October 1994
the monthly newsletter for people who Jive, work or play on the Upper Mississippi River
Iowa Museums Capture the Magnificent River By Bill Jacobs
In 1870, Iowa Iron Works began building iron-hulled boats at its yard in Dubuque, and, for a time, became one of the most active boat builders on the Mississippi River. Big and small towboats, raftboats and railroad transfer boats slid down the greased ways of what beca me Dubuque Boat and Boiler Works. The story of that riverside company, told by photo mural, video and print, makes up one small corner of a major
Museum staffers developed six months of activities around it, including mural-painting in downtown Davenport, field trips to the Galena lead mines and other sites, and lectures, shows and presentations. exhibit of the new Mississippian culture. This is not the Mississippian culture of mounds and ancient forests, although that culture is part of the exhibit, but the modern Mississippian culture - the people who now live along the great river, continuing its heritage, understanding that they make up a separate and identifiable region of the U.S. The exhibit at the Putnam Museum in Davenport, Iowa, "Magnificent River: The Mississippi From Minnesota to Missouri" explores this new Mississippian culture with more than 200 artifacts, many in dioramas, and with photographs,
(Magnificent continued on page 2)
Vol. 2, No. 10 $2
Heartbeat of the Midwest By Reggie McLeod
The Mississippi River beats like a giant heart, once a year, us¡ually in April, with a murmur in autumn. That giant pulse of icy water each spring moves a giant load of sediment down the river. The coldness of the water increases its scouring action; warmer water, even in the same volume, would not move as much sediment. That's why last summer's flood left behind more shoals than a spring flood normally does. Every day the U:S. Geological Survey measures the flow of the Mississippi and many other rivers. Drawings on pages 4 and 5 illustrate the annual pulse of the river, month by month. The width of the drawings are proportional to tl1e average monthly flow of the river and its largest tributaries. The records for the measuring stations vary. The record for Clinton, Iowa, goes back to 1874. The station at St. Cloud, Minnesota, goes back to 1988. Flows vary widely from year to year. The average August flow at Winona from 1928to1992was19,920 cubic feet per second, but in August 1993 the flow averaged 67,560 c.f.s.
(Pulse continued on page 4)
2
BIG RlvER
October 1994
(Magnificent continued from page 1) original artwork and interactive displays. "Magnificent River" will remain at the Davenport museum until February, and will open in March at Dubuque's Riverboat Museum. The two museums worked together to mount the exhibit and collect the artifacts and art. What became an exhibit about the Mississippi's people as much as its geology and history was originally conceived as an exhibit about the art and literature of the big river. But as the research began corning under the gaze of Eunice Schlichting, research historian and coordinator of the project, the focus shifted, well before the museum secured the grants to mount the exhibit and began working with a St. Paul design firm to lay it out. "The focus changed to people, industries, conservation issues. That just seemed to be more viable, and more in keeping with the objects we found," she said. In the end, the exhibit became more than just an exhibit. Museum staffers developed six months of activities around it, including mural-painting in downtown Davenport, field trips to the Galena lead mines and other sites, and lectures, shows and presentations. "Magnificent River" even includes a live one-act play in which actors explore the river valley's ecology in a mock news show, "KPUT River Valley News and Views." The exhibit fits well with the museum's standing exhibit, "River, Prairie and People," a collection that illustrates the varied geology, history and natural science of the Quad-
Kids are drawn to the dioramas and the interactive displays, including the 11 swamp smell" box, from which a fan delivers a whiff of life on the river. Cities area. With the new exhibit and the standing exhibit, a day at the museum becomes a fascinating study of the river and its culture. The exhibit is divided into five areas: "A Resource for Living" focuses on the river as a resource, first for the ancient Mississippian culture, then for the furtraders and lead miners. "In the Age of Stearn" illustrates the role of the river in the developing industrial revolution and industrial America's influence on the Father of Waters. "Competing and Sharing" shows how the river was harnessed with the lock and darn system, and its competing uses for commerce, recreation and as an ecological foundation of the upper Midwest. "Finding it Again" describes how Mississippi River communities, after ignoring the river for decades, have begun defining themselves through it. "The Magnificent River and the Flood of 1993" details the latest uprising of the river we've almost tamed.
Kids are drawn to the dioramas and the interactive displays, including the "swamp smell" box, from which a fan delivers a whiff of life on the river. I viewed the exhibit with my sons, ages 6 and 8, and my 13-year-old daughter. While she listened to the videos and aural presentations, the boys puzzled out the catfish traps and spent some time in front of the photo mural tricked up to look like a view of barges from a towboat pilothouse, complete with radios and radar. All three were impressed by the button-cutting saw and other artifacts illustrating the button-making industry that developed around the river's once abundant mussels. They were startled by the idea of harvesting ice from the river and by the equipment it took to do it. The boys spent a lot of time in front of the aquariums exhibiting some of the river's underwater life, straining against adult rules to keep from tapping on the glass. That evening, we went fishing. Along with the "Magnificent River" exhibit, the Putnam Museum has scheduled field trips, films and lectures to explore the Mississippi. Among them: a film series; a hike in Big Sand Mound; a bus trip to Platteville, Wis., and Dubuque; and a folk trio concert. Call the museum, (319) 324-1933, for dates and times. The museum, at 1717 W. 12th St., Davenport, is open 9 a.rn. to 5 p.rn. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.rn. to 5 p.rn. Saturday; and noon to 5 p.rn. Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for senior citizens and $1 for kids ages 7-17. Children under 6 are admitted free .
Bill Jacobs is business editor at the Quad City Times.
-J
October 1994
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Captain Karnath mentions Twain romanticizing the river (see "Piloting a Paddlewheeler on the Mississippi River" Big River, Sept. 1994). It's a common notion. Perhaps it comes from school and textbook interpretations. I learned early on that reading the required stuff interfered with arriving at "right" answers. Teachers learned the same thing. It may be that many classics have not been read by anyone for a long time! Reputations can get in the way. I read Life on the Mississippi on the occasion of last year's flood . It shed a lot more light on things than newspaper reports. For example: "When I, as a boy, first saw the mouth of the Missouri River, it was twenty-two or twenty-three miles above St. Louis, according to estimates of pilots; the wear and tear of the banks has moved it down eight miles since then; and the pilots say that within five years the river will cut through and move the mouth down five miles more, which will bring it within ten miles of St. Louis. (page 307) There are extensive passages about the problem of seeing the river. "You take a night when there's one of these grisly, drizzly, gray mists, and then there isn't any particular shape to shore. A gray mist would tangle the head of the oldest man that ever lived. Well, then different kinds of moonlight change the shape of the river in different ways ... .. .You only learn the shape of the river; and you learn it with such absolute certainty that you can always steer by the shape that's in your head, and never mind the one that's before your eyes. (page 53) He is advised, "My boy, you've got to remember it." (page 57) Indeed, today license eligibility depends on drawing out the map. Over the hundred some years since Twain wrote, and well before that, internal memory is what counts. There is also an extensive and detailed analysis of the commercial organization of the river trade and its ramifications, which
BIG RlvER
ends in this comment: "Mississippi steamboating was born about 1812; at the end of thirty years it had grown to mighty proportions; and in less than thirty more it was dead!" (page 140) A little over a hundred years ago there were farms along the river where South St. Paul is now. Then we got the world's largest stockyard-packing complex. Now there is a scrap of stockyard-packing, some industry and a good bit of wishful thinking. Sweetness and light interpretations of the past lend themselves to the legitimation of progress and expensive nostalgic entertainments and are bound to offend anyone with day-to-day experience of the reality in question. Twain wasn't a sweetness-andlight kind of guy. I write this as a suggestion that people who know a great deal more about the river than I do (wouldn't take much!) might enjoy Twain more than they expect. It is also to concur with the suspicion expressed in the August issue that what is known about the river today is pretty much what was known a hundred years ago. Sincerely, Richard Voorhees South St. Paul (Page numbers refer to the 1944 edition published by The Heritage Press.)
LETTER TO THE CORPS (Performance artist Billy X. Curmano sent this letter to the Corps of Engineers division office in Chicago, and to district offices in Rock Island, St. Louis and St. Paul. Only the St. Paul District responded.) June 30, 1994 I am an artist involved in a project called "Swimmin' the River." It is an extended work in progress and attempt to swim the length of the Mississippi River as both performance and environmental statement. I have swum over 1,300 miles, from the headwaters to a point below the St. Louis Arch at Cape Girardeau, Mo. The project spans about 15 percent of the equatorial diameter of the planet, from drought
3
to flood stage and beyond. It has taken since 1987 to get this far and I've had plenty of time to reflect on what would have made it easier. I know you must constantly be looking for projects to keep the corps working. Well, as a swimmer I found negotiating the lock and dam facilities to be one of my biggest obstacles to "Swimmin' the River." I suggest a series of waterslides be added, perhaps on the spillway side, to ease self-propelled transportation. You may even consider a gentle slope suitable for canoes, rowboats and the like. I would consider offering my expertise in this matter to assure proper placement. Please don't hesitate to call with comments or questions. During the swim season I can be difficult to reach, but I will return your call at my earliest convenience. On July 11, I will be continuing from Cape .Girardeau . I hope you will give this proposal your most serious consideration . Sincerely, Billy X. Curmano Rushford, Minn.
July 27, 1994 Army Corps of Engineers St . Paul District Memorandum for Billy X. Curmano Subject: Addition of Facilities at Locks and Dams The Corps of Engineers would like to thank you for your proposal to add water slides to the locks and dams. You have obviously spent a lot of time on the river and have given this matter some serious thought. However, at the present time, this is not a feasible project for the corps. This project does not coincide with the strict safety standards of the corps. I have enclosed a pamphlet addressing some safety issues regarding the locks and dams to ensure you are aware of some of the hazards associated with them. We wish you the best of luck in your endeavors and if you have any further suggestions do not hesitate to write. We are always open to suggestions from the public. Sincerely, Cindy Haagenson Lock and Dam Operations
BIG RlvER
4
October 1994
Average Monthly Flow of the Upper Mississippi and Its Major Tributaries January St. Cloud, Minn.
2,832 c.f.s.
St. Cloud
Anoka, Minn. Minnesota R.
March
February 2,574 c.f.s.
St. Cloud
5,551 c.f.s.
Anoka Minnesota R.
St. Paul, Minn.
St. Paul
Chippewa R.
Chippewa R.
Chippewa R. Winona, Minn.
Wisconsin R. Turkey R.
Turkey R.
Turkey R.
Maquoketa R.
Maquoketa R.
Maquoketa R.
Clinton, Iowa
August
July
St. Cloud
September
2,376 c.f.s.
St. Cloud
Anoka
Anoka
Chippewa R.
Maquoketa R.
55,970 c.f.s. (Pulse continued from page 1)
Wisconsin R.
Wisconsin R. Turkey R.
Turkey R. Maquoketa R.
Chippewa R.
Chippewa R.
Wisconsin R.
4,493 c.f.s.
Turkey R. Maquoketa R.
BIG RlvER
October 1994
April
5
June
May
Chippewa R.
Chippewa R.
Wis. R.
Maq. R.
Maq.R.
Wis.R.
Maq.R.
Clinton
October St. Cloud
November
3,650 c.f.s.
St. Cloud
3,801 c.f.s.
December St. Cloud
Anoka
Anoka
3, 177 c.f.s.
Anoka Minnesota R.
St. Paul
Chippewa R.
Chippewa R.
Chippewa R.
Black R.
Turkey R. Maquoketa R.
Turkey R. Maquoketa R.
Turkey R. Maquoketa R.
........ = 10,000 cubic feet per second. Data from U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Reports.
BIG
6
RivER
CURRENT EVENTS Water-skiers, Don't Fall Here!
B
oaters who go slow can count the pipes that discharge wastes into the river from industries and wastewater treatment plants, but they can't see all of them. Some - long holey tubes called diffusers - work underwater. From Bemidji to the Twin Cities, there are 34 pipes discharging 27 different substances into the river, including ammonia, phosphorus, heavy metals, toxics, sulphur dioxide and other stuff. In a recent report, From Point to NonPoint: Protecting the Mississippi River's Future, Citizens for a Better Environment (CBE), a nonprofit organization based in the Twin Cities, recommended that all pipes be clearly labeled so people can make informed choices about where to fish and recreate. "If you're fishing next to a pipe, you have no way of knowing if it's industrial discharge or just yesterday's rainwater runoff," said CBE coordinator Amy Middleton. "Of course, that could be harmful, too, given all the lawn chemicals that can be in it." Not surprisingly, the labeling idea has met with strong resistance from those
"If you're fishing next to a pipe, you have no way of knowing if it's industrial discharge or just yesterday's rainwater runoff," who prefer the public to water-ski and fish in blissful unawareness. Even so, pipes and other identifiable "point sources" of pollution are closely monitored and regulated by the Pollu-
tion Control Agency, while non-point sources are not. Non-point sources include everything from garden sprays to farmyard manure runoff, left-over paint washed into the storm sewer and whatever leaches through the soil. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency said the Mississippi River gets four times as much pollution, by weight, from non-point sources as from point sources. TheCBE recommends that natural drainage systems be restored and storm water runoff controls be expanded. For a copy of the report, call CBE at (612) 824-8637.
Redeveloping the Riverfront
T
he City of Saint Paul wants to keep the Science Museum of Minnesota downtown and is doing everything it can to help solve problems at the proposed site, which is just below Kellogg Boulevard and the downtown bluffs, but separated from the river by railroad tracks and Shepard Road. Persuading the museum to stay lends oomph to the city's plans to "redevelop" the riverfront. The Museum doesn't want much for its new, larger facilities -just new parking spaces for 700 cars and 40 buses; reduction or elimination of railroad traffic between the proposed museum and the river; pedestrian crossings over nearby tracks and streets; and a reassurance that traffic flow will be "facilitated" for vehicles driven by more than 800,000 museum visitors per year.
October 1994
strators opposed to the storage of nuclear waste in casks outside the plant.
Oak Regeneration on the Miss
A
merican Forest and Trees Forever, two non-profit organizations, are sponsoring a mass planting of mast trees on 558 acres of land in Mississippi River pools 13, 18 and 21. Most of the land is at Long Island in Pool 21, just upriver from Quincy, Illinois. Mast trees produce food for wildlife. Oaks, hickories, beeches, chestnuts and pecans are all mast trees. The project will attempt to re-establish tree species that were eliminated or removed when Europeans settled the area. The project was hurried through the final stages of approval by the Army Corps of Engineers, as part of its environmental improvements program. The Corps didn't want to miss the acorn-gathering season. Nurseries don't have enough on hand to sell.
Wild or Domestic Fish?
T
he Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources doesn't want to ride herd on farmed fishes anymore. The Department is handing over its health certification duties to the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, which is asking fish farmers to pay for the service. Maybe language is part of the reason for the shift. Wild fish move about in schools. Farmed fish swim in herds. The DNR doesn't want to have anything to do with herds, although it will continue to monitor, test, transport and maintain the habitat of fish in schools.
Prairie Island Protesters
P
olice arrested 36 protesters near Northern States Power's nuclear power plant on Prairie Island, on August 28, but the arrests and protest received virtually no attention from news media outside of the Red Wing area. The Red Wing Republican Eagle reported on the "vigil for survival at Prairie Island," which drew about 300 demon-
SLAPPed with a Lawsuit
M
innesota has joined seven other states to pass legislation making it easier to toss "frivolous" lawsuits out of court and collect reimbursement for fees. In the last decade, an increasing number of multimillion dollar lawsuits have been brought against people who speak
-<!.,/
BIG RlvER
October 1994
out about issues in their communities. The lawsuits claim defamation of character, conspiracy and interference with business, but researchers say their goal is the same- keeping people quiet and stifling political expression. The suits have been dubbed "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation," or SLAPP suits. Among the examples cited in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald (9 /8/94) was a Minnesota couple sued by a developer
The lawsuits claim defamation of character, conspiracy and interference with business, but researchers say their goal is the same - keeping people quiet and stifling political expression. for speaking out at public meetings against a proposed housing development on the other side of a lake where they have Jived for 40 years . The American Law Institute and the American Bar Association have both staged national conferences this year on the topic of SLAPP suits. Housing developments are not the issue, they say. Getting chilled into silence is.
order to research and publicize the culture and history of the river valley. Despite clear promises not to take any land for the corridor, some property rights groups have accused the commission of planning to take the land on both sides of the entire length of the river.
Princess Ends Up at Prairie Island
F
irst Winona had one excursion boat on its downtown levee, the Jolly Ollie. Then it had none. Then it was going to have one, then two. Then what would have been the Princess Winona cruised past Winona and settled in at Prairie Island, near Red Wing, to become the Treasure Island Princess, when the owners worked out a better deal there than they could get in Winona. There are now no definite plans to bring a boat to Winona .
W
Life on the Edge
aterfrontpropertyownerscanfind detailed information on managing their property in a book from the University of Wisconsin-Extension Lake Management Program. For a copy of the 95-page Living on the Edge: Owning W11terfront Property, call Dorothy Snyder, (715) 346-2116.
7
T
Scour Fish
en people died in 1983 when scours around the footing of the Gov. Thomas E. Dewey Thruway Bridge, in Albany, N.Y., led to its collapse. Scours during floods may fill in when river levels drop, making it difficult for bridge inspectors to discover problems. A new contraption shaped like a small flying saucer, called a Scour Fish, can be lowered into fast moving water to use sonar to plot a contour map of the river bottom for several hundred feet. The saucer shape helps stabilize the craft after a crane lowers it into the water. It sends a signal to a computer in a nearby van, which then creates a contour image of the river bottom, according to an article in The Waterways Journal (9-19-94). The system can inspect any underwater structures, including locks and darns. American Inland Divers, Inc., of Houston, Texas, developed and manufactures the system.
Ducks on the Tube Duck hunters can hone their skills from the confort of their easy chairs. The videos "The King Of Ducks" and "The Feast Of Weeds" areavailablefreeatmany libraries and from sporting groups . . !ii
Meetings 10 Sierra Club, St. Croix Valley Interstate Group, monthly meeting, 6:30 p.rn., Stillwater (Minn.) Public Library. 11-12 Upper Mississippi River Hazardous Spills Coordination Group Meeting, Twin Cities. Call Upper Mississippi River Basin Association, (612) 224-2880. 13 Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission, full commission meeting. Call (612) 436-7131 or (715) 386-9444.
River Corridor Extension
T
he Mississippi River Heritage Corridor Study Commission is seeking $149,000 and a two-year extension from Co11gress. The commission was scheduled to submit a proposal to Congress this year. The commission is studying the possibility of designating a heritage corridor along the length of the Mississippi, in
13 Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board, monthly meeting, 5 p .m . Spring Green, Wis. Call 1-800-221-3792 or (608) 739-3188. 19-20 American Waterways Operators Midwest Region, fall meeting and golf outing, Frontenac Hilton Hotel, St. Louis, Mo. Call (314) 434-2534. 20-21 Midwest Area River Coalition 2000 Annual Meeting, Twin Cities. Call (314) 436-7303. 25 Sierra Club, Coulee Region, monthly meeting with presentation by Eric Macbeth from the Minn./Wis. Boundary Area Commission on Mississippi River corridor issues, 7 p.rn., Trane Employees Credit Union, La Crosse. m
Bm RlvER
8
RIVER CALENDAR October Special Events 2 Bird Feeding Tips, by Mary Strasser, 2 p.m., free, at Hixon Forest Nature Center, La Crosse. 2 Walktoberfest, sponsored by the American Diabetes Association, at Bellevue State Park, Bellevue, Iowa. 8-9 Volksmarch, Pikes Peak State Park, McGregoi, Iowa. 13, 19, 25 Trapping Permits Issued for lands and waters of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, $15/ 40 trap tags, Rm. 226, U.S. Post Office, 425 State St., La Crosse; Oct. 13, noon - 4 p.m., Oct. 19, 8 a.m. noon, Oct. 25, noon - 4 p.m. Call (608) 784-3910. 13, 20 Making a Difference in Our Environment, presented by the Raptor Center, Lakewood Community College, White Bear Lake. Call (612) 779-3341. 15 Bird Migration Field Trip to French Island, 8 a.m. noon, $2 nonmembers, $1 members, Hixon Forest Nature Center, La Crosse. 16 Shiitake Mushroom Demonstration, 11:30 a.m ., Forest Resource Center, Lanesboro, Minn. Brunch and nature hike included for $10 fee. Call (507) 467-2437. 18 Family Night Hike, 6:30 p.m., $2 nonmembers, $1 members, Hixon Forest Nature Center, La Crosse. 22 Floodplain Forest in Fall, a walk to look for plants and animals along the Mississippi, ages 10 and up, 1 p.m., Coon Rapids Dam Visitor Center, Coon Rapids, Minn. 23 Minnesota's Aching Mussels, continuous demonstration of Minnesota's mussel species and what they reveal about water quality, 1 - 4 p.m., Coon Rapids Dam Visitor Center, Coon Rapids, Minn. 26 Auction of 17 parcels of surplus state lands by Minn. DNR. 11 a.m., Brainerd City Hall and 3 p.m. Grand Rapids Fire Hall. For flyers describing the property call 1-800-7666000. through Feb. 14, 1995 Magnificent River: The Mississippi from Minnesota to Missouri, photographs, artifacts, interactive exhibits and two full-sized boats, Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science, Davenport, Iowa.
Adopt-a-River Cleanups 1 Stillwater Jaycee's St. Croix River Cleanup. Call A. Dreis, (612) 736-7916. 15 University of St. Thomas Cleanup of the Mississippi River, St Paul, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Call Amy (612) 962-8280.
Workshops & Conferences 3-7 American Association of Port Authorities, annual convention, Wyndham Franklin Plaza, Philadelphia. Contact
October 1994
AAPA (703) 684-5700; fax (703) 684-6321. 4 Working Together to Protect Natural Diversity, workshop, the Friends of the Minnesota Valley, 8:30 a.Jl1. - 4:30 p.m., $20. Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington, Minn. Call Ann Haines, (612) 854-5900. 5-6 American Waterways Shipyard Conference membership meeting, Greenville, Miss. Call Bob O'Neill or Jennifer Williams, (703) 841-9300. 8 Conflict Resolution and Participation Management: Methods for addressing "wicked" environmental problems, noon - 5 p.m., Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, 3815 E. 80th St., Bloomington, Minn., $15/$10 students. Register ahead by calling Stephen Fettig at (612) 644-7404 or e-mail at smf@finsandfur.fw.emn.edu. 0
10-14 Propeller Club of the U.S., Annual Convention and Conference, Royal Sonesta Hotel, New Orleans. Call (703) 691-2777, fax (703) 691-4173. 24-28 Third International Conference on Ecological Economics, San Jose, Costa Rica. Contact P.O. 555, 3000 Heredia, San Jose, Costa Rica. 27-29 1994 Midwest Environmental Education Conference, Eagle Ridge Conference Center, Galena, Ill., $50 members. Call D. Nelson (309) 298-2222. Nov. 3 Linking Global Trade and the Environment, U. of Min'n.-St. Paul, $20. Call D. O'Riley, (612) 624-3235. Nov. 13-16 Dredging '94, Buena Vista Palace, Buena Vista, Fla. Contact E. Clark McNair, Army Corps Coastal Engineering Research Center, (601) 634-2070. Nov. 19 Minnesota Environmental Education Conference, Park Inn, Alexandria, Minn. Call Pam Landers, (612) 2825788. ~