Big River - October 1999

Page 1

October 1999

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

Vol. 7, No. 10

$2.75

Mussels Hold up Dike Bicycling By Madelon Wise

"For 64 years, the dike system has held," says the DNR's Gretchen ith its long history of Benjamin, who warns that if the problems, Lock and Dam Corps followed through on its plan, 3, upstream from Red Wing, Minnesota, is once again in "We would lose 27 acres of floodthe environmental news. In the plain forest, nine acres of river habitat, and three acres of emergent 1930s when the Army Corps of wetland." Engineers first proposed the dam, it The Lock and Dam 3 area is immediately found itself in a disabundant with fish, and because pute about the surrounding land. the lives of fish and musThe wealthy members of the Diasels are intricately mond Bluff Associates linked, the DNR insisthunt club took the Corps to court and ed that the Corps search for mussels gained a "tempothere. In May, after rary" compromise completing its enrelocation of the vironmental imdam for which the pact statement, the Corps built a series of Corps conducted spot dikes with roller an initial survey gates. Over the years, the Corps has added Butterfly mussel (Ellipsaria lineolata) with a mussel sled, a device pulled beriprap to shore up hind a boat. the spot dikes, while the hunt club When the survey found mussels, built two other dikes, which it maintains for duck habitat (see Big the Corps conducted a diving study, which according to Gary River, March 1999). The Corps, concerned about the Palesh of the St. Paul Corps District, discovered a "rather rich and distability of the spot dikes, planned verse mussel bed." The divers disto begin building a new dike syscovered 26 different species of mustem this autumn. Before work can sels. Six of the most common begin, the Corps needs a permit from the Wisconsin Department of species made up 99 percent of the catch: threeridge, three horn, pimNatural Resources (DNR), who pleback, pigtoe, deertoe and maple along with environmental groups, questions the need for the new emleaf. The survey revealed three species that are threatened in Wisbankment.

W

(Mussels continues on page 4)

the Urban River By Marc Hequet

I

s the city the worst place to bike? Easily, if you're commuting by bicycle. But for recreation, some of the best Mississippi River bike trails are in Minneapolis and St. Paul, hidden in glades where urban mania seems far away. Just minutes away from the crime, sirens and governor's residence, paved trails wind past the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers in areas that are utterly wild.

Big Rivers Trail Park at Harriet Island across the Mississippi from downtown St. Paul. Finding Harriet Island is a bit (Bicycling continues on page 2)

What's Inside River Map Bicycle Tour ............... 3

Current Events Sprawl, Ducks, New Islands . . 6 River Calendar & Almanac Oktoberfest, Hawk Watch .... 8


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