Otter Observations

I've lived here on the family farm all my life. When I was young boy, there were no deer, coyotes, beaver, or wild turkeys. Now, another species has been living here on the farm; otters. This season's long term snow cover has revealed otter foot prints along the Salt Fork River.
Jim Smith

<--Otter tracks

Entrance to the den -->

<--Otter slide where one has slid into the water.

Otters enjoy eating the fish in the river, but they don't much like the heads. You can see the sucker head left at the top of the slide.

Mirror Image

On the day we kayaked the Salt Fork, the water was so calm that we were able to catch the reflection of the tree silhouettes. Silver maple, cottonwood, black walnut, sycamore, shagbark hickory, red and burr oak, each with its unique branching pattern, are some of the common trees we see along the river.

Winter Kayaking

Yesterday our family decided to celebrate the winter sunshine by taking a short float on the Salt Fork River. The rain washed away the ice a few weeks ago so the channel is open now and the water is fairly clear. We put in upstream of 2500E (near Homer Lake Forest Preserve) at 3:00pm and paddled easily about 2.5 hours before taking out at the Champaign/Vermilion county line. There were no obstructions in the channel so it is an easy and enjoyable float right now. The air temp was ~30 degrees in the sun but no report on the water temp (I am making a note
to tie a cheap thermometer onto my kayak for future trips!).

We had a wonderful afternoon on the water enjoying the snow on the trees, the ice formations above the water, and the quietness of the day. This time of year there are no lawn mowers or tractors running, no bugs, no leaves on the trees, and the air is crisp and clear. This last snowstorm left icy snow stuck to the NE side of the trees and on the ground creating beautiful black and white patterns along the banks and bluffs.

We surprised a few flocks of Canada geese resting on the gravel bars and stirred up a handful of red-tailed hawks, too. We saw two great-horned owls, one near 2500E and the other downstream of the Route 49 bridge, and we occasionally heard black-capped chickadees, red-bellied woodpeckers, and cardinals in the corridor. And there was one chubby raccoon at our take out spot at the Champaign/Vermilion county line but he scurried off into the woods.




A few words on winter paddling~ If you want to give this a try remember to dress warmly in layers as you will be sitting, not hiking. Wearing water-proof pants, jacket, and gloves is helpful if your paddle drips into your lap because if you get wet you will get cold quickly (and we suggest leaving the splashing for those hot summer days!). Take along an extra set of clothes in a water-proof bag just in case you do get wet, and let someone at home know you are out on the water. If you should tip the boat it is a good idea to know there is someone available to pick you up at the next bridge. Wearing sunglasses is another good idea as it can be very bright when the sun is reflecting off the water AND the snow.



They say a picture is worth a thousand words so we leave you with these images of our trip. If you are able, we encourage you to consider a float during the remaining days winter, and if you are not able to get into a kayak or canoe we hope these images will bring some joy to your day!

Champaign County Land Resource Management Plan

Last Tuesday evening, Jamuary 26, we attended the open house to review and comment on the LRMP.  There were lots of charts and posters and steering committee menbers on hand to take questions and comments. 

My initial reaction was surprise at how comprehensive the plan is, all 348 pages.  It addresses so many areas of land use in Champaign County.  I encourage you to look at it and express your opinions and ideas. Public comments will be accepted through Feb. 9.

The areas that is of primary interest to this blogger are:
Goal 8 Natural Resources.  Champaign County will strive to conserve and enhance the County's landscape and natural resources and ensure thier sustainable use.

And more specifically:
Objective 8.5 Aquatic and Riparian Ecosystems. Champaign County will encourage the maintance and enhancement of aquatic and riparian habits.  
Objective 8.6 Natural Areas and Habitat.  Champaign county will encourage resource management which avoids loss or degregration of areas represtative of the pre-settlement environment and other areas that provide habitat for native and game species.
Policy 8.7.4.  The County will encourage the establishment of public-private partnerships to conserve woodlands and other significant areas of natural envoronmental quality in CC. 
Action Item 8.7.4. As a cooperative and adjunct effort to any similar action of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District or the Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District, develop an information package regarding voluntary establishment of public-private partnerships to conserve woodlands and other significant areas of natural environmental quality in Champaign County.

The idea of getting out information, educating private land owners and encouraging them to do the right thing is something I support.  We all seem to be in agreement that we want beautiful natural areas, but how to preserve and maintain them is what is in dispute.  IMHO, educate people, give them support and tools and the people will do it.  This can be much more productive than the restrictive regulation approach attempted a few years ago.  I applaud CC for starting the efforts to encourage people to do so.

FYI the News Gazette also has a review of the meeting

Champaign County Forest Preserve Trail Stewardship

The Champaign County Forest Preserve is more than a friend to the Salt Fork River.  The Salt Fork River is actually part of the Champaign County Forest Preserve at Homer Lake.   Activites of the CCFP have an impact on the Salt Fork River.  One activity that indirectly affects the river is the Trail Stewardship Program.  There will be a workshop  about the program January 23 from 10 AM -Noon.  There is more information on their web site: http://www.ccfpd.org/index.html

Invasive species have become a serious threat to all our natural areas from prairies to woodlands to riparian corridors.  It will only be the efforts of people willing to take the time to commit to helping eradicate invasives that will finally make a difference.  Please consider being a steward to a Homer Lake trail and in doing so becoming a Salt Fork Friend.

 Hope to at least see you at the workshop. Preregistration required.

Freezing Up

The river is not yet frozen over. This bitter cold weather is to continue so perhaps the Salt Fork will freeze over yet. This photo was taken on our property which borders the Homer Lake Forest Preserve.

Salt Fork River Flood Plain

The river is finally back in its banks after the recent one inch of rain we had here in Homer/Saint Joseph area. However, the flooding has left numerous potholes in the flood plain. This one was full of Canadian geese early this morning. My slow reaction photo missed most of them but I did manage to capture a few. The river is still quite high and quick moving but by the weekend it should be great for a kayaking trip. Note also that the trees are still showing some color and the field had been harvested before the flooding.