2010 RUSSIAN RIVER CLEANUP

I WENT WITH ABOUT 12 INFLATABLE BOATS THIS WEEKEND TO CLEAN UP THE RIVER FROM HEALDSBURG TO WOHLER BRIDGE. WE ALL PARKED DOWN AT THE BRIDGE IN ORDER TO BE BROUGHT BY VAN BACK TO HEALDSBURG BELOW THE DAM. LUCKILY THE LEVEL OF THE RIVER WAS JUST ADEQUATE SO WE DRIFTED NICELY DOWN ABOUT 6 MILES OF THE RIVER AND MISSED THE WILLOWS THAT HUNG DOWN ON THE BANKS, IT WAS HARD WORK PADDLING AND WE GOT BLISTERS. IRIS, THE LADY I PAIRED WITH, WAS ABOUT MY AGE AND SHE REMINDED ME OF MY AUNT ROSEMARIE. SHE HARDLY ATE ANYTHING! I BROUGHT A COUPLE OF SANDWICHES AND A LOT OF WATER. THEY GAVE US SOME THICK BAGS AND LUCKILY WE FOUND TONS OF TRASH ON THE BANKS WHICH HAD BEEN FLOODED OVER THE WINTER. ONE BOAT UNEARTHED AN OVEN AND ABOUT 5 TIRES. WE DUG UO 2 TIRES, AN OLD CAMPSTOVE, MANY PLASTIC BOTTLES, OLD PIECES OF METAL AND MANY SODA CANS. SOME FOLKS FOUND TRUCK LINERS AND MANY TIRES AND OTHER METASL PIECES. WE ALL HAD TO PADDLE FAIRLY STRONGLY AT THE END OF THE DAY.

THE WEATHER WAS ABOUT 98 DEGREES WITHOUT ANY WIND. I FELL INTO THE RIVER SEVERAL TIMES AS WE DOCKED ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER AND PICKED UP PLASTIC BAGS. WE ONLY SAW DUCKS, AND SOME WOOD DUCKS, A WATER SNAKE AND SOME DRAGONFLIES, AND A DIFFERENT TYPE OF BLACK HEADED DUCK.

WE ALSO SAW MANY DIFFERENT SIZES OF TROUT. THE WATER WAS CLEAR. OUR BOATS WEAVED ALOT AS THEY ARE NOT BUILT TO STEER STRAIGHT. IN ANY CASE THEY CAN CARRY A LOT OF WEIGHT.