July 1994
the monthly newsletter for people who live, work or play on the Upper Mississippi River
Vol. 2, No. 7
$2
Someday, Fish May Detour Dams
Iowa Ups the Ante •1n Riverboat Gamble
By Rob Drieslein
By Bill Jacobs
Despite its poor publicity, the flood of
Iowa founded the modern riverboat
1993 allowed a wonderful reunion on the upper Mississippi River. During the high water, river biologists and anglers as far north as La Crosse and Winona, welcomed the return of the skipjack herring. Once a common species on the upper Mississippi, the small fish disappeared after the locks and dams were built. Lock and Dam 19 at Keokuk, Iowa, is now as far north as they normally travel. Massive amounts of water flooding the river last summer forced dams, including the one at Keokuk, to raise their roller gates, allowing the river to flow freely. With an open path to the north, the ancient instincts of the migratory skipjack triumphed. Unfortunately for species such as skipjack herring, major floods don't occur every year. Therefore, they remain confined to certain pools and regions of the river. They're
gambling industry in 1991 and did everything wrong. Its experience is instructive, though. The state tried to hold gambling at arm's length, collecting the taxes while holding its nose and trying to minimize the moral degradation that opponents said would follow in the wake of the false sternwheelers that began plying the river. This year the Iowa legislature changed its stance, mainly because most of the Iowa gaming boats had picked up their gangplanks and sailed to more hospitable gambling waters, taking about 1,500 jobs and millions in tax revenues with them. Now boats are returning, thanks to a new Iowa law that lets counties decide by referendum whether or not to allow gambling. By last May, all of the Mississippi River counties had approved gambling on riverboats without the restrictions that Iowa originally created to keep it wholesome.
Bass, walleye, sturgeon and paddlefish, among others, have an urge to migrate, usually during spawning. not alone: bass, walleye, sturgeon and paddlefish, among others, have an urge to migrate, usually during spawning. In 1992, a dozen smallmouth bass carrying Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources radio transmitters moved through several open dams during high water. Ron Benjamin, a river biologist with the DNR, believes the fish didn't halt at Lock and Dam 5, the Whitman Dam, by coincidence. In the St. Paul District, the Whitman Dam is usually the
(Fish Detours continued on page 7)
(Riverboats continued on page 3)
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Hayward National Fishing Hall of Fame and the International Game Fish Association (headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) keep line class records. As most of the record-catching anglers will likely admit, luck plays a huge part in hooking a record fish. But there are some ways of increasing your odds, if you are interested in getting your name into the record book: First, concentrate on an unusual or "new" fish species. Take white perch, for example: The current record was caught in the St. Louis River at Superior and weighs only 5 ounces. Good populations of white perch now live in both the Superior Harbor and Green Bay. This record is almost sure to be broken at any time. Second, try for a line class record . You would need to get a copy of the Hayward National Fishing Hall of Fame record book and look through it until you find a line class for a particular fish that is rather small or a class for which there is no current record . Then you could rig up with that line class and go after a record fish. There are also separate divisions for all tackle and fly fishing. For example, there are several unclaimed world records for the common yellow perch if they are taken by fly fishing . If you grab your fly rod and catch any perch with a 4-pound leader, it's a new national record. There are quite specific rules to follow when applying for a world line class record, so be sure to obtain information on how to apply before you go fishing . The Hayward National Fishing Hall of Fame also has a catch-and-release record section that has all kinds of "openings." To be eligible for a record in Wisconsin, you must have the fish identified by a fisheries biologist in person and weighed on a certified scale with witnesses. For a list of our record fish, please write the Bureau of Fisheries Management, Wisconsin DNR, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707. ~
FISHING Big Fish Records Waiting to be Broken By Lee Kernen
Most anglers probably think that the chances of breaking a record during the 1990's are not very goodbut that' s not the case! This could be a great year for catching record fish in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has been keeping records on big fish caught in Wisconsin for more than 60 years. Of the 54 fish species we keep records on, 28 of the records have been set since 1980. Of those 28 whoppers, 11 have been hauled in since 1990! Of course, there are a few really old records that have proven too tough to beat. The biggest walleye ever caught in Wisconsin was an 18-pounder taken in 1933 by Tony Brothers out of Vilas County's High Lake. But even this venerable
There are some ways of increasing your odds, if you are interested in getting your name into the record book. fish record can be beaten. In 1992 a walleye weighing more than 161/2 pounds was caught in the Fox River at De Pere, and if I had to pick a spot to try to break the walleye record, that is where I'd fish. Another old record is the monstrous 69-pound, 11ounce musky caught in the Chippewa Flowage by Louis Spray on October 20, 1949. This is also a world record . In fact, eight of the Wisconsin record fish are also world records . Our oldest state record is the 51-pound, 3-ounce tiger musky caught in Lac Vieux Desert, a lake that straddles the Michigan/Wisconsin border, by John Knoble in 1919. Other Wisconsin fish that hold the world record are: the 20-pound, 13-ounce tiger trout (brook/brown hybrid) caught in Lake Michigan, off Sheboygan County, in 1978; and the largest lake sturgeon ever caught on hook and line, a 170pound, 10-ounce giant caught in Yellow Lake in Burnett County by Jon Procai in 1979. This fish was weighed on a certified scale and returned live to the water . Wisconsin also holds world records for several unusual fish like redhorse, mooneye, white sucker and carp. Department of Natural Resources records are based solely upon the weight of the fish; and we do not keep specific records as to what strength line was used . Both the
July 1994
This is one in a continuing series of "Wisconsin Fishing" columns called by Lee Kernen, director of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Fisheries Management. ~=~~~:f~::::
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July 1994
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(Riverboats continued from page 1)
An Early Run of Luck The Hawkeye state first legalized riverboat gambling, in 1989, as an exercise in living history as much as an opportunity for commercial debauchery. It required that gambling boats be replicas of turn-of-the-century steamboats, with side or rear paddle wheels. Only 30 percent of the space on a boat could be devoted to gambling; the rest could be used for bars and restaurants, or even to haul freight, if anyone was crazy enough to try that. The boats had to slip their moorings before any gambling could begin, to keep the sin slightly off shore. Passengers could bet no more than $5 at a time. If they lost $200, they were done gambling for the duration of the cruise - perhaps to stare over the taffrail and contemplate the low station to which their evil ways had brought them. Actually, riverboat gambling didn't offer much in the way of historical accuracy, beyond the look of the boats and their employees. When riverboats were the main passenger carriers of the inland waterways, gambling was rare. Many boat captains didn't allow it. Those who did merely provided a venue for the professional gamblers who worked the river. The games were gotten up by the passengers mainly because there was little else to do on the slow passage. There certainly were no rules about how much a rube could lose. He could, and might, literally bet the farm. In 1989, Iowa wanted tourism for its river towns, but it didn't want people losing the family farm. The law Iowa came up with to bring restraint to gambling was a disaster. The $200-loss limit coupled with the cruising rule gave the boats a captive audience, but part of that audience couldn't gamble for the whole two-hour cruise, nor could they be
In 1989, Iowa wanted tourism for its river towns, but it didn't want people losing the family farm. replaced by new patrons. The $5-bet limit kept players from doubling their bets when they thought the odds were in their favor. The cruising requirement meant high costs for the operators, too, and Iowa raised those costs by collecting 20 percent of the take. Still, it was the only game in town, and by the time the legislation was in place, John Connelly, who owned cruise boats in Pittsburgh and St. Louis, had been recruited by a Davenport restaurateur, Mike Whalen, to submit a plan for a gambling boat to be docked in Davenport. (Whalen later sued Connelly and his companies, claiming Connelly's Pittsburgh pals beat the Iowan out of his share of the company. The suit is pending.) At the same time, Bernie Goldstein, figuring he had been gambling on barges of scrap metal all his life, anyway, assembled a plan for a similar, but smaller, boat.
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Oh, it would be grand, Goldstein and Connelly said. Connelly would build a gambling wonderland on the Davenport levee. Shops would line the promenade to the grand entrance building, where wholesome passengers would board the President to giggle over the sinfulness of a $5 bet and marvel at the historical atmosphere of the 1,000-passenger steamboat that would be outfitted in period furnishings and tended by a crew in period costume. Later a new hotel would tower over the Davenport skyline, and theater troupes would entertain in renovated downtown showplaces. Goldstein, however, lost the marketing war to Connelly, who got the Davenport City Council to give him the riverfront access he needed, plus some financial help. Goldstein turned his attention a half-mile upriver to his hometown, Bettendorf, which had a perfectly good dock on its levee. Goldstein bought even more riverfront land, the site of a big J I Case backhoe factory that had closed three years earlier. He told Bettendorf he would not only run a profitable gambling boat, but make over the riverfront with a recreational vehicle park, a factory outlet-style shopping center, a hotel and a huge amusement park, like Disneyland, but centered on the characters and stories of Mark Twain. Dubuque businessman Robert Kiehl, who had been running excursion boats off the same stretch of levee in Bettendorf that Goldstein wanted, got sent upriver, to dock his excursion boat at LeClaire, Iowa. He later sued the city over the levee rights. But he, too, became a gambling entrepreneur, and his Roberts River Rides quickly garnered the gambling license for Dubuque and built a 2,000-passenger boat to sail from Dubuque's Ice Harbor. By April 1, 1991, two boats were ready and awaiting passengers while Kiehl's Casino Belle raced upriver from a Louisiana boatyard. The new industry was christened by mayoral speeches to reporters and celebrities from all over the world. The experiment, if not noble, was a success. Almost immediately, the boats surpassed passenger and winnings projections. In the first month of operations, the President, Casino Belle and Diamond Lady carried almost 160,000 passengers, who left behind in gambling losses nearly $4.3 million. The Davenport-based President accounted for 72,381 passengers and $2.16 million. Dubuque's Casino Belle carried 41,313 passengers, and the house won $1.19 million. The Diamond Lady, cruising out of Bettendorf and Muscatine, Iowa, carried 44,905 passengers and took in $1.01 million in winnings. After a year, everyone was a believer. The President had carried more than a million passengers and taken in almost $39 million in winnings. The Casino Belle had carried 671,000 passengers and left them $21 million lighter. The Mississippi Belle II, in Clinton, Iowa, had carried 152,000 passengers and collected $5.1 million at the green felt tables and slot machines. The Diamond Lady carried half a million passengers and took in $13.8 million. The Emerald Lady had 345,000 passengers and $8.4 million in winnings.
(Riverboats continues on page 4)
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Illinois Joins the Game Meanwhile, Illinois watched its citizens heading for the Mississippi, their pockets stuffed with money. Legislators also looked at the millions being garnered by Iowa from its 20-percent tax on the boats' winnings, and even more money from the head tax. Less than a year after Iowa riverboat gambling began, Illinois joined the game. Across the river from Dubuque, the Galena Eagle began operations. (It became the Silver Eagle after the nearby resort town of Galena filed a suit charging that the boat owners were besmirching the town's name by linking it with gambling.) In Rock Island, Illinois, across from the President, D. James Jumer launched the Casino Rock Island. Almost immediately, the Goldstein family moved its boats - the Diamond Lady and the Emerald Lady - to Mississippi, where riverboat gambling was being approved without those pesky betting and loss limits, and with no cruising
The moves left the cities awash in unemployed blackjack dealers. requirement. In Dubuque, Kiehl hung on for a year, until the unfettered gambling in East Dubuque, Ill. - where gamblers could even borrow money from the Silver Eagle - finally persuaded him to sell his boat to southern operators. The moves left the cities awash in unemployed blackjack dealers. The Alton Belle had winnings of $1.5 million from 32,200 passengers in its first three weeks of operation. Jumer's 600passenger Casino Rock Island booked 100,000 reservations, 80 percent from Chicago residents, a month before it even began marketing the boat's March 1992 opening. The Casino Rock Island, about a fifth the size of the Casino Belle, had winnings of $24.4 million in nine months in 1992, compared to the Casino Belle's $21 million in a full year of operations. Bottom line: The Casino Belle lost more than $500,000 in 1992, Kiehl said. He announced in April 1993 that he was selling the Casino Belle for $17 million. In July, the big boat headed downriver from Ice Harbor for the last time, past the Alton Bell II, a much larger boat that replaced the Alton Belle in May 1993, and past the Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Ill., which began operations in June 1993.
A New Deal When it became clear that the Iowa legislature wouldn't leave the state to the mercy of riverboat competition, gambling interests began sniffing around Bettendorf, Dubuque and southeast Iowa again. A group of Dubuque investors floated a big boat, the Diamond Jo, up from Florida to be ready the minute voters approved unlimited-stakes gambling. Bettendorf's mayor, Ann Hutchinson, disclosed at almost the same time that the city was talking with no fewer
July 1994
than three ventures interested in putting a new boat in Bettendorf. Iowa still provides much of the drama in the industry: Bettendorf continues to negotiate with developers and with Goldstein, who still holds all that riverfront land. The ownership of the Diamond Jo is now in litigation. United Gaming Inc., Las Vegas, has sued Joseph Zwack, the manager for the Greater Dubuque Riverboat Entertainment Co., which got the gambling license when Kiehl's boat gave it up. United offered $28 million for 80 percent control of the Diamond Jo, which may have its license pulled for violations of state gambling laws.
The Results, So Far There is, however, little land-based development in Iowa arising from the riverboat gambling industry. Goldstein never finished clearing the J I Case factory site, built no theme park or factory outlet mall. The President remains in Davenport, but efforts to revive the downtown have been slow, although a new hotel is under construction by other interests, and the convention center was expanded. So what have the boats done? For one thing, they've made life a lot tougher for some other tourist attractions and restaurants. Race tracks in Illinois have closed, citing competition from riverboat gambling. Some restaurants have closed, too, wherever riverboats have begun operations. The boats increased tourism, but they changed the mix. What happens now? There are those who say riverboat gambling won't last, that it's a transition between no casino gambling and land-based casino gambling. Most of the new
There is, however, little landbased development in Iowa arising from the riverboat gambling industry. riverboat casinos are permanently docked. Chicago will eventually get casinos along Lake Michigan. Other big cities, and some small ones, will follow. That will relegate riverboat casinos to small-time tourism draws, if they survive at all, some analysts say. Then, if history serves, an anti-gambling movement will grow, and some casino games will be outlawed. Then casinos will be outlawed. Then riverboat gambling will be outlawed. That will probably take decades. In the meantime, riverboat gambling will slowly decline, and by the time gambling becomes a sin again, gambling riverboats will be just a footnote in the history of the upper Mississippi River. Wanna bet?
Bill Jacobs is business editor of the Quad-City Times.
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Foon WITH
Av IEW
110 Wake, llo Tippins By Bill McAuliffe
There's a no-tip policy at the No Wake Cafe this year. In this case that means no waiting on the dock outside, because that makes the restaurant tip and things in the kitchen start sliding around. But make no mistake, the No Wake, docked at Harriet Island in downtown St. Paul since 1987, is as buoyant as ever. Though it's not easy to find amid the commercial paddle boats, houseboats and this year's levee construction, the No Wake's popularity continues to increase. The No Wake is a magnet for judges, St. Paul city officials, downtown workers, boaters, barge workers, artists and assorted idlers. It can't be the decor - the interior of the low-ceilinged box on pontoons resembles a cheap motel room, though the brown and yellow paneled walls hold an array of interesting river maps and historical photos. Most likely, it's the food that draws diners to the waterfront. Owner Penny Miller opened the No Wake with a menu fit for the crew of the towboat she'd once cooked for, with emphasis on the deep-fried. Since then she's come to rely on as many fresh ingredients as possible and a lot of creativity, serving up eclectic menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. An example? A mushroom omelette in mid-May came heavily mulched with fresh basil - a surprise so early in the season - and accompanied by a rewarding cup of Dunn Brothers coffee. A Wednesday single-entree fresh fish dinner
The food is terrific, but the real joy is in the getting there and sitting there. featured rockfish with sweet and hot tomato chutney. Some weekend dinner entrees included rainbow trout, chicken pasta primavera and a vegetarian pasta plate. All the desserts are made in the floating restaurant's tiny kitchen. "I start with familiar stuff, then twist it a little bit, and bring people along," said Miller, who has lived in a houseboat just down the dock from her cafe since 1978. "That's how I started on the towboat. I find people are really open to new things." The food is terrific, but the real joy is in the getting there and sitting there. The No Wake is docked near the Padelford Packet Boat Company touring paddle boats, a medium walk across the Wabasha Street Bridge from downtown St. Paul. Parking is easy. From there, though, it gets challenging. Fol-
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lowing a small sign in the parking lot, diners climb down a small concrete stairway to river level, then march a weathered, plywood, floating walkway toward a small, semi-submerged barricade with a sign reading "Danger: No one beyond this point." The cafe door is on the right. Inside, diners in the 10-table (plus a small counter) cafe can gaze across the river at the downtown St. Paul skyline perched on the river bluff or become mesmerized by the current of the river itself. Any reverie is likely to be broken, though, by a freight train passing below the downtown bluff or a towboat pushing a load up to Savage or even a canoeist paddling up to the cafe for breakfast. Now and then the restaurant rocks and a shudders as a towboat passes or a gust of wind rumbles down the river gorge. The first roll is unnerving. The next is soothing and helps the digestion. The No Wake survived last year's flooding by floating, of course. There was a 10-day stretch when access was impossible, but Miller met the challenge by grilling bratwursts at the corner of Kellogg Blvd . and Wabasha St. for the downtowners who flocked to the top of the bridge to .witness the early stages of the Flood of '93. Though she reopened by mid-July, flood worries kept customers away and made 1993 a bad year for the No Wake. But tee shirts celebrating the cafe's survival are still available at the counter. This is the final year for the No Wake at its current location. Next year, if all goes well, the cafe will share space with a bed-and-breakfast aboard the MV Covington, a retired towboat (see Big River, Feb. 1994), somewhere on the downtown St. Paul riverfront. The No Wake will expand by about half. "We didn't want to expand a lot," Miller said. "We wanted to keep the atmosphere we've got, with a better kitchen." Directions: From downtown St. Paul, cross the Wabasha Street Bridge, take the first right (Nagasaki Rd.), and keep right. Turn through the first opening in the construction fence into the parking lot. The stairway to the cafe is under the big red crane. Phone (612) 292-1411. No reservations.~
Bill McAulifte is a staff writer for the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune.
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CURRENT EVENTS By Reggie McLeod
Water Safety Comic Book
W
ater safety is no laughing matter, but a new comic book makes it fun for kids to learn about water safety. In H20 Toons, "The Old Walleye" teaches children about life jackets, hypothermia, lowhead dams, thin ice, diving into shallow water and operating a boat under the influence of alcohol. H20 Toons is written for 8 to 12 year olds, but will probably get a read from many old folks as well. "Judging from the number of boating and water-related accidents recorded every year, thereareprobablyquitea few adults who would benefit from reading this comic book," said Tim Smalley, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To order a free copy of H20 Toons, call the Minnesota DNRat (612) 296-6157, or 1-800-766-6000. Speaking of kids and water safety, be careful about letting little Chris pilot the yacht. Besides being dangerous, it might be against the law. In Minnesota children under 12 must have someone 18 or older on board with them in boats over 30 horsepower. Children 12 to 17 must either have a watercraft operator's permit or someone at least 18 on board. Children under 13 must have someone at least 18 on board with them on personal watercraft - water scooters, jet skis, etc. No age or permit restrictions apply to other motorboats under 30 horsepower in Minnesota.
Sandhill Crane Comeback
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andhill cranes continue to make a comeback in the upper Mississippi River, with about 35,000 birds spending the summer in the Upper Midwest. During the 1920s their numbers declined to between 500 and 1,000 birds. Cranes were sighted in several locations in Pools 7 and 8 (Trempealeau, Wis., to Genoa, Wis.) this spring. The longlegged, long-necked birds are hard to spot during nesting season, when they paint themselves with mud and rotted
vegetation,otherwiseadultsareslategrey with a patch of dark-red skin on the head. Breeding pairs, which mate for life, return to the same territory every spring, usually a shallow marsh. The cranes are very sensitive to human disturbance, so if you spot one, use binoculars and keep your distance.
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River of Coffee
he U.S. Geological Survey sampled the entire Mississippi for caffeine. Apparently caffeine passes through humans and waste water treatment plants intact, which makes it a handy indicator of human activity upstream. The Twin Cities and St. Louis produced the most caffeinated river water, about0.04 micrograms per liter. Although
The Twin Cities and St. Louis produced the most caff einated river water. river water often looks like a strongly brewed batch of ja va, you'd have to drink a few million cups to get any sort of caffeine buzz.
Exotic Invasions Continue
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f you haven't seen a zebra mussel yet, you may get your first opportunity this summer. Government agencies and sporting groups continue to work to keep them out of lakes and tributaries of the Mississippi, especially the St. Croix River. Biologists worry that they will wipe out native mussel species, of which there are 42 on the St. Croix. The tenacious little bivalves can also wipe out your boat's motor by growing inside its cooling system, and they can damage its hull or propeller. Inspect the hull and motor frequently. Boat hulls that feel gritty may
July 1994
have young microscopic zebra mussels attached. Remove any debris or plant material and use a high pressure spray of hot water, such as a car wash sprayer, to clean a hull, then allow it to dry in the sun for several days. Don't transport water from one river or lake to another in bait buckets or live wells.
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Diversity Produces
atural systems areenormouslycomplex. A recent study shows that complexity can increase productivity. A long-term study of grasslands at the University of Minnesota chronicles the advantages of a diverse ecosystem compared to one with a smaller variety of plant species. Drought reduced diverse plots to about half of their normal aboveground growth, while reducing less diverse plots to about one eighth normal growth. The diverse plots also recovered more quickly from the drought, according to The Minnesota Volunteer (May-June 1994). David Tilman, professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the U. ofM. and John A. Downing of the University of Montreal published their findings in the January issue of Nature. They began the study in 1982 by marking off more than 200 plots at Cedar Creek Natural History Area, near Bethel, Minn. The number of plant species varied from one to 26 per plot. Plots contained native and exotic species. Plots with a variety of native species did best, probably because they were more likely to contain drought-resistant species. Freshwater fish and shellfish species on this continent face a greater threat of extinction than birds and mammals, according to a report from the Environmental Defense Fund, The Big Kill: Declining Biodiversity in America's Lakes and Rivers. The 275-page report blames dams, levees, pollution, overharvest and nonnative species for declines in aquatic organisms, according to River Crossings (May/June 1994). The report is available for $20, from the Environmental Defense Fund, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington D.C. 20009.
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(Fish Detours continued from page 1)
Fish Advisories
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f you catch a fish in the Mississippi al~ng the ~innesota Wisconsin border, how do you tell which state 1t s from? As usual, the annual fish advisories from Minnesota and Wisconsin differ in both style and content. The Wisconsin advisory continues to be more optimistic and easier to use than the Minnesota report. The Wisconsin report divides the river into three segments: the St. Croix River to Alma, Wis.; Alma to Trempealeau, Wis.; and Trempealeau to Lynxville, Wis. The Minnesota report lumps together all of the Mississippi from Minneapolis to Iowa. The Wisconsin report gives fewer warnings for fish caught farther downriver from the Twin Cities. Both reports warn against eating large channel catfish caught below Monticello, Minn., though in Minnesota a channel cat longer than 15 inches is too dangerous to eat, while in
Both reports warn against eating large channel catfish caught below Monticello, Minn. Wisconsin they get dangerous at 23 inches near the Twin Cities, 25 inches below Alma and are a danger to women and children if caught below Trempealeau and longer than 24 inches. Large carp, white bass, flathead catfish and buffalo all appear in both reports, although warnings vary by location. Both reports advise removing the skin and fat from fish to reduce PCBs and some other contaminants. They also recommend broiling, baking or grilling fish to reduce fat content. To request the Minnesota Fish Consumption Advisory, check with your local Department of Natural Resources office or call the Department of Health at (612) 627-5423or1-800-657-3908. For the Health Guide for People Who Eat Sport Fish from Wisconsin Waters, call the Wisconsin DNR at (608) 267-7610.
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New Excursion Boat for Winona
he 50-foot excursion boat, Princess Winona,. is schedu~ed to cruise from a boatyard in La Crosse upriver to Wmona sometime in August, according to an article in the Winona Daily News (6-22-94). The sleek, new, 150 passenger-boat will dock at Levee Park, near the Wilke Steamboat Center.
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In the Magazines
eginning anglers will get a stringer full of good advice from "One Fish, Two Fish, Three Fish, Go Fish!" in the MayJune issue of The Minnesota Volunteer. Last year's floods have flooded magazine pages with thoughtful articles examining river, wetland and floodplain policies. Two recent examples are "The River Always Wins" in the July-August issue of Audubon and "Rethinking the River" in the July-August issue of Nature Conservancy. ~
last to open its roller gates during high flows. Smaller dams, with five or fewer roller gates, may pull them when river flows reach 30,000 to 40,000 cubic feet per second. Whitman, with 20 roller gates, can handle double that flow and more before lifting its gates. So while some dams allow free flow each spring flood, that scenario seldom occurs at Whitman - about one in 10 years, Benjamin said. He believes barriers like the Whitman Dam present a logical place to offer fish an alternate path - a fish passage system. Many Western rivers with hydroelectric dams use fish ladders to allow Pacific salmon to climb past the structure to reach their spawning grounds. While less dramatic than salmon jumping through rapids, a passage system adjacent to a closed Mississippi dam would accomplish the same task for a migrating bass or walleye. With federal money available in the Environmental Management Program for habitat rehabilitation and enhancement, Benjamin believes the opportunity exists now. Dan Wilcox, a fish biologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, doesn't dispute the importance of fish migration. But because many dams allow passage during spring floods
"Our fish want to migrate; they've evolved that way for a reason." when many species spawn, he questions the impact of closed dams have on fish populations. The Corps' first objective is maintaining the integrity of the lock and dams, he said. Some designs might satisfy both needs, but he believes the costs would be massive, even with federal funding. And, he asks, what would happen to the annual congregations of walleye in the tail waters below the dams during March and April? With an alternative route, would the fish continue to assemble and provide the excellent fishery that anglers enjoy each spring? . Before Wilcox will advocate a new engineering proiect for the Corps, he wants to see additional study of fish migration and the costs versus benefits of a fish passage system. Benjamin doesn't mince words on the issue, however. He knows the river's history and believes the sooner such projects can begin, the better. "Let's look for ways to allow the fish to do what naturally comes to them," he says. "Our fish want to migrate; they've evolved that way for a reason."
Rob Drieslein is a reporter for the Winona Daily News.
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RIVER CALENDAR JULY 3 01' Man River Cleanup, 1 p.rn., Minnehaha Park, Minneapolis. Call Mike Hipps, (612) 949-3589. 12-15 Sustaining the Ecological Integrity of Large Floodplain Rivers, international conference, La Crosse Center and Radisson Hotel, La Crosse. Call Ken Lubinski, National Biological Survey, (608) 783-7550. 13 Mussel Menace! Zebra Mussels and You, free, in-service training and materials for educators and others who want to spread the word about slowing the spread of zebra mussels, 1 p.m. - 2 p .m., La Crosse Center, Poster Exhibit Hall, La Crosse, Wis. Attendence limited to first 50. To pre-register call Doug Jensen, (218) 726-8712. 13 The Mississippi River: A National Treasure? The River Network presents a panel discussion, informal discussion and networking, 6:30 p.rn. - 9:30 p.m., $3 donation, Macalester College Student Union, Cochran Lounge, St. Paul. Call Shelley Shreffler, (612) 455-6204; or John Anfinson, (612) 290-5260. 13-15 Summer Conference on Ports, Inland Waterways, Intermodal Distribution and International Trade, Transportation Research Board, Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss. Call Jeffrey Fantine or Christina Casgar, (202) 334-3205. 15-17 Flotilla to Protest Dry-cask Nuclear Storage on Prairie Island, from Twin Cities to Prairie Island. Call Mary Coughlan, (507) 452-9323, or Ken Pentell, (612) 333-5807. 18-19 Applying Ecological Integrity Principles to the Management of the Upper Mississippi River System, Radisson Hotel, La Crosse. Call Ken Lubinski, National Biological Survey, (608) 783-7550. 23-24 Buckskinner Rendezvous, Bellevue (Iowa) State Park. 25 Early goose season applications available, Minnesota. 24-26 Environment Management Program Analysis Team Meeting, Holiday Inn, Bettendorf, Iowa . Call Bill Bertrand (309) 582-5611 or Bob Delaney, (608) 783-7550 ext. 51. 30-Aug. 3 Mississippi River Parkway Commission annual meeting, Minaki Lodge, Ontario, Canada. Call (612) 224-9903.
AUGUST 3-6 Sixth International Symposium on Regulated Streams, sixth in a series of international symposia on rivers modified by large darns, weirs, channelization and flow diversion sche mes, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. Contact Prof G. E. Petts, Dept. of Geography, University of Technology, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LEII 3TU, UK; or Dr. K. Prach, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Jihoceska Univerzita, Branisovska 31, 37005, CESKE BUDEJOVICE, Czech Republic.
July 1994
6 Prairie Walk on the La Crosse River State Trail, 9:30 a.rn. -11:30 a .rn., Rockland, Wis. For reservations (limited to 30) call Natural Resources Foundation (608) 266-1430. 12-14 & 19-21 Game Fair, Anoka, Minn. August 9 to February 14 Magnificent River: The Mississippi from Minnesota to Missouri, exhibit includes photographs, artifacts, interactive exhibits, live animals, videos and two full-sized boats, Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science, Davenport, Iowa. Frontenac State Park, Frontenac, Minn., (612) 354-3401. July 23 Auto Tour of Old Frontenac, 3 p.m. - 4 p.rn. July 30 Indian Burial Mound Hike, 3 p.m. - 4 p .rn . Stonefield, a museum of agricultural history and village life, Cassville, Wis., (608) 725-5210. 4 The Glorious Fourth, recreation of a small-town Independence Day celebration in the 1890s. 21 Children's Day, activities to show youngsters how their counterparts played in the 19th century. Villa Louis, Prairie du Chien, Wis., (608) 326-2721. July 16-17 War of 1812 in Wisconsin, two reactrnents each day of the Battle of Prairie du_ Chien. July 27 Children's Day - Victorian Style! chores, games and pastimes of the Victorian Age. Aug. 13 Victorian Picnic, banquet of typical picnic foods of the 1890s, 5 p.rn. - 9 p .m. By reservation only. Whitewater State Park, Elba, Minn., (507) 932-3007. July 9 Discover the Cannon Valley Trail, 9 p.m. -10 p.m. July 30 What is the Whitewater Watershed Project? 8:30 p .m. - 9:30 p .rn. Minn.-Wis. Boundary Area Commission mee tings. For information call (612) 436-7131 or (715) 386-9444. July 5 St. Croix River Regional Committee. July 14 Miss. River Regional Committee, La Crosse. August 11 Full commission. Sierra Club, Coulee Region, monthly meetings, 7 p.rn., Trane Employees Credit Union, La Crosse. June 28 Pam Thiel, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the impa ct of commercial navigation on the Mississippi. Sierra Club's St. Croix Valley Interstate Group, monthly meetings, 6:30 p.rn., Stillwater (Minn.) Public Library. July 11 monthly meeting. August 8 monthly meeting. Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board meetings, 5 p.m. Call 1-800-221-3792 or (608) 739-3188. July 14 monthly meeting, Wauzeka, Wis. August 11 monthly meeting, Boscobel, Wis . _