WomenInKayaks group paddles Shiawassee

by Doris on October 18, 2012 

 http://womeninkayaks.org/
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Karol, Betty, Cathie, Jan and I paddled the Shiawassee yesterday and had great fun. About half way down (I think we were on the water for about 3 miles at that point) there was a huge tree, with tons of debris, blocking the river. We got all tangled up in the debris and spent quite a bit of time strategizing!
Jan managed to slip into her cockpit and slithered carefully under the tree. After such a great maneuver it wasn’t fair that she was met with tons of debris on the other side and had to get out and pull her boat through it all. The rest of us decided we had better figure out how to get to shore. We made our way through the maze of limbs and somehow managed to find a few spots to get out onto shore. Once on land we had to drag our boats through, up and over more debris and downed trees. We then lodged our boats between two other downed trees that were laying perpendicular into the river, scooted down the limbs and slid into our boats. WOW, it was quite a trick but off we went 30 minutes later. It was great team work and very challenging to know we had to get through… no choice.
The remainder of the paddle was uneventful and lovely. We rewarded ourselves with dinner at the French Laundry in Fenton. Actually, we just about closed the restaurant we had so much to talk about and share.
Karol’s message from this morning sums up the intensity of our outing… “I was so tired that I left my boat on the car, walked in the house, kissed my husband and went to bed!”

Shiatown Dam sediment contains no contaminants

Posted: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 11:00 am |  
Updated: 10:16 am, Wed Oct 3, 2012.

By SALLY YORK, Argus-Press Staff Writer |

SHIAWASSEE TWP. — A new report from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
says there are no contaminants in the sediment near the Shiatown dam, enabling a plan to remove
part or all of the dam to proceed on schedule.
Experts have said the 108-year-old landmark — located on the Shiawassee River at Bennington Road
near Bancroft Road — serves no practical purpose and is in desperate need of extensive repairs that would not be cost-effective.

 http://www.argus-press.com/news/news_local/article_1f3b0066-895f-11e1-83e2-0019bb2963f4.html

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Shiatown Dam water levels October 2012

Shiatown Dam: the reservoir behind the dam is being drained.
Workers removed most of the spillways and accumulated debris,
allowing the water level behind the dam to fall in October 2012.

Video of water levels in October
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcTpuxPaVak

The accumulated debris behind the dam has finally been opened up

Autumn 2012 Shiawassee River

Doug Lanyk and myself paddling 7 miles from Holly to Fenton
along the Shiawassee River on October 6, 2012.


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Individual, large, detailed pictures, are shown here: 
https://picasaweb.google.com/108590711667865641354/ShiawasseeFall2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink 
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