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News
Even
as Some Streams Recede, Some Still Treacherous
Posted 29 June 2008
Iowa’s rivers are in a constant state of change especially this year
with the extreme flooding that has changed them permanently. Iowans
hearing the annual summer call to float or paddle the river would be
wise to hold off until more stable flows and weather take hold.
“There are 18,000 miles of navigable streams in the state and water
levels keep fluctuating, so it’s difficult to say which segments are
appropriate for recreation and which are not,” said Nate Hoogeveen,
river programs coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
(DNR). “There is an element of risk associated with recreating on any
river, flooding conditions or not, and we never say any river is safe.
But, I’m sure there are streams in the western part of Iowa that are in
better shape than those in eastern Iowa because they did not flood.
“While I understand the urge to get out on the water, consider the
consequences. Be extremely cautious if you do choose to venture out.
Emergency rescue personnel still have plenty to do without responding
to recreational accidents that could have been prevented,” Hoogeveen
said.
The DNR has fielded calls about the quality of the water in the rivers
due to the different materials and contaminants getting mixed in during
the flood. The unprecedented volume of water in many areas during the
flood likely minimized the impact from any chemicals, waste or other
toxins mixed in with the water. With the flows slowly returning to
normal, any additional sewage or contaminants entering the stream can
have a greater impact on water quality.
Currently, the City of Cedar Rapids is bypassing untreated wastewater
directly to the Cedar River until it can get its plant back online.
Other communities are in various stages of bypassing semi-treated
wastewater due to recent rains.
Callers are also asking about the impacts of contaminants in the water
on fish. Nothing in the water is going to hurt the quality or the
edibility of the fish. These fish are safe to eat.
Although numerous flooded rivers are dropping back into their banks,
challenging or hazardous conditions still exist across most of the
state. These conditions include:
* High water with fast-moving currents that result
from each new local rainfall event.
* “Strainers” formed from downed trees or logjams,
bridges, and trash can trap and drown victims.
* Low-head dams that may not have been visible at
higher water are re-appearing and are life-threatening hazards.
* Reconfigured river channels creating unfamiliar
and dangerous environments.
The power of moving water can be seen on the Maquoketa River between
Backbone State Park and Manchester which has cut a new channel through
woodland, diverting for a mile before rejoining the original channel.
Other rivers may have altered channels as well.
“There’s no doubt that this has been – and in places continues to be –
a catastrophic flood in terms of property and environmental concerns,”
says Hoogeveen. “Rivers never stay the same, but a number of them are
drastically altered after this flood. They will heal themselves over
time, but it will take months and years.”
As an alternative, paddlers may want to visit a lake in one of Iowa’s
state parks. The beach monitoring results for June 26 found only two
swimming advisories: Beeds Lake and Lake of Three Fires. For the latest
information on state park beaches, go to www.iowadnr.gov then click on
Beach Monitoring.
Some helpful resources for paddlers to find information include:
* A paddling community forum at www.PaddlingIowa.com
where paddlers post information about stream conditions.
* Stream gauge information at
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/current/?type=flow.
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