Big River - October 1996 by wsuopenriver

October 1996

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

Vol. 4, No. 10 $2.75

Drawdown Deadly Decks Working on Riverboats Demos By Lee Hendrix

his summer, fresh out of the first grade, Mitchell Adrian Hendrix, named after two riverboat captains, made a week-long trip on the steamboat American Queen. Noticing that Mitchell had quickly tired of the ping-pong table and swimming pool on the observation deck, the first mate offered my son a broom and mop to assist the AQ's deck crew in ridding the decks of the hordes of mayflies that had decided to make our vessel their final resting place. Nautical bloodlines pumping, Mitchell broke a hard sweat and was soon adopted by the rest of the crew. He earned his deckhand's name badge and announced that he will follow the call of the steamboat's whistle, at least until something better comes along. My euphoria at watching Mitchell gleefully squeegee morning dew off the AQ decks was tempered as I reflected on the reality of having my son follow my footsteps, or splashes. That is, "splash" as in the three times that I unexpectedly united myself with Big Mama Mississippi's chilly

October 1996

By Reggie McLeod

waters, while working as a deckhand on a towboat. I reasoned that he should, perhaps, first check out law school or dentistry - something safer. He can still wave at towboats as they go by and, if he wants a taste of the river, he can get into admiralty law or work on a riverman's neglected teeth.

"Man overboard!" In truth, of course, the dangers faced by a deckhand on the American Queen are far fewer than those confronting the towboat deckhand. I do not know, statistically, how a deckhand's job rates, danger-wise, with that of an ironworker, oil field hand, firefighter or public school teacher in St. Louis, to name just a few scary professions. However, I do know that there are several law firms in St. Louis, New Orleans and Cincinnati that specialize in admiralty law, and over 50 percent of their cases deal with personal injury. As I mentioned, I took the big plunge three times in my decking (Deadly Decks continued on page 2)

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river doesn't amount to much without water, but too much water can be too much of a good thing. The plants and animals that live in the Mississippi River and its backwaters evolved over millions of years by coping with drastic fluctuations of the river's water level. Some backwaters dried out almost every summer. Before the locks and dams were constructed in the 1930s, stretches of the Upper Miss sometimes dropped so low that people could wade across it. Many researchers and wildlife man(Drawdown Demos continued on page 4)

What's Inside. .. Navigation Study Broadens . .... 3 Current Events Pleasure Barge, Potty Tent .. .. .. 6 River Calendar & Almanac Eaglewatch, Catfish Fry ..... . .. 8 River Notes A Success Story .... . ......... . 8

(Deadly Decks continued from page 1)

days. According to river safety specialist Dennis Kundert of TECO Transportation in Devant, Louisiana, "man overboard" still ranks as the biggest hazard faced by a deckhand. Kundert told me that 95 percent of all "man overboard" incidents are :~

Fatal Falls By Molly McGuire ost deck crew fatalities on barges and towboats result from falls overboard, according to a report issued by the Coast Guard-American Waterways Operators (AWO) Quality Action Team . The report focuses on fatalities in the i.t1l,111d towing industry for the yec1rs 1985 to 199.:J.. Fatol falls tend to occur ill -roughly eqt1ol numbers from barges ond towboats, usually during clear weathe1~ night or day; while the vessel is moving, and during routine tasks. Lack of adequate training, policies, supervision and communication were among the factors contributing to fatal falls, according to The Waterways Journal (9-9-96). The team recommended that barge and towing companies implement new prevention programs and that the AWO add such a requirement to its Responsible Carrier Program, a voluntary effort to upgrade equipment and adopt new practices to reduce collisions, spills and work force injuries. -

caused by carelessness and neglect, rather than unpreventible or unexpected circumstances. Luckily for me,

Luckily for me, I always fell in with a wire or rope firmly in my grasp, and in the presence of deckmates who eventually got around to helping pull me out, after they had their chuckles. I always fell in with a wire or rope firmly in my grasp, and in the presence of deckmates who eventually got around to helping pull me out, after they had their chuckles. "Man overboard" is, of course, serious business and is a required drill for all passenger vessels and most towboats. Even if one is a good swimmer and is wearing a life jacket, falling in the river can often be fatal, especially at night. If an incident occurs while the boat is underway, a person can be sucked under the tow or into the wheels (propellers) of the towboat. Winter, naturally, brings on the added hazards of icy decks and hypothermia. A deckhand immersed in 40-degree water will begin to lose coordination and strength in less than a minute, much less time than it takes even a well-trained deck crew to launch a rescue boat. Although pilots, engineers and cooks seem to be less exposed to the risk of personal injury, they sometimes end up in harm's way as well. Poor Bob M., an engineer I often towboated with, fell in the river in St. Louis at about 11 o'clock one November night. At about 11:30, he was still clinging to the guard chain he had managed to grab before going in, when some crew members happened to hear his weakening screams. For reasons such as this, many large towing companies now require anyone going outside to wear a life jacket and to be accompanied by another crew member.

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Killer lines Although it's the most common and dangerous hazard, "man overboard" is not the only killer or maimer of deckhands. The rigging and lines used to hold barges together or to lock walls must always be respected, inspected and quickly rejected when they become too hot to handle. Those wire cables and two- to three-inch thick synthetic lines and ropes, while capable of absorbing tremendous amounts of weight and energy; can also mercilessly crush fingers, sever arms and legs, or decapitate the untrained or unwary deckhand. A very sobering picture was on display at Lock 20, at Canton, Mo., when I was a deckhand in the early 1970s. In the photo was a broken lock line and a pair of work boots, lying empty and ripped apart on the deck of a barge. Those boots had been on the feet of a deckhand until the fury of the line had knocked him completely out of them and cruelly ended the young man's life. Perhaps the Corps of Engineers thought the image a bit too grim because the photo is no longer on display at Lock 20, but it is still vivid in my mind.

Bad weather Less dramatic and menacing, though still costly in terms of pain and man hours lost, are the sprains, strains and contusions associated with a deckhand's job. Deckhands are

Deckhands are constantly exposed to cold, heat, wind, darkness and the numerous forms of precipitation that dwellers of the Upper Mississippi Valley have grown to adore. Âˇ constantly exposed to cold, heat, wind, darkness and the numerous forms of precipitation that dwellers of the Upper Mississippi Valley have

October 1996

grown to adore. When there are barges to be wired together or a lock "on the head," the show must go on regardless of conditions. The rigging and lines are cumbersome and heavy. Ratchets and wires can weigh one hlll1dred polll1ds or more, and the deckhand must learn to sling them up, over and arolU1d deck fittings, barge coamings and hatch covers. All this has to be done in poor visibility, with water streaming off the deckhand' s cap and out of his nose, and wet socks falling down into his boots, which are ankle-deep in black coal or mashed, rotten soybean muck. Keep in mind, also, that most crew members w ork 30 straight days or m ore at a time, and few have had more than five hours of consecutive sleep for that entire period, since they work six hours on and six off. Particularly onerous is the position of "call man" that most companies now employ on the Upper Mississippi. This lucky guy gets to experience all the fun, because he has to get up for every lock and landing from St. Paul to St. Louis; that is 27 locks and who knows how many landings. The "call man" will often get less than an hour of sleep between locks and is indeed fortlll1ate to have more than four or five unintermpted hours above the Quad Cities. Despite the questionable practice of decreasing crew size, thereby increasing individual work loads, towing companies have greatly reduced job-related injuries and fatalities beginning in the 1980s, according to Dennis Klll1dert. Most companies have come to value the economic importance of safety and health on the river. When I first started as a deckhand, I received little or no training and, in retrospect, was fortunate to make it through my first six months lffiscathed. I was often told to go alone on the tow over icy decks with barges gaping several feet apart. Leaping from one barge to another was just an accepted risk that had to be taken. I received almost no formal training in the handling and danger

October 1996

Navigation Study Broadens By Reggie McLeod

wo of the most obvious blind spots in a six-year, $46-million study of shipping needs on the Upper Mississippi River will be remedied, according to an official of the Army Corps of Engineers. In its Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Wate1way System Navigation Study, the Corps is gathering information about possibly expanding the current lockand-dam system in order to decrease or eliminate delays for barges. Two major blind spots are: 1) that although the Navigation Study estimates the environmental costs of expanding, it does not consider the environmental

costs of the current lock and dam system. The lock-and-dam system, which is subsidized by taxes, takes a heavy toll on the plants and wildlife of the river. Some researchers claim that it may lead to an environmental collapse of the river. And 2), although the study compares methods for getting grain from the Midwest to N ew Orleans, it does not question that goal. Some critics have argued that exporting lll1processed grain is akin to exporting jobs. When the Clinton administration proposed taxing the barge industry at a rate high enough to pay for the lock(Navigation Study continued on page 7)

of rigging and lines, and was never forced to w ear a life jacket if I did not want to. Today, most "green" deckhands attend a training school before being sent out on the boat. Some companies go the further step of "riding heavy," which means the new man rides as an extra for a week to get an experiential taste of decking lU1der the watchful eye of a m entor. The mate, the foreman of the deck crew, is now trained in safety and first aid, and conducts periodic safety meetings with the crew. Many companies offer incentives and bonuses for safe work and have taken on the expense of hiring a safety manager or consultant. Despite this improved focus on safety, many of the inherent dangers of working on the river remain from the days of log rafts, steamboats and keelboats. Perhaps it is the desire to take risks or touch the lillknown and mysterious darkness of river life that draws people. If you w ant, let it draw you, Mitchell. But have your life jacket buckled, your steel-toed boots

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on and your flashlight in hand, buddy! And don't go out on the tow alone! It's dangerous out there. Lee Hendrix works as a pilot for the Delta Queen Steamboat Company and when shoreside works as a story teller in the St. Louis area. His last story for Big River was "Racing for the Horns" (April 1996).

Big River Big River (ISSN 1070-8340) is published 111011thly by Big River, 70112 East Fourth Street, Suite 203, Winona, MN 55987; (507) 454-5949; fax: (507) 454-2133; e-mail: bigriver@aol.com; web site:

/1ttp://u1ww.l11111inet.11et/- bigriver. Reggie McLeod editor/publisher Pamela Eydm assistant editor Molly McGuire assistant p11blisher Mary Fcathcrgill bookkeeper Jayne L. Stokke graphic artist S11bscriptions are $28 fo r one year, $50 for two years or $2.75 per single iss11e. Send subscriptions, single copy orders and cliange-of-address requests to Big River, PO Box 741, Winona, MN 55987. Second-class postage paid at Winona, MN. POSTMASTER: send change-of-address re2~es~ to Big River, PO Box 741, Winona, MN ,u981.

Big River, Volume, 4, N11111ber 10, copyright ÂŠ October 1996. R111rod11ctio11 in whole or in part witlzo11/ written per111issio11 of the p11blislzer is prohibited. Printed on recycled paper.

(Drawdown Demos continued from page 1)

agers have concluded in the last few years that they are fighting a losing battle to maintain the health of the river unless water levels are occasionally lowered to expose more shoreline and dry up some backwaters. Two

One plan would pump water out of two backwater lakes for a few weeks in late summer. The other would lower Pool 8 (between Onalaska and Genoa, Wis.) by one or three or more feet for several weeks. projects would test this theory: One would pump water out of two backwater lakes for a few weeks in late summer. The other, more ambitious plan, would lower Pool 8 (between Onalaska and Genoa, Wis.) by one or three or more feet for several weeks. A report addressing the Pool 8 plan is scheduled for release at the end of September. (Look in the November issue of Big River for more information). Public meetings near Genoa and in Buffalo City, Wis., in September focused on the two proposed smaller drawdowns. At the Buffalo City meeting 26 people, nearly half of them river professionals, listened to Don Powell, a technical manager for the St. Paul District of the Army Corps of Engineers, explain the purpose of the drawdowns.

Drying Out the Muck Muck and silt accumulate in the backwaters over time, preventing seeds on the bottom from sprouting. When wind or passing boats stir the water, it clouds up. As a consequence, backwater and shoreline plants die and are not replaced. Eventually, many backwater lakes and the lakes 4

above the dams become shallow and mucky without the plants that birds, fish and other animals need for food and shelter, Powell said. When muck and silt dries out, it hardens and many seeds in it sprout. When water levels rise again, the plants flourish and the bottom remains more solid. The process needs to be repeated every few years because new muck and silt begin to accumulate again right away. A team of managers from the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa departments of natural resources evaluated 40 potential sites to find the best two

tant, because the public would have to be convinced of the value of drawdowns before a large-scale drawdown could be attempted. Comparing the results of a drawdown on a pond with abundant plant life and one with almost none should also provide important information, said Powell. Other sites may be considered. The public is invited to comment on the project and sites during the public review period. Next fall the project will publish a report on its plans. Construction is scheduled to begin in 1998 and the drawdowns to take place in 1999. Followup studies will document the effects of the drawdowns.

Long-term Gains The audience at the Buffalo City meeting was generally supportive, although a few people expressed concern, pointing to failed attempts to restore plant and animal life in the Weaver backwaters, just across the river. A man who lives ~ near Lizzy Pauls Pond ~ worried that, "In Lizzy EPauls Pond you have to o destroy something good -.~............._.~~........~~~~~~~~.....,,.., to maybe create somespots for a drawdown demonstration. thing better." They graded each site by 23 criteria, Keith Beseke, Environmental Manincluding its size, the amount of agement Plan coordinator for the Fish muck, number of plants, expense of and Wildlife Service, said that in the future entire pools may be lowered pumping it dry and its accessibility. Lizzy Pauls Pond, just upriver every five to ten years. "We're looking from Buffalo City, and Peck Lake, in at a short-term loss for a long term Black Hawk Park, downriver from gain." Genoa, wound up at the top of the "We've lost 90 percent of the list. Both sites get a lot of traffic islands. We've lost 90 percent of the deep holes," he said. "We're affecting Lizzy Pauls Pond is next to Highway 35, and Peck Lake is in a popular it by doing nothing." On October 10, the Minnesota-Wispark. Lizzy Pauls Pond already has abundant plant life, while Peck Lake consin Boundary Area Commission has almost none. Both are connected will hold a public meeting in Winona, to the river by a pipe, making it relaMinn., to discuss large-scale drawdowns. See the River Calendar for tively inexpensive to seal them off. They are both small bodies of water, details. which should keep expenses low. Federal money will fund the project. Reggie McLeod is editor of Big River. The visibility of both sites is imporQ

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October 1996

""*-

Current Events By Pamela Eyden, Molly McGuire and Reggie McLeod

Pleasure Barge Watch for a new excursion boat on the Mississippi next fall. The soon-tobe-built River Explorer will be a twostory hotel perched on two tank barges and powered by the 3,000horsepower towboat Miss Nari. Designed to appeal to the over-50 crowd, all-inclusive cruise prices will range from $705 for three nights in a standard cabin to $3,600 for nine nights in a suite, according to The Waterways Journal (9-9-96). The new hotel boat is being developed by a former Delta Queen Steamboat Company president and several other partners with riverboat experience. They plan to offer passengers a hands-on, in-depth experience of the people and places they visit, which will also include trips along the Ohio, Cumberland and Missouri rivers. The boat will accommodate 200 passengers and offer a wealth of on-board recreational activities, including croquet, badminton, shuffleboard, jogging and putting.

Bump the Bikes St. Paul, Minn. - Bicyclists enjoy the river view along Shepard Road, but now the city plans to enlarge the road and move the adjacent bike and pedestrian paths away from the riverfront. Proponents of expanding parkway and green space along the river would like to see the project evaluated in terms of the whole riverfront plan, but city engineers feel they need to widen the road to manage rushhour traffic on this direct route to downtown St. Paul, according to The Riverview Times (9-13-96). If the project goes through, the old Burlington Northern lift bridge connecting downtown with the West Side and points south may be

October 1996

removed. The resultant abandonment of the railroad tracks would not only quiet things down but open other development options.

Potty Tent Anyone who's ever been caught on a boat for just too long may welcome Thomas Larson's product: the PrivaSeat, a toilet in a body sack. Larson, displaying his invention last month at the Minnesota State Fair, said that his best customers are pontoon boat owners, construction companies and cabin owners. The Priva-Seat is ready to go in ten seconds. All you do is open the 22-by32-inch trunk, assemble the poles and hoist the canvas curtain, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press (8-31-96). The contraption sells for $479 with a portable potty and $399 without. Now, as Larson says, "wherever you go, you can go in peace."

Back Off La Crosse County, Wis. - Portions of the Goose Island Canoe Trail, near La Crosse, Wis., are off-limits to canoeists and hunters to allow migrating waterfowl a rest stop on their way south. Watch for "Voluntary Closed Period" signs in no hunting zones on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge from Oct. 1 through Nov. 15.

Musseling In Stillwater, Minn - When divers relocated 20,000 mussels at the site of the proposed Stillwater Bridge on the St. Croix River, they discovered zebra mussels attached to two of the native mussels. That's both good news and bad: efforts to keep the foreign invader out of the St. Croix have generally paid off; and the river is far from infested. However, this is the first time the mussels have been found on a more-

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"~t" or-less stationary object in the St. Croix, and a few zebras can be extremely productive. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, one pair can produce 300,000 offspring in a year.

Old Bridge Beyond Repair Winona, Minn. - The old, concrete High Wagon Bridge near Winona has served as a landmark and a link across the North Channel of the Mississippi to Agahaming Park since 1892. Now the Minnesota Highway Department is closing it, fearing that the deteriorating piers could collapse. Inspections have shown that the river bottom has scoured, exposing the wood pillars supporting the bridge. Winona's city council delayed the closing until November 1, but has extended the closure to include vehicles and pedestrians, citing dangerous crumbling railings. The bridge provides the only access to the park and the Winona Boat Harbor. A plethora of outdoor enthusiasts use it - boaters, anglers, hikers, bikers, birders and photographers, not to mention occasional young divers testing their mettle. Constructing a Wisconsin access to the park, which involves negotiations with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and building a railroad crossing, is not expected to happen soon. Repairing the bridge and annual maintenance would cost the city more than an alternate access, according to the Winona Daily News (9-4-96).

You Can Keep Your Boots On The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources advises waterfowl hunters to learn to float in their hip boots or waders, claiming that struggling to remove them after capsizing

may waste precious energy. They advise capsized hunters to stay calm and float with knees bent, thus trapping air in the boots. It's best to practice this in the summer in a pool or shallow water. (The DNR offered no advice on how to explain this summer swimming gear to onlookers.) Hunters are also reminded that this fall they must carry wearable life jackets in their boats. For more Minnesota water safety information and brochures, call (612) 296-6157 or 1-800-766-6000.

River Resources • The River Network offers publications and resources, including the 1996-1997 River & Watershed Conservation Directory, a guide to organizations and key government agencies. Send $5 to River Network, PO Box 8787, Portland, OR 97207-8787, or call (503) 241-3506 for a complete catalog. • The Minnesota County Biological Survey has published maps of natural communities and rare species of Winona and Houston (Minn.) counties for use in planning and conservation. Accompanying booklets are available at local libraries. Call (612) 296-9782 or e-mail: carmen.converse@dnr.state.mn.us. •You can view the final report of the Mississippi Heritage Corridor Commission on its Web page at http://www.nps.gov/planning/miss I contents.htm.

• The National Listing of Fish Consumption Advisories, a database with information provided by the states as of Sept. 1994, is available free on diskette from the EPA. Call (513) 489-8190 and ask for document EPA-823-C-95-001, or call the Mississippi River Basin Alliance at (314) 822-4114 and have them search for information for you. • Two research reports on waterways and business are available from the Maritime Administration. The first analyzes the impact of the 1993 Upper Mississippi flood on the barge industry. The other looks at land use 6

conflicts created by redevelopment. Call (703) 487-4650 and ask for PB9616360 for the flood report and PB96188396 for the land use report. • The Adopt-A-Stream Foundation operates out of the Pacific Northwest, but offers several helpful handbooks and educational materials that could be used for any stream and wetland conservation effort. Call (206) 3168592 for a catalog and more information.

Send Us Your River Notes Share something you learned from the river with other Big River readers. Tell us in 200 words or less about your favorite spot, an unusual experience or a river issue that's on your mind. If we pick your piece to publish in our "River Notes" column, you'll receive instant fame as well as your own Big River mug. Send your insights and stories to, River Notes, Big River, PO Box 741, Winona, MN 55987 or fax them to (507) 454-2133. Please include your name, address and a phone number where we can reach you during the day.

Lots of Com, No Shrimp Gulf of Mexico -Agricultural fertilizers from the Midwest account for 56 percent of the 1.5 million metric tons of nitrogen that gets dumped into the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River each year. Animal and municipal waste discharges may account for another 36 percent. Whatever the source, it's too much nitrogen for the health of the river delta. The nitrogen feeds algae, which blooms, dies and decomposes in such enormous quantities that it can consume nearly all the oxygen in the water. The result is a vast, seasonal "Dead Zone" where nothing lives. More correctly termed the "hypoxia zone," it covers as much as 6,000 square miles of the Gulf just west of

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the Mississippi River delta, according to the UMRCC Newsletter (7-8-96).

Your Best Shot Now that the Bismuth Cartridge Company has finished testing its product - bismuth-tin shot - for possible toxicity to wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may give it permanent approval for use by waterfowl hunters this fall. Bismuth-tin shot has been available only under temporary approval for the past two years. Steel and bismuth-tin have replaced lead shot, which proved toxic to birds that ate it accidentally.

Call in the Bird Band Many are the mysteries of bird migration, but bird-banding has illuminated a few of them. "Precious Metal," a story in the SeptemberOctober issue of Iowa Conservationist, tells the story of bird-banding and recounts many anecdotes and trivia ... • A peregrine falcon banded in Des Moines in the summer of 1994 was captured in the spring of 1995 near Mexico City. • A blue-winged teal banded near the Minnesota-Iowa border was bagged three weeks later by a hunter in Jamaica, West Indies. • A herring gull that was banded in Maine in 1930 was found dead on Lake Michigan in 1966 - the longest survival on record of a banded bird. • More than 50 million birds have been banded in North America, and another million are banded every year. • Wood ducks court and mate while on their wintering grounds. In the spring they return to the exact hole or nest box where the female was hatched. • New bird bands are highly visible, allowing observers to catch glimpses of them and thus get information without the birds having to die or be recaptured.

October 1996

All bird banding efforts are coordinated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To report a banded bird, call the service's toll-free number: 1-800327-BAND. The number is found on many new leg bands. The Bird Banding Lab is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.

More Barges, Lower Costs

Builders of inland barges have been busy the past few months. In fact, more inland barges will be built this year than in the last two years combined. The last barge building boom was in the 1970s and 80s, and barges have an average lifespan of 20 years, so a big replacement period may be just beginning. The industry has built 1,100 new, dry-cargo barges this year, while retiring 400. Meanwhile, inland waterway shipping rates did not rise this summer as they usually do. In fact, they declined sharply in August - 2.2 percent - as did the rates for most transportation services, according to the U.S. Labor Department. The increase in the number of river barges and ocean-going carriers is probably the major factor. It cost shippers just $11,595 to move a jumbo hopper filled with 1,500 tons of grain from Minneapolis to New Orleans this year, a rate of $7.73 per ton. Last year the same trip cost them $27,855 ($18.57 per ton).

Locking Paddlefish Genoa, Wis. - Biologists tracking paddlefish tagged with radio transmitters located one in Lock 8 (Genoa, Wis.), on July 3. Six days later it was found in the upper part of Pool 8, about 22 miles upriver, according to The UMRCC Newsletter Guly I Aug. 1996). The same fish moved from Pool 8 to Pool 9 in early May.

More News from the South p

If you think there's a lot of dredging going on up here, consider the mouth of the Mississippi, where the Army Corps of Engineers spends $25 million to $30 million a year keeping the

October 1996

channel open to deep-draft, oceangoing traffic. The Corps is pondering a plan to trim these costs by building a three-mile-long channel, separate from the Main Channel, that would be gated like a lock, with in-bound and out-bound lanes at both ends. The Corps' Mississippi River Ship Channel Improvements reconnaissance study will be done by September, 1997.

Corps Restructuring Runs Aground Washington, D. C. - Last year Congress told the Army Corps of Engineers to cut costs and close some division offices. The Corps responded with a plan to close two division offices: the North Central Division, in Chicago, and the Pacific Ocean Division. The North Central Division includes the St. Paul and Rock Island

districts, which cover the entire Upper Mississippi River. Those two districts and the St. Louis District were to be transferred to a newly ereated division in Omaha. However, on the same day in July the House and Senate passed separate bills that included provisions to prevent closing the North Central and Pacific Ocean divisions. In August Assistant Secretary of the Army Martin Lancaster put the restructuring on hold and requested guidance from Congress, according to an article in The River Register Guly I Aug. 1996).

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:/ I www.luminet.net/ ~bigriver

(Navigation Study continued from page 3)

and-dam system, the industry complained that with the higher tax, barge shipping would cost the same as shipping by rail. The Corps study was designed not to consider whether higher shipping costs might make it more economical to process grain in the Midwest rather than shipping it overseas. Currently both Cargill Inc. and Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), two of the largest grain shippers in the world, are involved in building huge com processing facilities in Mexico that they say will process grain from the Midwest. The original motivation for the study was to find ways to avoid costly delays at the locks. Larger locks would allow barges to lock through much faster.

Expanded Study The Corps' study will now spend a million dollars to study the cumulative environmental effects of the current lock-and-dam system, according to Tom Hempfling, program director at the North Central Division of the Army Corps of Engineers, which is based in Chicago.

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"Just because it's not in the Navigation Study doesn't mean it doesn't need to be done," he said. "It is something that does need to be done." In fact, rivers across the nation that have been altered to accommodate shipping are being studied to determine the long-term consequences. Hempfling offered this information to Big River after a press conference with H. Martin Lancaster, who recently became assistant secretary of the Army and head of the Army Corps of Engineers. Lancaster was touring the Upper Mississippi and the Environmental Management Technical Center, in Onalaska, Wis., the site of the press conference. The Navigation Study will now also look at the consequences of shipping grain to a number of destinations as well as processing it in the Midwest, according to Hempfling. Early in the study each of the five states on the Upper Mississippi were invited to participate. Representatives from the states, the public, biologists and wildlife managers pushed to get the study broadened.

11:

River Calendau i:ft~~

Special Events & Festivals - October-

Greening the Great River Park fall planting, St. Paul, 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., (612)

224-9885. 5 Woodland Moundbuilding Culture fall hike, Perrot State Park, Trempealeau, Wis., 9 a.m. to noon, $20. 5 Hennepin Parks Canoe Day, Shakopee to Bloomington, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., (612) 2249885. 5-6 Volksmarch hike, William O'Brien and Wild River state parks, Minnesota, 1-800766-6000. 5-6 Birding Field Trip, Hiawatha Valley Audubon Society, Winona, Minn, (507) 452-2482. 5-6 & 12-13 Flea Market, Marquette, Iowa. 5-6 & 12-13 Arts & Crafts, McGregor, Iowa. 6 Art Along the River, Bellevue, Iowa. 6-12 National Wildlife Refuge Week. 7-8 Johnny Appleseed Days, Lake City, Minn. starting 8 Federal trapping permits for Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, 555 Lester Ave., Onalaska, Wis., (608) 783-8405. Refuge officer available for questions on Oct. 8, 24, 31 and Nov. 13. 10-12 Big River Rendezvous, Quad Cities. 12 Antique Car Rally, Dubuque to Potosi, Wis. 12 Catfish Fry, Potosi, Wis., 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Masonic Hall. 12-13 Taste of Savanna (Ill.). 12 -13 Fulton (Ill.) Fall Festival, Heritage Canyon, (815) 589-2838. 13 Volksmarch hike, Fort Snelling State Park, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1-800-766-6000. 21-25 Frog Week, on-line education activities, (612) 641-2812. 25-27 Wildlife Art Expo, St. Ts Tennis & Sports Complex, Winona, Minn., (507) 454-4064.

- OngoingSundays through March Eaglewatch, Wabasha, Minn., (612) 565-3918. through Nov. Swan Watch, Rieck's Lake, Alma, Wis., (612) 685-4249. Saturdays through Dec. 28 Fly with the Falcons, Bell Museum, Minneapolis, (612) 624-7083.

Meetings & Hearings - October 2 Hiawatha Valley Audubon Society, Winona, Minn., Lake Park Lodge, 7:30 p.m. 10 Minn. - Wis. Boundary Area Commission, Riverport Inn, Winona, Minn., 25:30 p.m., (715) 386-9444. Drawdowns of

Pools 24-26, public meeting, 7 p.m., (715) 386-9444. 10 Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board, Boscobel, 5 p .m., 1-800-221-3792. 11 Wisconsin Mississippi River Parkway Commission, Environmental Management Technical Center, Onalaska, 11 a.m., (608) 783-7550.

Workshops & Conferences - October 4-5 Rivers Council of Minnesota, Harnline University, St. Paul, Minn., (612) 6900690. 6-7 Energy & Environmental Organizers'

Training, Mankato, Minn., sponsored by

River Notes A Success Story Four years ago, we went canoeing in a favorite place, the Long Lake Canoe Trail, which winds in and out of the islands just downriver from Trempealeau, Wis., and noticed a lot of purple loosestrife blooming on a sandy bank. We were so alarmed that w e went right to shore and pulled out every plant we saw. This invasive alien species can take over quickly It spreads through both roots and seeds. We didn't hope to wipe it out, but thought we could at least prevent millions of seeds from maturing and spreading. The next summer we returned with spades, a pitchfork and black garbage bags. The roots were still too deep and

Sustainable Energy for Economic Development, $70, (202) 332-0900. 8 Strategic Planning Leadership Workshop, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Famungton, Minn., $20, (612) 645-6159. 9 Oak Savanna workshop, Hormel Natme Center, Austin, Minn., (507) 280-5059. 22-24 National Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference, Chicago, (217) 782-3362.

- November 9-10 Land Stewardship Gathering, Camp Omega, Waterville, Minn., (612) 653-0618. 18-20 Upper Mississippi River Geospatial Workshop, La Crosse, Wis., Frank D'Erchia, (608) 783-7550.

tough, so we settled again for breaking off the tops. We worked all afternoon, thrashing through tall grasses, slipping on muddy banks and swatting deerflies. Four of us went out two or three times at the height of the season for four years, cutting every purple loosestrife we saw along the route. This year, we went out twice and found only one stalk to be picked on the whole four-mile trail. . Don't think you can't make an impact - pick an area you love and take care of it1 !ยง

Helen Davis, Pam Eyden, Kirsten Kiesel and Tim Skwiot Winona, Minn. See page six for information on submitting your River Notes.

October Almanac By Kenny Salwey, Pool Sa The great river valley lies sparkling and shimmering with brilliant colors. Red, orange, yellow and green adorn the bluffs, while the sky and the river are almost the same shade of iridescent blue. The crisp, clear air is easy to breathe and lets you see almost forever. In October the days dawn cool, and by noon the fogs and mists are burnt off by the sun. Anglers and dogs on the dikes and levees seek sunlight first and fish second. Goose and duck talk is readily heard in the backwaters. Flock after flock form wavering V's as they follow their ancient pathways across the sky, heading south. Where wild rice, cattails, arrow head and pickerel weed has matured and frozen, fields of yellow and brown dot the river bottoms. A sense of urgency fills the air. Muskrats and beavers are busy putting the finishing touches on their winter quarters, which remind one of big chocolate drops scattered about the backwaters. It's a time of preparation, hard work and change on the big river. October is the first full month of autumn and all things sense that the circle of life has turned.

Big River

October 1996