Eddy Lines • John Lane

When I first joined COP, I thought I would become a competent whitewater canoeist or better yet, a good whitewater boater. Friends that started paddling then have gone on to excel skill-wise. I ended up paddling here and there, now and then, stuck on the static plateau of being okay in class III water, not a big danger to myself or others on a trip. I swam a few rapids, stayed upright in most, never did get that open canoe roll. The sea kayak bug bit me and I pretty much bugged out of whitewater boating. Like Fernando, I find peace on the water and just love early morning flatwater solitude.

The point of this rambling is if you want to learn to paddle, you have to get off the couch. If you get off the couch often enough and into the boat, you stand a reasonably good chance of becoming a decent paddler. If you find a type of boat that fits your lifestyle and free time, the couch presents less danger! I spend a fair amount of time communicating with members who are paddling-impeded from couches and schedules and general entropy.

The point of that rambling is that we are now storing the nuts and seeds of this years boating season to sow for 2002. I have booked several meeting times at the Grandview Heights Public Library for a general boating meeting in October and a scheduling meeting in November. Members who have a participatory interest in boating are welcome to attend in October. We will discuss schools and trips and equipment issues. Constructive criticism welcome. Thank goodness for NAFTA because the divisive discourse office has been moved south of the border! Trip leaders and school directors welcome/expected in November to schedule the bulk of 2002 boating events.

Here’s the schedule:

Hope to see you there AND off the couch!

April COP trip to the Upper Big Sandy

Eric Gehres running a drop on the Upper Big Sandy

Mark Steinmetz running the last drop of Laurel Run, which is a small creek coming into the Upper Big Sandy run

Destination: Boating

by Valerie Zen

Date: Saturday, Aug 11th
Destination: Kokosing Lake

The sun dawned bright and clear on this particular Saturday as we packed our things for a trip to Kokosing Lake and the North Fork of the Kokosing River. The canoe had been racked up on the wagon, the PFD’s and river-walkers were packed, and we even splurged on a box lunch from Blocks Bagels. Lots of Diet Coke and Snapples were chillin’ in the cooler and we were rarin’ to go.

Friends du jour, Rick and Deb Allen, were similarly prepared, and at the last minute, the grandson decided to tag along. Their gear was loaded, a quick trip for gas and snacks, and they were ready to go. Weather report promised a partly cloudy day, no rain in sight. Stream conditions appeared favorable, near as we could understand them. After topping off the tank, we got underway about 10 o’clock, traveled up the east side of 270, Sunbury Rd, out to 3C highway to Mt Vernon, then off Rt 13 to Fredricktown. It took an hour and a half, roughly 70 miles.

What can I say, but Purty, Purty, Purty! Everything was purty! Never saw so many golf courses in all my life. It was a golfer’s paradise. I suspect I napped thru the miles of cornfields, welding shops and railroad tracks, because the minute we pulled into the Corp of Engineers site, I woke up to grassy slopes, a nice boat ramp, trees and a gorgeous blue lake.

On one side was a rock and boulder dam, with a narrow gate which was barricaded. We checked the other side, and nary a drop was being funneled thru. There was a river bed, but no river. Forget the South Fork, or whatever they called it. It was dry. We put our canoes in, and paddled straight across the lake, heading for the North Fork.

Nice breeze, birds of all descriptions visited in the nearby trees. Many blue herons, red tailed hawks, three white swans, the assorted mix of seagulls and the ever-present geese. Duckies hung about the edges, taking in the abundant shade.

Stumps dotted the entire lake, and every fifth one, it seemed, boasted a turtle sunning himself. We tried gliding in toward them, but only once got close enough to nearly touch before they slipped into the lake. Three white rocks across the lake, formed a line on the shore, and grandpa tried to convince grandson that they were three giant turtles. Of course, for effect, we paddled across, coming back with a report that they were not turtles, but petrified dinosaur eggs.

We approached the mouth of the North Fork. Water was getting extremely shallow. Lots of silt, mostly black, but with that slimy clay-yellow look to it. Just as we hit the shallows, a flurry of activity... Jumpin’ Jehosaphat, what was that? Flying fins soon created a boiling brown cauldron of fish activity. CARP! What a rush, when all was calm, and now THIS!

The noise died down as quickly as it had come, but now we found ourselves mired in mud and silt. We tried backing out and looking for a more promising avenue. After quite some time and effort spent, trying to jockey ourselves into better position, the men got out and pulled us to deeper waters in the channel. The stream was a respectable width, lined by trees, overarching the riverbed. At some points, trees had fallen, but we had no trouble navigating around them. But the stream was nowhere close to the 3 feet we had been expecting. Matter of fact, it wasn’t moving either.

We moved maybe a mile up its length, crossed under some fallen trees, rounded a bend, and encountered a serpentine turn. A tree had fallen right across its path, and though it was a struggle getting over it, the water beyond became so shallow that it made no sense to continue further. Our friends have said they have paddled it further upstream, but it was many years ago. Still, though the river was disappointing, the lake and its beautiful campground setting was definitely worth the trip.

We visited the campground to check out conditions, nice shady lots, some right on the lake. Canoes, kayaks and john boats were evident. Lots of tents and campers. Electric hookup. We have no idea about camping rates, since we haven't camped in years, but $15.75 for a lakefront lot and all the amenities. You be the judge. Four hours later, we packed the boat and stuff back on the car, and headed back. Call us very tired but very happy puppies.

MADness • Keith Finn

The Mad River is as dependable as your oldest friend. No matter how dry the summer, you can always float the Mad. Cool, clear water, shaded for most of the trip, the Mad runs quick and shallow. It is the ideal river for the canoeing novice, the ideal river for the expert who wants a quiet float on a hot day. Until now.

Jennifer and I were running a family trip on the Mad on August 18. We encourage families with small children to paddle, because there is no friendlier river in Ohio. It is perfect for families. Until now.

We decided to paddle the section of the Mad from Route 36 bridge near Urbana to County Line road, a trip of about 5miles. The first 4 7/8th miles were delightful. Not too hot, a nice lunch break, a water fight - everything one could hope for. I knew there was a tree down just before the Country Line Road take-out, but I had boated the section a month before and the tree was no problem - just a quick tug to pull the boat over the obstruction.

So we were approaching the area of the downed tree - Jon Blake and I were in the lead to help assist others over the log. The log had a different look to it than I remembered.

Remember July 18 - the floods in Cincinnati and other areas along the Little Miami River? 6 inches of rain fell in 2 hours, along with violent thunderstorms.

Jon and I were looking at the result of a violent thunderstorm. For 200 yards, huge sycamore trees had been felled on both side of the river. The trees were in 4 distinct tangles. We could skirt the first tangle of trees along the left bank, but the next tangle of 6 trees was a solid river obstruction. We tugged, pushed & pulled the various boats over the tangle, then repeated the process on the next group of trees. The last tangle of trees could be skirted. The entire process took about an hour.

If you want to boat the Mad sans trees, simply take out at Dallas road or put-in at County Line Road. I my opinion, the downed trees added some spice to the trip, but I am weird.

Questions linger on Upshur County strip mine,

conservation groups say

Buckhannon, W.Va. — A new strip mine/power plant complex proposed for Upshur County that was announced last week has several hurdles yet to clear, and needs more scrutiny, said representatives from the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy.

The announcement in Buckhannon on June 14 by Anker Energy, Dominion, and the Governor appears hasty, since no major permits have been issued for the project. "The jury is still out on this one," said Nathan Fetty of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition. "The only permit that’s been issued for this project is a three-acre test permit for mining. The bigger strip mine permits hinge on results from the test permit, and we won’t see those results for several months. Plus, the companies haven’t applied for their air emissions permit."

"We have seen similar announcements in the late 1970’s and 1980’s in Upshur County. These promises of prosperity from new and improved strip mining methods have resulted in serious pollution of the surface and ground water that now costs companies, the state and downstream users millions of dollars annually to treat. Some 3,000 acres at the Tenmile, DLM and Kittle Flats sites are reclaimed but continue to ooze acid mine drainage," said Cindy Rank of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy. "It is extremely important to have careful review and planning to prevent more of the same."

The Upshur Property site has a long history of devastating acid mine drainage (AMD) problems, and the technology that Anker Energy proposes for negating AMD is unproven. Tenmile Creek used to sustain native brook trout, but the stream is dead because of AMD from Upshur Property. The Middle Fork River has improved only because of extensive treatment. It is still impaired by AMD from nearby coal mines, and if this treatment was stopped, the river could not sustain trout and other fish. Anker has hired an independent consultant, on recommendation by environmental groups, to evaluate this plan, and the consultant has yet to complete his work.

The proposed power plant will depend on a continuous supply of coal from additional strip mining in this acid-prone area to fuel the operation, as well as depend on thousands of tons of limestone trucked into the area. Anker Energy has not yet demonstrated that mining can proceed without creating more AMD problems. Drinking water supplies for both Philippi and Buckhannon are downstream. Fisheries in both the Buckhannon River and the Middle Fork River as far downstream as Audra State Park have been impaired by AMD from recent mining at Tenmile, Alton, Cassity, Kittle Flats and Sago. Expanded sources of acid must be avoided. DEP must deny any new permits where AMD is likely to occur, and be able to halt mining if AMD unexpectedly occurs.

"DEP needs to put the brakes on and evaluate this more closely. Even though the Governor’s announcement of this plan comes prior to the mining and air permits being approved, we are hopeful that the environmental regulators will not sign off on a potentially hazardous project," continued Fetty.

Many questions exist about how a new coal-fired power plant will affect the air quality of the local area, and not result in additional acid rain in sensitive areas to the East in the Monongahela National Forest. Currently, West Virginia has lost over 200 miles of native trout streams because of acid rain. Wilderness Areas such as Dolly Sods and Otter Creek are already at acid precipitation thresholds, and there are questions as to how additional air emissions from a new coal fired power plant will affect those sensitive places. Plus, it’s unclear how Anker Energy, Dominion and the DEP plan to address emissions of heavy metals like lead and mercury.

"This proposed project is especially disconcerting because we don’t know what the long-term environmental impacts will be," said Rank. "We’re very skeptical because of the tremendous harm already done by strip mining in the past. There have been lots of attempts to safely mine coal at Tenmile, and not a single one has worked. Opening up another 10,000 to 12,000 acres to strip mining is asking for trouble."

The organizations also noted the project is troubling because mining such a problematic area is tied closely into the power plant and potential creation of jobs. "Down the road, if there are problems with the mine and AMD or air emissions, how will these companies keep fueling the power plant and employing people? At this point these companies are asking Upshur County citizens to assume a huge risk," said Fetty. "This area of the state knows all too well the boom and bust of the coal industry, and this project could be more of the same."

"We’ve heard Governor Wise talk about a balance between economic development and the environment, and we support this notion so long as it is a true balance. We want to be confident that the proposed technology protects the environment and the people who exist in that environment before this project moves forward," said Rank.

For more information:

Nathan Fetty, West Virginia Rivers Coalition, (304) 637-7201

Volunteer Spotlight

Fernando Caro

Fernando Caro adds zest to the COP boating program. His Puerto Rican ancestry comes from both parents. His mom and dad were both military personnel. Born in Youngstown, the family traveled both officially and not. Fernando names Choctaw, Oklahoma; the Bronx, Florida and Colorado among his homes. They eventually ended up back in Ytown. Fernando worked the carnival circuit for a few years. When carnival hit town about five years ago, he stopped in to visit his brother - and stayed.

Fernando has a mixed bag of occupational and other life skills. He learned upholstery skills from an uncle starting at age 12 and made his living here for a few years as an upholsterer for Fortner Upholstering. He enrolled at Wright State University in premed but chemistry turned him in a different direction. He nearly completed a BFA with metal and stone sculpture as his forte. Now he works for Norka Futon in the Short North and is enrolling in school to pursue a elementary/art education degree.

I first met Fernando several years ago when he popped in at some of our Hunter Avenue pool sessions. He was interested in long distance paddling -connecting the Ohio to the Mississippi and heading south. Fernando’s paddling interest developed when he went on a retreat with friends and ended up in a kayak. It was love at first paddle dip. Fernando finds great peace in paddling - he enjoys the murmuring meditation and merging between paddler and boat and water. When he’s working with our boating students, his face lights up with the joy of teaching. COP supported Fernando becoming certified in flatwater kayak instruction through the Canadian Recreational Canoe Association. We’re looking forward to increasing his presence in our instructional endeavors next season.

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