DesMoinesRiver.org

River Stories, 1997-2007

Canoe Van Buren July 12-13 has been cancelled due to flooding. This an outstanding event. Registration information is available.

6/20/08

The river is still above flood stage in many areas, water quality is poor, be careful on the river. We are very sorry for the loss of homes and businesses in the Birdland area and hope that problems with the levee will be fixed so that there will not be a repeat of the tragedy.

Trail Daze, June 7

Central Iowa Paddlers held a Trail Daze celebration in Des Moines Saturday, June 7, 2008.

[Note that several experienced paddlers for ritual purposes only, paddled from Prospect Park to Birdland.

Second, the good news: We met at 2:30 p.m. in Union Park near the Carousel for ice cream floats and a special program.

John Wenck, Des Moines area native, presented a program on a fascinating man, Tacitus Hussey. Tac Hussey was a citizen of Des Moines who started the Des Moines Canoe Club in the late 1800s. He helped organize the 50th anniversary of Des Moines with a boat float from Center Street Dam, around Thompson's Bend to Union Park, where some 22,000 people turned out for the celebration. Tac was a Des Moines River promoter who organized a trip on the river from Humboldt to Des Moines.

This week John Wenck and his merry band of paddlers floated from Humboldt to Des Moines and arrived in Des Moines on Saturday mid-day at Union Park.

4/8/08

Several river improvements observed:

Dam warning signs and safety lines with orange buoys at the River St. pedestrian bridge before the Raccoon joins the Des Moines at Scot Ave. dam are now in place.

Water trail signs are up at the Laurie access west of Madrid, very classy.

1/1/08

It was quite the New Year's Day paddle.

Five started, four made it to the dam and back. (I went about a halfmile and decided it was enough). It was bitter cold, the wind was in our faces, but congratulations to the four who kept the tradition alive.

I got some pics of the ice encased paddlers that CIP folks might enjoy, especially a shot of icy paddler Rick Dietz emerging from the river:

http://www.pbase.com/gazeboy96/image/91082637

12/19/07

It was a lovely cold day for a paddle from Birdland to the new pagoda. It's about 3 miles round trip. There's ice in the water, eagles overhead, and the pretty reflections of the bridges and buildings. There was very little current, it took me a little over an hour with some lingering.

I'm doing it again Friday morning at 7:30 AM to catch the early morning sun. Join me if you would like. Birdland Access is off Pennsylvania Ave. in East Des Moines (off 235). (240-2628)

The Register ran a great series on people who are river keepers and river lovers. See the story about the "father of water trails."

People who paddle, bike, hike, skate, walk, fish and boat, and anyone else who enjoys the Des Moines River and the trails along it!

Great job with the clean-up. See photos at the link below.

See www.riverstewards.org.

Photo gallery, Des Moines River and Iowa, at PBase.

More than 1,000 photographs at http://www.pbase.com/gazeboy96

Read about the new Emmet County Water Trail along the West Fork, Des Moines River.

Conservation advocates

Paddling Links
Central Iowa Paddlers,
Canoe Guide and more

Join Iowa's paddling community at paddlingiowa.com

9 float trips with maps, access points, driving directions, and descriptions

GPS coordinates of all landmarks

DNR Water Trail Page, an excellent new resource

Access Points and distances

Iowa is the beautiful land, and our rivers are the most beautiful places of all.

River Gauges ("how to" and
flow rate guide)

Conservation advocates Paddling Links Central Iowa Paddlers, Canoe Guide and more