, 150 emergences were observed in a given summer. The emergences began in May, peaked in July, and continued through August. Emergences of similar magnitudes may occur over distances of hundreds of miles on the Mississippi River.

Big River

The Usefulness of Mayflies There is strong evidence that the reappearance of mayflies in many sections of the Mississippi indicates that the quality of the river water is improving.

The ephemeral existence of the mayfly suggests that nature has economized poorly and wasted the entire life cycle of an insect for little purpose. However the nymph forms provide a plentiful source of food for channel catfish, white bass, crappies, sunfish and sturgeon. Even dead mayflies are a source of food. Ducks and other birds scoop up piles of dried mayfly remnants, which they devour with apparent relish.

Since the mayfly is relatively shortlived, abundant, and easily collected, the adult mayfly has been used to study chemical contamination in the Mississippi River. Polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs] and other chemicals, including heavy metals such as mercury, have been measured in the mayfly. Further, studies of contaminants found in the mayfly have important implications in the food chain (detritus is eaten by mayflies, which are eaten by fish, which are eaten by waterfowl) since these contaminants tend to become more concentrated as the chain lengthens.

Dennis M. Robertson, MD, is a professor of ophthalmology and a full-time consultant at the Mayo Clinic. He commutes to Rochester from his home on the big river in Lake City, Minn.

August 1996

./ fustivals on the Big River Summer and Fall 1996 St. Cloud*

, West Side Pride Day, Harriet Island, Sept. 21; ur Trade Rendezvous , Fort Snelling, Aug. 31-Sept. 2

Wisconsin Tourism Info 1-800-372-2737

Maiden Rock Red Wing, River City Days, Aug. 2-4 * * * Stockholm Frontenac* *Pepin, Laura Ingalls Wilder Days, Sept. 21-22 Lake City, Johnny Appleseed Days, Oct. 7-8 * *Nelson, Good Old Nelson Days, Aug. 9-11 Wabasha, Eaglewatch, Nov.-March • Kellogg, Watermelon Festival, Sept. 5-8 * * Alma, Mark Twain Days, Aug. 31-Sept. 1; Swan Watch, late Oct.-Nov. * Cochrane-Buffalo City * Fountain City Winona, Victorian Fair, Sept. 28-29

Dakota *

Minnesota Tourism Info 1-800-657-3700

La Crescent, Applefest, Sept. 19-22 *

* Onalaska *La Crosse, Log Boom, Aug . 2-4; Oktoberfest, Sept. 27-0ct. 3

Brownsville•

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.. ·Genoa, Fall Fest, Sept. 7

Iowa Tourism Info 1-800-345-4692

Lansing, Fish Days, Aug . 9-11 *

* De Soto, Fish Fly Days, Aug. 24-26

Harpers Ferry, Hawk Watch , Sept. 28-29 * Marquette, Flea Market, Aug. 31-Sept. 2, Oct. 5-6, Oct. 12-13 * McGregor, Arts & Crafts, Oct. 5-6, Oct. 12-13 *

Wisconsin R .

Guttenberg, GermanFest, Sept. 28-29 *

Illinois Tourism Info 1-800-223-0121

Bellevue, Art Along the River, Oct. 6 •

Clinton, Birthday Party, Aug.

*Savanna, Taste of Savanna, Oct. 12-13 •Thomson, Melon Days, Aug. 31-Sept. 2 *Fulton *Albany Port.Byron, The Tug, Aug. 2-3 • Molme

Le Claire, The Tug, Aug. 2-3 • East Davenport Riverssance Sept 28-29 Bettendorf * ' ' · Davenport, Antique Motorcycle Swap Meet, Aug. 30-Sept. 1 * • Rock Island Quad Cities, Big River Rendezvous , Oct. 10-13

August1996

Big River

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Current Events

By Pamela Eyden, Molly McGuire and Reggie McLeod

Share Your River with Us Winona, Minn. - We'd like your help with a new column in Big River.

Tell us - in 200 words or less about your favorite spot on the river, an unusual experience or something you learned from the river.

If we pick your piece to publish in the new "River Notes" column, you'll receive instant fame as well as your own Big River mug "for people who live, work, play or drink coffee on the Big River."

Send your insights and stories to Big River, P.O. Box 741, Winona, MN 55987 or fax them to (507) 454-2133.

Please include your address and a phone number where we can reach you during the day

Expanding Boundaries A river doesn't begin at a river bank.

It extends beyond its banks to every place where a drop of rain may eventually find a route to the river. In other words, if you want to take care of a river, you have to take care of its watershed.

Recognizing this, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is reorganizing into 23 watershed teams.

The first team began work in the Green Bay region in March. Other area teams will begin work in September, according to an article in Country Today (7-10-96).

The Minnesota River is one of the biggest sources of pollution in the Upper Mississippi. A new, three-year effort aims to clean it up. American Rivers, a national conservation group, will work with the Minnesota River Joint Powers Board to help farmers find better uses for the river's floodplain. Farmland along the river has suffered frequent flooding in recent years. Different uses, perhaps orchards, pastures or forests, may

6

provide a more reliable income and improve water quality and wildlife habitat, according to an article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press (7-20-96).

Public meetings on the program will be held in Granite Falls, New Ulm and Le Sueur at 7 p.m. on August 6, 7 and 8.

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~i: Horicon National Wildlife Refuge.

Only turkey hunters on the Upper Mississippi Refuge can still use lead shot.

Waterfowl, eagles and other birds are sometimes poisoned from eating lead pellets from spent shot.

River Resources The May /June issue of the River Register details several changes to the EPA's water programs, reflecting a change to a watershed-based approach. For its bulletin "Why Watersheds?" write to NCEPI, PO Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH 452422419, or fax (513) 489-8695, and ask for #EPA800-F-96-001.

Visit the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Web site for outdoor information, a kids page, permit applications and more. The address is http: I I dnr.state.il. us.

Ducky Autumn Forecast

and harbor maintenance operations.

The plan addresses where dredge material will go and different dredging processes, and it has aerial photo maps of dredge material in Pools 1 through 10. Contact Daniel Krumholz or Steven Tapp at the Mississippi River Project Office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 431 North Shore Drive, Fountain City, WI 54629-0397, or call (608) 687-3011.

Spring surveys of duck populations in Minnesota and Wisconsin have found healthy increases in duck populations. Officials attributed the increase to good rainfall, agricultural set-aside programs and wetland restoration projects.

Most of the Canada geese that migrate through the Mississippi River Valley nest along the coast of Hudson Bay and northwest James Bay, both in Canada. The spring survey of these geese found a 26 percent drop in the population. Goose populations in parts of Manitoba and Minnesota appear to be on the upswing.

The Mississippi Flyway Council, which includes biologists and administrators from 14 states and three Canadian provinces, meets every July to consider population reports and develop hunting recommendations for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which then issues guidelines for state hunting dates and bag limits.

In most places lead shot was banned for waterfowl hunting nearly a decade ago. Beginning this year it is also banned from upland hunting in many national wildlife refuges, including the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge and the Big River

The St. Paul District of the Army Corps of Engineers has released a

Channel Maintenance Management Plan, a long-term guide for its channel

Poetic or Boat License Last August we reported on the country's top 10 recreational boat names.

This year there have been a few changes, giving the list a different constellation (in italics, in descending order): The pursuit of Serenity can be a fond Obsession, as the Osprey cannot Escape the sea.

We seek Therapy with a Liquid Asset (or a Wet Dream).

For Diversion we summon the Sundancer, to keep the shadow of the Predator at bay.

These 10 are the most requested names for the Boat Owners Association of the United States graphics department, which makes boat letters August 1996

for its 500,000 members, according to Northern Breezes Guly 1996).

Check It Out Illinois - This summer kids in 26 Illinois communities can borrow fishing equipment free from their public libraries and parks. The Illinois DNR program, called "Access to Fishing" is an outgrowth of the Illinois Urban Fishing Program, which offers free clinics. When checking out a rod and reel, purchased through the American Sportfishing Association, each child receives a free tackle pack donated by local organizations. The Savanna and Fulton libraries are among those participating in the program, according to Outdoor Illinois Guly 1996).

Fecal Coliform Happens Folks in Iowa did not take too kindly to the U.S. Geological Survey's Contaminants in the Mississippi River, 1987-92 (see Big River, April 1996). The survey, heavily quoted by the media, reported extremely high fecal coliform levels (exceeding federal standards for whole body contact) in many locations, including Guttenberg, Dubuque, and the Quad Cities, leading many people to question the safety of any kind of river activity. In May, the Iowa DNR released a fact sheet to dispel "unwarranted fears that the Mississippi is no longer safe for recreation or fishing because of bacterial contamination," according to the River Register (MayJune 1996).

In response to public concerns and questions from river biologists, the USGS reviewed its findings, and discovered that some of the offending water samples were taken from tributaries instead of the Main Channel, where the bacterial concentration would be much more diluted, according to the UMRCC Newsletter (May /June 1996).

The Iowa DNR also questioned using fecal coliform as a disease risk indicator, stating that the EPA uses the E. coli bacteria as a standard.

For copies of the original report, Iowa -

August 1996

request circular 1133 from the uses Information Services, Box 25286, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225.

For the Iowa report, contact John Olson at (515) 281-8905.

Towboat Trading Cards Next time you pass by the Starved Rock Lock on the Illinois River, at Ottawa, ill., stop in at the Illinois Waterway visitor center and ask for a set of towboat trading cards. The first edition of six is bound to be a collector's item. There's a full-color photograph of a towboat on the front, and the vessel's vital statistics and a safety message on the back. The Army Corps only printed 2,000 sets, and they're going fast.

The cards are part of the Corps' Park Rangers campaign to make boaters more aware of towboats.

Ottawa, Ill. -

Tougher Pilot Licensing New tow pilots would need more training and testing under proposed Coast Guard regulations. New rules would provide for the licensing of a third category of operator - apprentice mate (steersman), as well as master and mate. Separate licenses would be required to operate boats with less than 3,000 horsepower and those with more.

The tougher regulations result from a study done after the Sunset Limited disaster in Alabama two years ago. In that accident, a towboat lost in the fog hit a railroad bridge because its operator did not know how to use the boat's radar. Shortly afterward, a passenger train crossed the bridge, and it collapsed, killing 47 people.

The study found that 60 percent of the 12,891 accidents involving towboats in the previous 12 years were due to human error.

Towboat pilots aren't the only boat operators who need to keep their wits and keen judgement about them. The passenger paddlewheeler American Queen recently collided with a towboat on the Ohio River. It seems the Queen was trying to pass the A. Steve Big River

Crowley when it ran into shallow water and veered toward the towboat, striking the tow's port stem deck and damaging its own forward landing stages. The Queen was carrying 430 passengers at the time.

Experience Orientation Dubuque, Iowa - The Mississippi River Museum at Dubuque, Iowa, is welcoming visitors with a blockbuster, interactive "orientation experience" that the director describes as a "knock-your-socks-off theater experience that surrounds the viewers with the river and lets them see, feel and hear the power of the Mississippi."

The 12-minute experience features narration by Garrison Keillor, special lighting effects, a fog machine, twoscreen visuals and a "dynamic soundscape enhanced by subwoofers," not to mention artifacts that are "illuminated during the presentation to make it a 3-D experience."

Museum admission is $6 for adults and $3 for children ages 6 to 15. The museum, located at Ice Harbor, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Seeking Compatibility St. Louis, Mo. - The new "Big River Partnership" between agricultural, navigational and environmental interests aims to help the Upper Mississippi River. An outgrowth of last winter's river summit (see Big River, March 1996), such diverse groups as the Iowa Com Growers Association, the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, American Rivers, the Midwest Area Rivers Coalition 2000 and the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association have agreed to work together to find compatibility between economic use and ecological integrity Specifically, they will look into managing the river's pool levels to support wildlife habitat and navigation, demonstrate erosion-reduction practices, and improve predictions of future river conditions. The next Big River Partnership summit meeting will be held next February in St. Louis.

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Special Events & Festivals -August2-3 The Tug, Le Claire, Iowa, and Port Byron, Ill. 2-4 Log Boom, La Crosse, Wis. 2-4 River City Days, Red Wing, Minn.

4-17 Iowa 150 Mississippi canoe trip, border to border, (319) 652-5229.

Mississippi River Revival flotilla community celebrations, 1-800-957-4837.

4 Lansing 5 Guttenberg 6 Dubuque 7 Bellevue 7 Taste of Dubuque, Ice Harbor, 4 p.m. - 9:30 p.m., (319) 588-4400.

9 Art Festival, Sabula, Iowa.

9-11 Fish Days, Lansing, Iowa.

9-11 Good Old Nelson (Wis.) Days.

10 Clinton County Birthday Party, Clinton, Iowa, 1-800-828-5702.

10 Bluesfest, Dubuque, (319) 556-1908.

10 Heritage Festival, Elk River, Minn.

10-11 Catfish Festival, Potosi, Wis. 17 Iowa Fishing Clinic, Maquoketa, (319) 652-3783.

24 Outdoor skills day, Wis. State parks, (608) 266-2182.

24-26 Fish Fly Days, De Soto, Wis. 31 Fall Fest, Savanna, ill.

31-Sept. 1 Mark Twain Days, Alma, Wis. 31-Sept. 2 Melon Days, Thomson, Ill. 31-Sept. 2 Flea Market, Marquette, Iowa.

Stories of the Mississippi, National Park Service and Friends of the Mississippi 8 Ballads in the Park, singing ranger Charlie Maguire, Coon Rapids Dam, 7 p.m., (612) 767-6493.

10 Mississippi River Jaw-Harp workshop, Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, Fridley, Minn, 11 a.m; concert, 2 p.m., (612) 574-1850.

24 Choir celebration, new work by Charlie Maguire, Gluek Park, Minneapolis, 11 a.m., (612) 290-5160, ext. 221.

John Hartford concerts 4 Julia Belle Swain, Lansing, Iowa.

5 The Pink Elephant, Marquette, Iowa.

West Coon Rapids Dam, Brooklyn Park, Minn., (612) 424-8172.

3 Edible insects (come hungry) 1 p.m.

10 Canoe to Minneapolis, 9 a.m., $8.

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

3 Moonlight hike, 7:30 p.m.

10 Deadline, photo contest.

17 Bird walk, 8 a.m.

Through Sept. 2 Fire Point hikes, daily, 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

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- September 5-8 Kellogg (Minn.) Watermelon Festival.

6-8 Dragon Boat Festival, Dubuque.

7 Minnesota Orchestra at Harriet Island, St. Paul, free. Festivities, 6 p.m.; concert, 7:30 p.m.; fireworks following.

7 Genoa (Wis.) Fall Fest.

7-8 Villa Louis Carriage Classic, Praire du Chien, Wis. 13-15 Riverfest, Dubuque.

21 West Side Pride Day, Harriet Island, St. Paul, Minn., (612) 293-1708.

21 Living History Day, Clinton, Iowa.

21-22 Laura Ingalls Wilder Days, Pepin, Wis. 21-22 Big River Days, Clarksville, Missouri.

27-29 Prescott (Wis.) Daze.

27-0ct. 3 Oktoberfest, La Crosse, Wis. 28 Waterfowl hunting opens, Minn. (tentative).

28-29 Riverssance, East Davenport, Iowa.

28-29 Volksmarch, 0.L. Kipp state park, Winona, Minn., 1-800-766-6000.

28-29 GermanFest, Guttenberg, Iowa.

28-29 Hawk Watch, Harpers Ferry, Iowa.

28-29 Victorian Fair, Winona, Minn.

28-29 Voyageur Encampment, William O'Brien State Park, Minn.

29 Fun Days, East Dubuque, Ill.

Meetings & Hearings -August6 Public meeting, Pool Slough habitat project, 7 p.m., Town House, New Albin, Iowa, (612) 290-5402.

8 Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board, Prairie du Chien, Wis., 5 p.m., 1-800-2213792.

14 Upper Mississippi River Basin quarterly meeting, La Crosse, Wis., (612) 224-2880.

15 Environmental Management Program Coordinating Committee Meeting, La Crosse, Wis., (612) 224-2880.

Workshops & Conferences -Augustthrough 16 Archeology camps and teacher workshops, Mississippi Valley Archeology Center, (608) 785-8454.

4-9 Rivers Curriculum, teacher training, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, (618) 692-3788.

13-15 Exploration of the Mississippi River, Project WILD workshop, Wyalusing State Park, Prairie du Chien, Wis., $40, (515) 747-2200.

- September 16-18 Rural non-point source pollution in the Upper Midwest, Mississippi River Environmental Training School, La Crosse, Wis., (612) 972-3908.

17-20 Mississippi River Parkway Commission, Memphis, (612) 224-9903.

22-26 Rivertech '96, International Water Resources Association, Chicago, write IWRA, U of Ill., 1101 W. Peabody Dr., Urbana, IL 61801-4273.

UMRCC fall technical section meetings 10-12 Fisheries, Lake Itasca State Park Minn. , 16-18 Wildlife, Havana, Ill., (815) 6252968.

18-19 Water quality, Blackhawk State Park, Rock Island, Ill.

August Almanac

By Kenny Salwey, Pool SA Summer time and the livin' is easy. Just some words to a song? Not at all my friends! To river people these are profound truths! In August, the mighty Mssiss1pp1 r~s low and slow and easy. The dog days of summer are here, and dogs and fo~ks alike seek _shady places on the islands and river banks to kick back, with something cool to drink and maybe a grill and a fishing pole.

Who has ~t better than the river folks and their dogs in August? To lie back in the lush grass with your eyes closed is a sensory delight. The fragrance of wild flowers and_ the pungent river smeHs fill your nose. Listen to the deep rumbling diesel engines of a towboat pushing dowm1ver. In the distance, outboard motors whine and drone back and forth . Waves lap gently at your feet. A slight southern breeze caresses your cheek and sings a summertime lullaby through the cottonwood leaves.

As you doze off you're suddenly startled by an "AWK, AWK, AWK." Open your eyes m hme to see a great blue heron lumbering skyward, overloaded for take off with its afternoon's catch of fish and frogs.

Big River

August 1996