Canoe & Kayak Racing Magazine

Check out this link for amazing articles on technique, skills, training, etc.

Canoe & Kayak Racing Magazine

Just in time for the holidays

Happy Turkey Day wishes to all you folks,

....Way back in the beginning of the paddling season on June 7th, 09
many of you attended the annual Shiawassee River Paddle Event in Holly

A new photographer took numerous awesome, highly-detailed images that are up to
12 megapixels in resolution, big. big files.

He now has a webpage and a way to offer those pictures as downloads for purchase in various resolutions.


Please visit the link : http://primalnature.smugmug.com/gallery/10303495_6iqkA 

Feel free to pass along this message to anyone that may have attended the event.


They may make a great gift for relatives around the holidays

Also visit the main site at:  www.primal-nature.com

César's Bark Canoe

Click on the link to see the documentary of how this was made using no nails, no high tech adhesives - just simple items from the forest.

César's Bark Canoe

Winter Paddling - physiological stress

Clink link below for more info

Winter Paddling - physiological stress

My Page - Kayaking.com

My Page - Kayaking.com

Kayaking Cold Water

Kayaking Cold Water

Kayak flotation - not all kayaks float

Kayak flotation bags available from any decent, good, reliable kayak shop dealing with real kayaks

 

Since all kayaks do not float, these float bags are mandatory for safe paddling on lakes and rivers

Does your kayak FLOAT - are you sure ?

Float Bags make a great holiday gift !

Land and Water Conservation Fund

Senate Bill #2747 - $900 million to support state and local parks along with outdoor recreation

http://www.examiner.com/x-23194-Detroit-Kayaking-Examiner~y2009m11d10-Land-and-Water-Conservation-Fund#

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Keeping the Shiawassee River navigable for paddlers

Written by Doug Lanyk - Sunday , 11/8/2009

What a day! Steve H and I met at 10:30 to stage cars and clear the 3 portages and 2 other downed trees on the Holly to Fenton stretch of the river.
We hadn't even spotted my truck in Fenton When the kayaks started to roll in. The sunshine and the mid 60's had everyone out. Of course I was on a mission to cut dead trees so I was dressed to spend the day in 45 deg. water. I found it embarrassing having just had our grand opening and the river blocked up already. We set off from Waterworks park in good order planing to put the location tags on the emergency takeout sign at the wastewater plant as our first stop. I was going to put my 5mm neoprene chest waders on there. So much for good plans. There were multiple trees down behind the Holly Convalescent Center. Three trees were down requiring you to get out of your boat and 2 more low enough the it would be a challenge for most canoes. Steve was dressed to get wet but since it was looking like a long day in the water, we tried to keep him dry. The first of the kayaks passed us there. Finishing off the sign behind the WWTP we did have clear sailing
(or technically paddling) down to the Headwaters Trails property. 2 weeks ago we could scoot by on the left. Today it required getting out of the boat. It was a messy tree with lots of branches catching
everything else coming down the river.




Steve  worked from the bank pulling the debris up on the flood plain. That took another 15 minutes and it was starting to look like a long day. The next ten kayaks passed us there. The third set of kayaks passed us while I was breaking up the logjam just passed Fish Lake Rd. It was on the first sharp corner after the culvert. I wish I new how to fix that spot within the river clearing guidelines. It's a reoccurring problem. Another bunch of fine paddlers caught up to us while I was clearing the 3 blockages in and just passed the tornado zone. The first 2 trees weren't too bad beside the fact that the water was belly button deep. One of them was over 20" diameter. The next bunch was in a spot with a nasty portage.

The start of the marsh had the ground soggy and no good spot to land. 5 trunks had come down on top of each other. It was blocking so much river there was a buildup of water on the up stream side. This was a dicey piece of cutting. No mater how I cut each trunk it wanted to pinch my blade. The kayakers were patient and cheered me on. Giving me a captive audience to sell all the good works done by Headwaters Trails. While I whittled down the trees, Steve put up the Shiawassee logo on milepost 3. Eventually it was cut through and we bid the last of the groups adieu. It still took another 15 minutes or so to finish cutting up the trees. The river was mostly clear after that. Although I did end up cutting several more trees that made the river more of an adventure than it needed to be. Our last task was mounting the logo on milepost 5. There we saw the last of several fishermen that had come up from Fenton by canoe. We slogged our tired butts up to my truck about a quarter after 4:00.

Happy Trails Doug.

Feathered paddles - The Offset

As far as I can tell - there is no right and wrong paddle set-up,
only what works well for you on any given day upon the water.

Feathered paddles - The Offset


Need a scientific study to make up your mind
- http://bit.ly/OffsetPaddles

Plumb Bow Kayaks

These types of kayaks have some unique advantages

Plumb Bow Kayaks

Worth a look to know what your options are

Kayak Classes

Beginning Kayaking: These classes are an excellent complete beginner's course held in the safe and warm confines of an indoor pool.  The class is a series of four weekly two hour sessions.  The first session, be dressed for the pool session and at poolside one hour before the scheduled pool time for a safety/orientation session.  Attendance at the first day is mandatory.  This course will focus on basic kayaking strokes that are applicable to both sea kayaking and white water kayaking.  We will also work on self and assisted rescues, recovery strokes, sweep strokes and the beginning elements of self-rescue techniques.  Students should bring swimming goggles, nose plugs and a towel along with swimming apparel. Participants under 16 must be approved in advance by the instructor.  

 11/3-11/17, 12/1, Tuesdays (4 weeks), 7:45-10pm, $127 person

Fenton HS, Register at www.slpr.net or (248) 437-8105

11/19, 11/31-12/17, Thursdays (4 weeks), 7:45-10pm, South Lyon HS, $145 person

Register at www.slrec.com or (248) 437-8105

Kayak Rolling Classes: This class will focus on the elements of hip snap development, high and low bracing and the Kayak Roll.  Either the "C to C" or Sweep Roll will be taught depending upon student's capabilities.  Strength is not important in learning to roll… it's all about boat fit, flexibility, and most importantly, proper technique. So if you are ready to learn to roll that boat, here's your chance.  The class will be scheduled for four hours, but please arrive 30-60 minutes in advance to be outfitted with gear.  

Sunday, 11/15, 8:30am-12:30pm, Brighton HS, $80/person

Register by calling Rob Taylor @ (810) 355-6381

Tuesdays, (2 weeks), 12/8 & 12/15, 7-9pm,

Fenton HS, $82/person

Register at www.slpr.net or (248) 437-8105

 "Over Easy" Open Pool Sessions: Here's a chance to practice all that you've learned in the Basic Kayaking and Rolling classes in the friendly environment of the Brighton High School pool.  Perfect all those different strokes, practice rescues, and work on that "bomb-proof roll" or just come hang-out with other paddlers and swap war stories.  Certified instructors will be on hand to provide pointers if needed.

Sunday, 11/29, 3-5:30pm, 

Brighton HS, $30/person

Register by calling Rob Taylor @ (810) 355-6381

http://www.expandinghorizonskayaking.com/

Technique matters

Technique matters

Think "feet first" - initiate the stroke by first engaging your foot with the foot peg of the kayak.
Engaging the lower body just a nanosecond ahead of the paddle's entry into the water yields a big payback in moving the kayak forward efficiently.

Increasing the strength you apply to the paddles to go faster will only result in quick exhaustion.
By attempting to minimize the lag time between strokes, you'll increase speed and be more efficient.
The trick is all in the rhythm and cadence, also known as "spinning" the paddle.
Try to get one, continuous, fluid motion of the paddle going slowly at first and then pick up the pace.
Keep the paddle constantly moving, minimizing the lag between strokes.

Blue Infrastructure

Blue Infrastructure

BLUE has now become the new "green"

The OS Systems Spirit Drysuit

The OS Systems Spirit Drysuit

I own the Spirit drysuit and have used it to extend my paddling season to all 12 months of the year here in Michigan.
Since absolutely NO water gets in via latex wrist and neck seals , you stay nice and toasty warm inside.
The breathable fabric isn't insulated, so you'll need to wear a baselayer like Capilene or PolarTech underneath.

Heritage Water trail

By Liz Shaw | Flint Journal   October 16, 2009, 2:55PM

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2009/10/new_signage_marks_heritage_wat.html

 

View full size            Elizabeth Shaw | Flint Journal 

Canoeists and kayakers prepare to launch at the annual Canoe in Color tour of the Heritage Water Trail on the Shiawassee River from Holly to Fenton

HOLLY and FENTON, Michigan — Not even a gray and rainy sky could dampen spirits at the annual Canoe in Color paddling tour of the Heritage Water Trail along the top of the Shiawassee River from Holly to Fenton.

On Oct. 3, about 60 hardy souls launched a flotilla of canoes and kayaks from Waterworks Park in Holly for the 2.5-hour paddle along the seven-mile route to Strom Park in Fenton.

The day’s only incident was a brief jam-up of kayaks trying to maneuver through a trio of tubes under the railroad tracks, largely thanks to the efforts of a hardworking crew of volunteers who cleared the river of obstacles earlier in the week.

Many were the same die-hard enthusiasts who sawed logs and cleared brush for weeks after a 2007 tornado blocked the route with dozens of broken and uprooted trees.

 

View full size           Elizabeth Shaw | Flint Journal 

Doug Lanyk, vice-president of Headwaters Trails

“Rumor had it that there were two trees interfering with easy passage. Turned out that a wind storm ... knocked down several more,” said Doug Lanyk, vice president of Headwaters Trails, a nonprofit dedicated to building a land-and-water trail network throughout northwestern Oakland County’s headwaters region, where the Shiawassee River begins.

“We ended up cutting six trees out of the way, as well as trimming a bunch of face-slapping branches. Some slobs had put a bag of garbage in the river that we fished out, (too).”

The group also erected the new interpretive signs, mile markers and emergency posts along the route.

“The water has cooled down quite a bit. Working in shorts with water up to my belly button was invigorating,” joked Willi Gutmann, another Headwaters Trails volunteer.

Funded by a $25,500 grant from the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, the new signage marks the climax of years of dreams and hard work by Headwaters Trails and others.

Many credit that success to Headwaters Trails president Sue Julian and husband Chuck, longtime champions for restoring the waterway and increasing its recreational opportunities.

Fenton Area Paddlers founder Maggie Yerman likened the Rose Township couple to John Muir, the legendary naturalist who founded the Sierra Club to foster and protect the fledgling national parks system in the early 1900s.

Like Muir, the Julians have a wider goal that reaches far beyond that one seven-mile stretch, said Yerman.

 

View full size    Elizabeth Shaw | Flint Journal 

Headwaters Trails volunteer Willi Guttman helped organize Canoe in Color

“They do not let the lack of volunteers stop them from completing the goals of Headwaters Trails. They have contributed money, time, tools and talent, often being the only ones out there in the pouring rain installing signs or spreading gravel,” Yerman said. “Their vision is not limited to the Shiawassee River from Holly to Fenton but all the way to the Saginaw Bay.”

Indeed, the group has worked with government agencies and other public and private agencies to foster a comprehensive plan of recreational land-and-water trails linking the village of Holly and the townships of Groveland, Holly, Rose and Springfield, Seven Lakes State Park, Rose Oaks County Park and the city of Fenton.

The hope is that a maintained and signed river trail will eventually continue along the Shiawassee to Linden, Byron and through Shiawassee County en route to Saginaw County and the Saginaw Bay.

Sue Julian even has her eye on ways to foster camping and other accommodations along the river route, drawing paddlers from all over the region for extended river trips.

“It’s all part of the master plan,” said Julian, chuckling. “It’s going to take a lot of cooperation with the other communities downstream from here but we’re hopeful we can make it happen.”

Most of the interpretive signs were created by Lapeer Township illustrator Gayle Vandercook, a freelance residential designer. 

 

Elizabeth Shaw | Flint Journal 

Headwaters Trails president Sue Julian (right) 

explains signs created by Gayle Vandercook (left) and Kristen Wiltfang (center) 

“At first it was a little overwhelming. I’d never even been on the river,” Vandercook said. “Sue filled me full of notes and photos. She was great for guiding me and checking on the correctness of the science and wildlife.”

The theme of two of the signs, “Share the Resource,” illustrates all the ways the waterways are used by various recreationists, from hikers and anglers to boaters and birders.

Others illustrate the wildlife found along the river, or historical points of interest in the connected towns.

Kristen Wiltfang of Oakland County Planning and economic Development Services provided colorful graphics of the Saginaw Bay Watershed on another of the kiosks.

The signage also includes emergency posts and mile markers, and a bulletin board of events and amenities in the community.

“We want people who come here to know they’re close to all kinds of shopping and restaurants here in Holly,” said Suzanne Perreault of the Holly Downtown Development Authority. “We really can see the value of how this river and trails can attract visitors to our community.”

 

View full size         Elizabeth Shaw | Flint Journal 

The Heritage Water Trail's seven-mile take-out at Strom Park in Fenton

Shiawassee River - State Heritage Water Trail - Michigan Waymark

Waymarking the Shiawassee River - Launch Site

Posted by:  WaterWarlock

N 42° 47.172 W 083° 37.565

17T E 285205 N 4740417

Quick Description:

Start of the Top of the Shiawassee River State Heritage Water Trail in Holly, Michigan

Location: Holly, Michigan, United States

Waymark Code: WM7CJB

Parking/put-in/launching information:
Plenty of parking at WaterWorks Park at 690 Broad Street in Holly, MI.
Easy launching of kayaks and canoes into the Shiawassee River.


Paddling conditions to be expected :
Gentle current most days making for a generally easy paddle at 2.5 mph for approximately
a 3 hour paddle covering the 7 miles until the take out at Strom Park in Fenton.


Difficulty of the trip :
Suitable for beginners with some paddling skills to avoid the natural terrain in the river.


Length of trip : 7 miles ~ 3 hour paddle at 2.5 mph ~ easy leisurely pace

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM7CJB_Shiawassee_River_State_Heritage_Water_Trail_Michigan

Waymarking is a way to mark unique locations on the planet and give them a voice.
While GPS technology allows us to pinpoint any location on the planet, mark the location,and share it
Waymarking is the toolset for categorizing and adding unique information for that location.
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Shiawassee River State Heritage Water Trail

Even on a windy rainy Saturday morning October 3, 2009 a large group of approximately 50 paddlers
in 38 kayaks and canoes came out to celebrate the opening of a new Heritage Water Trail
in Oakland County along 7 miles of the Shiawassee River from Holly to Fenton.

Various dignitaries came out to help kick things off that day

Marsha Powers - Village Manager in Holly

Sandra Kleven  -  Village Council in Holly

Suzanne Perrault  - Executive Director - Holly Downtown Development Authority

Gayle Vandercook – Artist for the kiosks displayed at various launch and landing sites

Kristen Wiltfang   -- Oakland County – Planning & Economic Development
GIS mapping technical assistance &  Environmental Stewardship

Elizabeth Shaw - The Flint Journal

HeadWatersTrails, Inc. is based in northern Oakland County, Michigan, and dedicated to the
development of a trail network in the northwest headwaters region.

With grant support, Headwaters Trails, Inc has developed a signage program for the Shiawassee River.
The funding allowed installation signage and kiosks to be installed from Holly, MI in Oakland County  to Fenton, MI in Genessee County.
It is hoped that signage will be developed and installed along the Shiawassee River all the way to Saginaw Bay.

Several types of signage have been proposed for the Shiawassee River :

Wayside Interpretive Exhibits – large signs and kiosks help visitors learn about the Shiawassee River and natural history.

Mile Posts – mile markers are placed between Holly and Fenton for the 7 mile trip.

Emergency Access Posts – negotiated with landowners and the North Oakland Fire Authority,
these posts are for emergency landings and ambulance services if needed.

Canoe in Color - 12:00 - NOON

Canoeing in Color - October 3 - 12:00 NOON


Beautiful fall paddle endorsed by Governor's Council on Physical Fitness

 

WaterWorks Park, 690 S. Broad Street, Holly.

Dedication of the Shiawasee River Heritage Water Trail followed by raffle drawing.

Canoe/kayak rentals on site with prior registration from Heavner Canoes 248-685-2379.

Questions? 248-634-3513; sjulian@provide.net.

The Examiner.Com Publication

My latest venture into internet publishing, check it out

Detroit Kayaking Examiner

http://www.examiner.com/x-23194-Detroit-Kayaking-Examiner

FREE subscription via RSS reader

http://rss.examiner.com/RSS-23194-Detroit-Kayaking-Examiner.rss

Shiawassee River Map, Inter-Active Map, Google Map

New link Shiawassee River Heritage Water Trail http://www.umflint.edu/resources/pdf/outreach/shiawasse-river-trail-map.pdf






















Interactive map of the Shiawassee River - Google Map of the river

Click on the Map - It's interactive with your mouse.
All the buttons function - Zoom, Pan, Satellite, Hybrid, etc.

Just click and it works ! --Satellite view shows the river well.

Click on Map for full size Shiawassee River
--the river follows along near Grand Trunk Westen Railroad tracks
--the river dips slightly south near Wilson Lake
--the river enters into Fenton Mill Pond (Genessee County) from the East
--the river exits the Fenton Mill Pond and flows North past Bush Park in Fenton



A basic fairly easy 7 mile paddle can be had with these locations


PUT-IN
-WaterWorks Park -
690 South Broad St, Holly, MI 48442-1674


TAKE-OUT
--Strom Park--
299 South East Street, Fenton , MI
near the East Street Bridge.


Link to other maps and info Shiawassee River

http://shiawasseeriver.org/images/Canoe_Guide_Edit_Copy_11_10.pdf

http://shiawasseeriver.org/images/BrochureMapAdobe.pdf
They did an excellent job compiling a lot of info on the website listed above.
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-Google Earth link
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=812608&filename=20090811200302-4a8230e6d0c3d4.39463446.kmz
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-How to Find WaterWorks Park in Holly, Michigan

WaterWorks Park is located next to the Millpond on the south edge of the Village of Holly. Although it doesn’t have an address itself, if you do a web search for directions to the nearest residence, 602 S. Broad Street, you will find a map.

The Village of Holly is located in northwest Oakland County in the triangle created by I-75 and US-23. Three exits from I-75 lead into Holly: North Holly Road, Grange Hall Road and East Holly Road. One exit from US-23—Owen Road—takes you east through Fenton to a dead end at LeRoy Street, where you have to make a jog because the Shiawassee River and its wetland block a straight through route. For further specific directions, see below.

From the North (Grand Blanc area):
Take North Holly Road south for 8 miles. Saginaw Street is the name of the main north-south road in the village limits of Holly and it is the same road as North Holly Road. So if you arrive via North Holly Road, proceed straight through the village going south. Jog one block east on Maple Street and then left on Broad Street directly before the railroad tracks. One-third mile on Broad Street and you’re there.

From the East on Grange Hall Road (Holly State Recreation area):
Take Grange Hall Road into Holly, a distance of about 4 miles. Turn left at Saginaw Street and proceed south as in the directions given above.

From the East on East Holly Road (I-75 or Dixie Highway):
Take East Holly Road into Holly, a distance of about 3.5 miles. At the railroad tracks, make an immediate left onto Broad Street. In one-third of a mile (past the fire station) you will come to WaterWorks Park.

From the South via Milford Road:
Milford Road can be picked up off I-696 or off M-59. It is basically a north-south road although it jogs here and there. It changes its name just outside Holly in northwest Oakland County, and that’s the junction you want to look for. CSX Railroad tracks angle across the road at a three-way stop light, just after a hard left curve. Take the road to the right (north). In half a mile you are at the Millpond and WaterWorks Park is on your left.

From the West (Fenton or Linden area):
Take Owen Road east to where it ends at a three-way light in the historic section of Fenton. Turn right (south) on LeRoy Street and proceed three blocks to South Holly Road. Turn left (east again) and travel 3+ miles to the three-way light at the CSX Railroad Tracks. Turn left (north) and go ½ mile on Milford/Broad Street. You’ve reached the Millpond and WaterWorks Park is on your left.-
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Strom Park, located on Fenton Mill Pond at Elizabeth St, has a boat launch and parking on site. Nice place to paddle when you do not want to spot vehicles. Go up the river towards Holly and you may run into a beaver dam. When you paddle back it is an easy walk to Dibbleville restaurants and stores.
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Fenton Community Center on S. Leroy in the center of historic Fenton. Plenty of parking and a short walk to the river. Many city events take place at this location including a Farmers Market from August through mid-September. This section is usually shallower than further downriver.
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Bush Park located on N. Leroy St. across from Dewey Automotive. Public restrooms, easy parking. Launch across the bridge at shallow area. You can also enter the park from Adelaide or Lincoln St. and take road to furthest parking in the south-east corner of the park. Launch by the old concrete bridge. It takes an hour plus to paddle to the DNR launch on Lake Ponemah from the Leroy St. bridge. This section is shallow in late July and August. There are sand and gravel bars in the center so stay to the outside of the curves. Volunteers of the most recent cleanup cut narrow paths through the fallen trees so you will need some skill to maneuver through the openings.
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DNR launch for Lake Ponemah located on North Rd. You can continue to Linden paddling around the lake, entering Tupper Lake and back on the river. If you paddle the lake clockwise you’ll come to Tee Bonez. You can leave your boats on/near the docks while you enjoy refreshments. This lake is windy and choppy much of the time. Conditions worsen with the jet skis and power boats so be careful and stay close to shore, especially if you have a recreational kayak with a large, open cockpit.
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Linden Mill Pond located by the Historic Linden Mill on Tickner St. You can park in the Sharp Funeral Home or library lot. There is a launch on the pond for easy in and out. Paddle up river to the lakes and back to town. Restaurants and unique shops are just a block away. Free concerts are at the gazebo Wednesday evening at 7:00 during the summer. Farmers market downtown during September.
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Bridge Street, Launch the river is downhill from the north side parking lot behind the Bridge St. businesses. The water can be fast moving when the dam is open. Lots of twists and turns, some sections are shallow, wetlands area can be choked in weeds late in the season. Short ride (1 – 1 ½ hrs) to Hogan Rd. Longer paddle (3 – 4hrs) to McCasslin Lake Rd.
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Hogan Road , Bridge just 1 ½ miles from downtown Linden by road but a hour plus paddle by river. Possible future site of public launch but difficult to get out in and out now. Look out for poison ivy.
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McCaslin Lake Road , Final takeout for the Fenton to Linden to Argentine stretch. Parking on either side of the road. Fairly easy in and out. When paddling from Linden stay to the right when approaching Hatt (Shiawassee) Lake. You can continue to Byron but may have to portage over fallen trees.
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Canoe in Color - Oct 3rd, 2009 - 12:00 - NOON

As seen in US Canoe News

http://www.uscanoenews.com/Event.cfm?EventID=291

Canoe in Color - 12:00 - Noon
--Paddle in canoe/kayak

Chance for people to paddle the Shiawassee River in SouthEastern Michigan
and experience the wonderful fall colors

Start Date - 10/03/2009  - 12:00 - NOON
End Date - Single Day Event

**__Canoes available for rental thru Heavners Livery__**
Shuttle transport available

Questions ?
Call Sue Julian, 248-634-3513 or email sjulian @ Provide dot Net
Call Doug Lanyk 248-634-4551 or email dslanyk @ Comcast dot Net
Call Willi Gutmann 586-215-6387 or e-mail Willi_H2O @ Yahoo dot Com

Location Information
-Shiawassee River - Oakland/Genesee County in Michigan

Type Of Water
-Gentle moving river with plenty of tight twists and turns,
making it fun for novice and experienced paddlers.

Start Location 12:00 NOON

WaterWorks Park - 690 Broad Street
Holly, Michigan
United States

WaterWorks Park in Holly,MI On the old mill pond location with a historic horizontal water wheeel.

Finish Location
Strom Park - 299 S East St
Fenton, Michigan
United States


Fees and Costs- It is FREE - Headwaters Trails is offering 3 great prizes in a raffle drawing on October 3 at WaterWorks Park in Holly, when everyone is invited to turn out for our Fall event Canoeing in Color. Tickets are $5 each (4 for $20). First prize is a beautiful blue Walden Kayak and accessories, valued at $1000. Second prize is a three day stay at a furnished home on the Old Mission Peninsula. And third prize is $100 cash.


HeadWatersTrails Inc.
Contact Sue Julian
Contact Address P.O. Box 33
Holly, Michigan 48442
United States
Phone 248-388-1313
Email sjulian@provide. net
http://www.headwaterstrailsinc.org
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Discussion Page on Disqus.Com

Trying something new here , setting up a discussion board for the free flow of ideas, topics, concerns, etc.

For starters I listed some launch and take out sites near the Head Waters of the Shiawassee River.

Perhaps you know some more, have a favorite, wish something were different................


http://shiawassee.disqus.com/kayak_and_canoe_launch_sites_along_the_shiawassee_river/

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GPS data analysis Fenton,MI - Linden,MI kayaking trip

( click on images to see in full screen mode )

Map of actual path traveled in kayaks along Shiawassee River

Paddling from Fenton,MI to Linden,MI on Shiawassee River

( Click on the image for a full screen view of the map )


On Tuesday August 11th, 2009 Doug Lanyk and I paddled 9.7 miles on the Shiawassee River
We only portaged ONCE, and that was mandatory at the Linden Dam in downtown Linden, Michigan

The two of us started at the rear of the Fenton Community Center in a small park downstream of the Fenton Dam.
Launch time for Put-IN = 1:00 pm on a beautiful , warm, partly sunny day

We crossed the US 23 Highway approximately 2:19 in the afternoon (nice leisurely pace)

Arrival at the Linden Dam was approximately 3:30 pm
The frothy current enticed us to play in the standing waves for about 30 minutes until 4:00pm

We continued on until the Take-Out at Hogan Road (slightly north of Silver Lake Road) in Linden.
The time was just about 5:10pm as Maggie Yerman picked us up for a short shuttle back to our vehicle.

Total = 9.7 miles
Started paddling at 1:00pm - Ended at 5:10 pm
Moving time = 3 hrs 17 min
Stopped time = 54 minutes (taking pictures, looking around, etc., etc.)
Moving average speed = 2.9 mph ( the river had a good amount of volume due to recent rain storms)



WebShots Photo and Video link
Shiawassee River ( Fenton,MI - Linden,MI )
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Google Earth link
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=812608&filename=20090811200302-4a8230e6d0c3d4.39463446.kmz



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Stolen Kayaks & Canoes - Don't let them get yours

Economy sucks, people will do anything for a buck --

http://www.lassosecuritycables.com/

A little peace of mind while you're away from the car .......

Illustrations and pictures of how it works :
http://www.lassosecuritycables.com/support.htm

Launch, Put-IN, Take-Out, Access Points, Bail Out Points

Shiawassee River from Fenton to Linden to Argentine

Strom Park, located on Fenton Mill Pond at Elizabeth St, has a boat launch and parking on site. Nice place to paddle when you do not want to spot vehicles. Go up the river towards Holly and you may run into a beaver dam. When you paddle back it is an easy walk to Dibbleville restaurants and stores.

Fenton Community Center on S. Leroy in the center of historic Fenton. Plenty of parking and a short walk to the river. Many city events take place at this location including a Farmers Market from August through mid-September. This section is usually shallower than further downriver.

Bush Park located on N. Leroy St. across from Dewey Automotive. Public restrooms, easy parking. Launch across the bridge at shallow area. You can also enter the park from Adelaide or Lincoln St. and take road to furthest parking in the south-east corner of the park. Launch by the old concrete bridge. It takes an hour plus to paddle to the DNR launch on Lake Ponemah from the Leroy St. bridge. This section is shallow in late July and August. There are sand and gravel bars in the center so stay to the outside of the curves. Volunteers of the most recent cleanup cut narrow paths through the fallen trees so you will need some skill to maneuver through the openings.

DNR launch for Lake Ponemah located on North Rd. You can continue to Linden paddling around the lake, entering Tupper Lake and back on the river. If you paddle the lake clockwise you’ll come to Tee Bonez. You can leave your boats on/near the docks while you enjoy refreshments. This lake is windy and choppy much of the time. Conditions worsen with the jet skis and power boats so be careful and stay close to shore, especially if you have a recreational kayak with a large, open cockpit.

Linden Mill Pond located by the Historic Linden Mill on Tickner St. You can park in the Sharp Funeral Home or library lot. There is a launch on the pond for easy in and out. Paddle up river to the lakes and back to town. Restaurants and unique shops are just a block away. Free concerts are at the gazebo Wednesday evening at 7:00 during the summer. Farmers market downtown during September.

Bridge Street, Launch the river is downhill from the north side parking lot behind the Bridge St. businesses. The water can be fast moving when the dam is open. Lots of twists and turns, some sections are shallow, wetlands area can be choked in weeds late in the season. Short ride (1 – 1 ½ hrs) to Hogan Rd. Longer paddle (3 – 4hrs) to McCasslin Lake Rd.

Hogan Road , Bridge just 1 ½ miles from downtown Linden by road but a hour plus paddle by river. Possible future site of public launch but difficult to get out in and out now. Look out for poison ivy.

McCaslin Lake Road , Final takeout for the Fenton to Linden to Argentine stretch. Parking on either side of the road. Fairly easy in and out. When paddling from Linden stay to the right when approaching Hatt (Shiawassee) Lake. You can continue to Byron but may have to portage over fallen trees.

Call Cheff’s Canoe Rental (989-288-7067).
They maintain the area from Byron to Shiatown near Vernon
Based at Walnut Hills Family Campground 7685 E. Lehring Rd. Durand MI 48429.

Tire removal - Saturday - August 8th, 2009

In Holly, Saturday August 8, 2009, Headwaters Trails will remove tires from the Holly
Millpond from 9 until noon. This is strenuous work. A dozen people will
be needed to work from shore and in boats to lift the old tires from the
mucky bottom and stack them in the dumpster provided by the Village of
Holly. We'll eliminate that source of contamination and encourage
everyone to keep our local waters clean.

Call Sue Julian at 248-634-3513 to volunteer.

If we have enough people, we will also go from the
Community Center in Fenton to US23 to pickup trash and do some brush
trimming. Currently, there is a lot of trash in and around the river
plus some brush and low hanging tree branches that could make the trip
down the river a little more difficult than it needs to be.

email : chuck.julian AT gcs3d.com
tel;work:248.335.8863
tel;fax:248.335.3629

Linden,Michigan USGS gauges on Shiawassee River

This gage was operated from 1968-94 then again for a short period 2001-03.
The block house structure would require a considerable amount of work to make it usableand assure that the intakes
to the river are not plugged and are responding to the changes in water levels properly.

If this gaging site was to be used again it would be more economical to establish a new shelter that houses the monitoring instrumentation.
With changes in monitoring instrumentation technology the new shelter would be much smaller than the current building.
A panel box that would hold all the instrumentation would be about 1ft x 3ft x 3ft in size.

Establishment of a gaging station is somewhat site specific and for an exact cost a site visit is needed.
The installation with all the instrumentation would run between $21,500 and $23,500.
This would include all the instrumentation, data logger, pressure transducer, and re-establishing the original datum.
Stage and discharge would be collected on a 15-minute interval transmitted by satellite and
available to the public on the "web" near real-time.
This would be a one-time cost for gage installation.

There would also be a yearly operational cost of $15,500.
This would cover developing and maintaining a stage/discharge rating, record processing,
quality assurance of data, data transmission and publication.

If the data need was something less than a continuous record station, such as peak flow only or stage only
these cost figures would change.

Please feel free to contact myself or Steve Blumer (spblumer@usgs.gov) if you would like to discuss
the re-establishment of this gage or have any additional questions.

=================================
Russel J Minnerick
U.S. Geological Survey
Grayling Field Office Chief
rjminner@usgs.gov
989-348-8291 ext 10
FAX 6866

From:	James R Nicholas/WRD/USGS/DOI
To:	spblumer@usgs.gov, rjminner@usgs.gov
Date:	07/31/2009 08:33 AM
Subject:	********_____ USGS gauges in Linden, MI on Shiawassee River___________************

Jim Nicholas, Director
USGS Michigan Water Science Center
6520 Mercantile Way, Suite 5
Lansing, Michigan 48911
517-887-8906 (w)
517-881-2436 (c)
fax 887-8937
mi.water.usgs.gov

Measurement and Computation of Stream Flow USGS

U.S. Geological Survey, Water Supply Paper 2175 - Part 1

By S. E. Rantz and others

http://pubs.usgs.gov/wsp/wsp2175/html/WSP2175_vol1_pdf.html

---

The text and graphics are presented here in pdf format (print quality):

The full report is 21 MB

The report is also available in chapters in pdf for a faster download:

---

VOLUME 1. MEASUREMENT OF STAGE AND DISCHARGE (full report 21 MB)

Chapter l.—Introduction 225 KB

Chapter 2.—Selection of gaging-station sites 450 KB

Chapter 3.—Gaging-station controls 1 MB

Chapter 4.—Measurement of stage 4 MB

Chapter 5—Measurement of discharge by conventional current-meter method 7 MB

Chapter 6.—Measurement of discharge by the moving-boat method 2 MB

Chapter 7.—Measurement of discharge by tracer dilution 3 MB

Chapter 8.—Measurement of discharge by miscellaneous methods 885 KB

Chapter 9.—Indirect determination of peak discharge 1.5 MB

Index (The index covers the two volumes of this manual. Volume I contains pages l-284 and Volume II contains pages 285-631) 726 KB

Errata sheet 116 KB

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VOLUME 2. COMPUTATION OF DISCHARGE 23 MB

Chapter 10—Discharge ratings using simple stage-discharge relations 7 MB

Chapter 11—Discharge ratings using slope as a parameter 2.2 MB

Chapter 12—Discharge ratings using a velocity index as a parameter 2.4 MB

Chapter 13—Discharge ratings for tidal streams 914 KB

Chapter 14—Discharge ratings for miscellaneous hydraulic facilities 3.3 MB

Chapter 15—Computation of discharge records 3.6 MB

Chapter 16—Presentation and publication of stream-gaging data 1.7 MB

Index (The index covers the two volumes of this manual. Volume I contains pages l-284 and Volume II contains pages 285-631) 726 KB

Another section getting cleaned - hurray !

Pre-Register for the Shiawassee River Cleanup!

12th Annual River Cleanup
Join in on Saturday, August 8, 2009 9 am to noon for the 12th Annual
Shiawassee River Cleanup! The Friends of the Shiawassee River, with
support from the Great Lakes Commission, will be organizing volunteers
to remove debris from the river's water and banks. All volunteers
will receive a free t-shirt, compliments of Chemical Bank and the
Great Lakes Commission, and lunch, generously provided by Mancino's of
Owosso. The River Cleanup is also supported by: The City of Owosso,
Waste Management, and Gilbert's True Value Hardware of Owosso.

Volunteers will meet at:

* Geeck Rd. Park
* McCurdy Park, Corunna (near the footbridge)
* Oakwood St. pedestrian bridge (Owosso)
* Henderson Park

For more information please see
http://www.shiawasseeriver.org/activities/rivercleanup.html

Register by calling Heidi Frei at 989.723.9062 or emailing
shiawassee_mi@tnc.org.

Editor - Canoe News

LOVE THESE GUYS ALREADY --got a response from the editor of Canoe News 7/29/2009


Are you familiar with Canoe News magazine? If not, I can send you one (next issue will be off press August 10th) if you reveal the secret of your postal address to me.

Also – if you hold river cleanups from time to time on the Shiawassee, you can publicize them by putting them up on the new Worldwide Paddling Event Calendar – launched Sunday (during the AuSable!).

The Calendar is not just for races. There is a specific check box for River Cleanups and other river related events.

If you do list an event, would you give me critical feedback (suggestions you might have for making the form better? The site better?)

Best,

Gareth Stevens
Editor, Canoe News
United States Canoe Association
5070 Holy Hill Rd / PO Box 56
Hubertus, WI 53033

nawal {AT} ticon {DOT} net

Land: 262 628 9991
Air: 262 853 5453
Water: gurgle, spit, gasp . . .

The Canoe News

The Canoe News website went on line the other day.


The Canoe News

http://www.uscanoenews.com/EventsAdd.cfm

A new venue to publicize

Non-Race Events: Cruises, Symposia, Festivals etc.

Cruise Symposium Trade Show Festival

Other:

.

Chesaning Township to clean Shiawassee River

The state department is also funding a cleanup of the Shiawassee River,
scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 15 in Chesaning Township
from the Parshallburg boat launch to Showboat Park.

***__ New section Shiawassee River CLEARED ___****

Shiawassee River Heritage Trail

You can now paddle from Fenton's Bush Park to US 23 near Lake Ponemah !

-----Paddlesports is exploding in popularity, it’s cheaper than powerboating.

The secton of the river is now navigable via canoe or kayak-- -approximately 3 miles.

Takeout at US 23 is easy with great access making for a great scenic paddle.

Adventurous people could probably make it all the way to Linden from Bush Park--approx. 6 miles.

Hard core paddlers could start in Holly at Waterworks Park, portage the dam in Fenton and continue into Linden - approx 13 miles.

Various teams used chainsaws to remove many large fallen trees and log jams.

A lot of debris and garbage was also picked up making the river a lot cleaner.

Even the fisherman will be happy as new habitat was created by

securing the logs via cable ties along the banks of the river.

The river is a lot healthier and will flow much easier now.

http://tiny.cc/Shiawassee

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?client=firefox-a&hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=111387343905039436857.00046f04a2c92216c5e81&ll=42.803241,-83.698869&spn=0.01483,0.026157&z=16

Recently over 100 local paddlers showed up for a canoe/kayak event starting in Holly, Michigan.

Numerous townships and cities are CLEARING the Shiawassee River making it navigable for paddle sports.

The river is currently navigable for 7 miles from Holly to Fenton via the efforts of HeadWatersTrails Inc.

http://www.headwaterstrailsinc.org/

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Grant Announcement--River Trail to Continue Downstream

At the Linden Millpond on June 10th, the Fenton Community Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint announced a grant to continue interpretive signage downstream of Holly on the Shiawassee River. The funding will also allow for an access point to be developed in Argentine Township at McCaslin Lake Road. Follow the links below for more information about the development of the Shiawassee River Heritage Water Trail.

http://www.mlive.com/fenton/index.ssf/2009/06/grant_money_has_shiawassee_riv.html

http://www.mlive.com/fenton/index.ssf/2009/07/postponed_shiawassee_river_cle.html

by Eric Fish | The Flint Journal

Monday July 06, 2009, 9:22 AM

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Friends of the Shiawassee River

http://shiawasseeriver.org/activities/rivercleanup.html

The full River Cleanup will remove debris from the Shiawassee from Bancroft to Henderson.

http://shiawasseeriver.org/

Shiawassee River Cleanup !

Saturday, August 8, 2009 9 a.m. to noon
Join the Friends of the Shiawassee River for the full cleanup of the River. We'll again be partnering with the Shiawassee County Health Department, Environmental Health Division to remove and recycle tires found in the River habitat, funded by the Great Lakes Commission. The FOSR and SCHD will again lead a summer long collection of tires to be housed (thanks to the City of Owosso) until the collection on 8/8. Reserve your stretch of the river for your group/organization or business ahead of time by following the link above. For more information, call 989.723.9062.

Can't join in on the August 8 cleanup ? Help out Chesaning Parks and Recreation Commission for their first Annual Cleanup on August 15 !

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http://shiawassee-river.blogspot.com/

Willi Gutmann

aka Willi_H2O AT Yahoo.Com

Video documenting Shiawassee River section from Holly to Fenton

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2888318540592134799

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY6tT7U1j4c

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