On this clear September day...

you can see the bottom of the river.

 

Tagging Mussels

Today was a great day to tag mussels, a bit rainy and mostly cloudy.  We showed up at 10AM at the research facility along with a downpour.  But things quickly settled down and a routine was established to tag the mussels from Pennsylvania.

They have been in holding tanks all week.

They all had to be scrubbed off.

Then they were taken indoors and tagged and recorded. 



We were able to completely scrub, tag, and record two of the four tanks by the time I had to leave around two. The plan was to tag the other two tanks on Thursday, September 6th. Then, the mussels are to be set in their new homes in the Salt Fork and Middle Fork of the Vermilion River. More information can be found about this wonderful project in a recent News Gazette article.

These mussels include Clubshell (Pleurobema clava) and Northern Riffleshell (Epioblasma rangiana). Can you tell which is which?

No great knowledge was required to help in this stage of the project. There was an abundance of very knowledgeable biologists and students to help with any questions or problems. They were also very willing to share their expertise with the volunteers. It was great to be a part of this project. Thanks for allowing local volunteers of all skill levels to help.

 

Concern for the Salt Fork River

A propsed coal mine for the area has us very concerned about the Salt Fork River.  There has been talk of removing water from the Salt Fork to wash coal. Then return water, which has washed coal, to the river.  Stand Up to Coal has more information about the propsed coal mine.  Please inform yourself and join us in whatever way you can to oppose the proposed Bulldog Mine.

Bald eagles and nest sighted on the Salt Fork!

     While canoeing on the Salt Fork River Sunday afternoon, June 3rd, four of us saw an adult bald eagle take off down the river channel and then we spotted the nest with one chick!  The nest is located in a large sycamore tree on the left back (if one is headed downstream) approximately 1/2 mile downstream of 400E, Runyan Bridge, and before you reach Conkeytown.   All three forks of the Vermilion River system, the North Fork, Middle Fork, and now the Salt Fork, have active bald eagle nests.  Incredible!  As far as I know, this is the first bald eagle nest to be noted on the Salt Fork River.
      We had a leisurely trip in clear water from 300E, Butler Bridge, to 700E, the mouth of Stony Creek,  in a canoe and two kayaks.  This is a beautiful stretch of stream in Vermilion County with high bluffs, rock riffles, and the historic Conkeytown mill site in a beautiful sandstone bluff.   It was a great day for a float down the Salt Fork. 

Green Dragons along the Salt Fork

.

If you are out paddling this Memorial Day weekend, see if you can spot  a green dragon. They will not harm you, are not at all scary and are a thing of unique beauty.  Green Dragons (Arisaema dracontium)  are a  native perennial. They are  now out and blooming along the shady floodplains of the Salt Fork River. The plant is about three feet tall and will  have a naked white flower stalk.The one pictured here also has a small offshoot which is one way they spread.   Sometimes you get lucky and find a group of Green Dragons.

Public Meeting on Proposed Coal Mine: May 23, 2012

Coal Mining and the Salt Fork River

Sunrise Coal, of Terre Haute, Indiana, has been planning to develop a coal mine in an approximately 70 square mile area of Vermilion and Champaign counties, and over the past two years has been obtaining leases for mineral rights from landowners. Recent articles in both the News-Gazette and The Leader have reported that the Village of Homer is partnering with Sunrise Coal to provide the necessary water – both from wells and from the Salt Fork River - for coal operations.

Some of the wastewater from the coal extraction, crushing, and washing operations will apparently be deposited into the Salt Fork River basin. This has the potential for adding sediments and pollutants such as heavy metals and salts into waters now used for drinking water supplies, fish and wildlife habitat,and livestock watering.

This has raised concerns for ourselves and for neighbors, farmers, landowners, anglers, paddlers, scout activities at Camp Drake, and the ecological health of the river and adjoining riparian corridor. We are interested in bringing together the stakeholders of this region in an effort to have a full and transparent discussion. Hopefully, it would be possible to work together to voice shared concerns and obtain answers to open questions with a goal of identifying solutions that can ensure the vital life of the Salt Fork River and its watershed, as well as a sustainable future for our communities. For more information, see Stand Up to Coal and the links above

Fly Fishing on the Salt Fork River

On Sunday July 31, 2011, we went fly fishing on the Salt Fork River in Vermilion County. The width of the river channel made it easy for beginners such as us to get started without having to worry much about our backcasts.

With small and large pools interspersed with rocky riffles, a large assortment of habitats are available for various species. There are an abundant number of sunfish, rockbass, and smallmouth bass available for entertainment on light tackle, however, on our outing, we managed to entice only some small shiners with our offerings.

Large silver maples and sycamores dominate the banks, creating lots of shade, which was a relief from the oppressive heat and humidity. The water was hot, and I was sweating in my waders and vest. Even though I was disappointed with our lack of success in catching bass, I plan to return soon with tennis shoes and different flies.

::Posted by Tom Smith::

Reporting Pollution or Dead Fish in the Salt Fork

Around the July 4th weekend, dead fish were first reported in the Salt Fork River. Unfortunately, by the time the information reached the Illinois Environmental Agency (IEPA) and Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the source of the problem could not be located. If you should see anything that appears to be a serious problem to the health of the stream, please use the following guidelines. One of the most important lessons out of this incident is to report ASAP!

PLEASE SAVE AND POST THIS IN A CONVENIENT PLACE:

What to do if you see pollution or dead fish in the river

1. Call Illinois Emergency Management Agency's (IEMA’s) 24-hour hotline immediately at 1-800-782-7860. They will log the call and contact EPA.

2. Email a written description of who, what, when and where to Jeff Holste at the Champaign office of EPA Jeffrey.Holste@illinois.gov, This will establish a paper trail and enable you to alert and engage other concerned citizens.

Pedal-Paddle-Pedal on the Salt Fork

Here is a set of photos and commentary about my first pedal-paddle-pedal (bike plus raft) day trip on the Salt Fork.

I hope to paddle the entire length of the Salt Fork, from the Saline Ditch in Crystal Lake Park to Danville using this method of car-free transportation.

-- Gary

Ice Floes

The Salt Fork ice broke today! Tom and I went to the county line bridge about 12:30 PM but the floes had already passed. We took off in our truck, mucking along the soggy county roads to 200E but again, we missed the ice so we jumped back into the truck one more time and headed off on asphalt to the Oakwood bridge hoping we could catch it before it was gone. When we reached the water intake pipe we were discouraged to find only a few slabs of ice floating by, but as we stood there taking a few photos and just enjoying the 60-degree spring-like day we noticed something upstream coming at us around the bend.

A huge mass of broken slabs and chunks of ice filling the channel from bank to bank pushing logs and debris moved toward us at about 5 miles per hour. It was incredible! Pieces of ice 7-8 inches thick and some as large as a bus jostled for position as they pushed and shoved their way down the channel while other pieces were getting shoved up the banks or caught in backwater eddies. I wish you could have been there, not only to see it but to hear it, the grinding ice as it jostled around in the channel and along the banks.

It was one of those fleeting moments in nature that you are so grateful to experience knowing that it will soon be gone. And it was. After less than 5 minutes the ice had moved on toward the Wabash. The Salt Fork River is once again a liquid stream of water rushing eastward until next year- if the winter conditions are right.

Clip video below to see and hear the ice flowing complete with my exciting comments!

Salt Fork River Paddler's Map

We have made a start on a Salt Fork River Paddler's Map of natural, historical, and other sites of potential interest on your next float. Many sites are on private property and should be viewed only from the river; a few sites that are off the river are noted as being on public roads or park property.

This is a work in progress. Please contribute ideas for additional sites by email or comment to this post.

River Tubing

The Salt Fork River is still quite high and moving rather quickly due to all the recent rains. Please consider this if you have plans to be on the river this 4th of July.

Lately,  I have noticed more and more people on the river in tubes. Tubing can be a great way to relax as one floats down the river. Tubing can be a novel way to experience the river. But tubing can also be dangerous.

• Please inform others of your plans to go tubing. Where you are going and how long you expect to be gone.
• Take a cell phone. There are small plastic water tight containers just for cell phones.
• Check the weather before going.  Storms can come up quickly.
• Familiarize yourself with the area of the river that you will be tubing on.
• Wear a life vest and sunscreen.
• Stay in the tube.
• Try to have as little impact as possible on the natural area you are in and don't leave trash behind.
• Most of the land you are floating by is private property.  You need permission to go on it.

As always, have fun and keep safety in mind.

Homer Lake

This morning we had a fun time paddling on Homer Lake, located immediately north of the Salt Fork between Saint Joseph and Homer. We saw lots of fisher people and folks out with their dogs. Even saw another kayak. It was delightful to explore the more shallow coves with the jumping fish and turtles, lovely blooming wild blue iris and arrowhead. The lake can easily be paddled and explored in a morning or afternoon. However, if you are not accustomed to paddling you may only want to do part of the lake. Unfortunately, there was trash that could have been collected but we had nothing to put it in, so next time we paddle the lake we will bring a plastic bag and our nifty "Gopher" pick up tool!

Hydrochory

Walking the paths today, the wind was quite strong and the air was full of helicopters, mostly maple seeds being carried long distances from their parent trees. Arriving at the Salt Fork, it was clear that the wind was not the only thing dispersing these seeds. The surface of the river was covered with them, as shown with a sample in the inset, probably a silver maple seed. This is a reminder that hydrochory, the dispersal of seeds by water, is an important transport mechanism for riparian plants. Rivers and their tributaries can carry the seeds long distances and through broad changes in latitude, and downstream floods can deposit the seeds at some distance from the riparian corridor. Such dispersal can help maintain connections between isolated communities of plants as well as support plant diversity along the corridor.

Spring on the Salt Fork

A short kayak trip on the Salt Fork this afternoon revealed the beauty of the river habitat. The redbuds were in full bloom as were the serviceberries. The emerging leaves of the Sycamore and their white trunks were magnificent as viewed against the bright blue background of the midwest sky. And meanwhile along the shore, blue bells, violets, and spring beauties were blooming everywhere. The scent of the blooming blue phlox was in the air. Needless to say I was so busy taking in the beauty of the vegetation, that I only managed to view a few Canadian geese, a turtle sliding off a log and a heron flying overhead.

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