River Town #4

We're settling into the new abode in the Borough of Yardley, arguably the most flood-prone town in the 13,000 square mile Delaware River Basin. More on that later.

What? You say you can't wait to know? OK. Go here and then come back and read on.

Yardley Borough ranked Numero Uno for flood insurance claims in the Delaware River Basin after the 2005 floods -- that's #1 out of about 150 municipalities in total number of insurance claims; and they dwarf everyone else in total dollars. Yardley came in number 2 for total claims following both 2004 and 2006 respectively -- beat out by Trenton in total number, although Yardley still had higher total dollars.

Maybe this impressive history helps explain why the Mayor here has bought into the bogus "the reservoirs did it" explanation for the inexplicable. He and 10,000 maniacs are sure they know the simple answer to the impertinent question: How could a river flood three times in as many years? Flooding is what a river does when it's had too much to drink (FYI: I am drinking coffee this morning -- albeit a bit too much).

Why did Yardley take it so hard? It's clear to me why they rank so high. I've visited virtually every one of the 150 towns on DRBC's flood claim list. I've never seen any other town with such a high concentration of poorly sited buildings -- many of which were build AFTER the record flood of 1955. There are other contributing factors such as the canal , tributaries, the quaint mill pond, and Yardley is generally lower in elevation than the opposite shore.

So here we are: living in FLOOD CITY. The new apartment is in a massive building along the Delaware Canal, right in the heart of the Borough, well above the floodplain. It's a really pretty, historic canal town with bustling commerce and too much traffic. Just like New Hope and Lambertville, but not that bustling. There are plenty of quality WALKABLE destinations, and plenty of opportunities to spend money and get fat on beer, pastries and pizza. And there is the canal path, which is still in good shape down here. It is a popular place for hikers, dog-walkers and bicyclists. Lots of interesting 18th-19th-20th-century structures to check out. We'll be out there this weekend.

This is either the fourth or fifth Delaware River town that I've resided in depending on whether or not you count Kintnersville as a river town -- I don't. The others are Riegelsville, PA; Stockton, NJ; and Lambertville, NJ, which I consider to be home more than the others by virtue of number of years lived and partied therein. Now that I think about it...it's five river towns. I lived in Philly as a student in the 60's. That's 1960's. Philly is a serious river town since it also includes the Schuylkill River. And I lived for a brief period of time in Norristown...a Schuylkill River town. Then there was New Hampton on the Musconetcong River and Schwenksville along the Perkioment Creek. A life-time of creek and riverside living. Can't beat that with a stick.

I'm looking forward to canoeing this stretch of the river, which is generally flatter than the upriver sections usually frequented. There are some interesting looking islands and of course the falls at Trenton and Scudders Falls. Paddling local is a good thing.

Anyone care to join me?

It's kind of nice to be back in Pennsyltucky, despite all the New Yorkers who have settled around here.

On the Musconetcong in March...

How could we resist a 3.22' water level on the river at Bloomsbury? No trip would be complete without some fortifying duct tape on the Howler's old beat-up hull (above).

Eric S and Chris M joined JB on a 12-mile run between Beattystown and Hampton Borough Park. I'm keeping their last names secret so they won't be picked up by Homeland Security. This stretch of the Musconetcong is a perky class one & two stretch of the river that features a nice mix of national historic structures and mixed hemlock-hardwood forest.


The Point Mountain Section is incredibly secluded and scenic, but after that the riparian areas are punctuated by extraordinarily degraded farmland. Two farms in particular contribute an estimated 50% of all the fecal coliform in the river. They are the Mannon Farm in Mansfield Township and the Miller Farm in Washington Township (pictured below). Both are located in Warren Counnty. YeeHah!



This was a really relaxing canoe trip despite the last minute impromptu swim by one of our party. Bringing in the sunken cargo-laden canoe was a challenge. Truly, we followed that boat at least 400 yards before we could get it on the shore.

Phew...

How did we ever dodge that one? The NYC reservoirs must have saved the day. Oh wait, they're full. What the *?

Hopefully we'll be rain free for several days so the landscape can dry out a bit.

Look out....

If we get the predicted potential of 3" rain over Friday and Saturday the river may enter the dreaded realm of severe flood. So far only a moderate flood event is predicted (22.5 at Riegelsville). The river is out of its banks at 22' at that location.

The Skinny on Floods...any day now

(photo Assateague Island November 2007)


How to shake this blogger from a state of dormancy? The issue of Delaware River floods and flooding in general will get me going. And now we have the threat of flooding with the predicted 2-inches of rain, which didn't happen -- just another spring freshet.

Meanwhile another rainstorm is approaching from the south. That can't be good.

I've been reluctant to wade into this uber complex issue, preferring instead to observe the never ending debate about flooding along the Delaware River. Debate is too kind a word for what I've witnessed.

Distilling this extremely complex subject into a few pages will take time. I'm still trying to figure out which hat to wear and which voice to use. If only it was as simple as certain simpleminded people think it is.

Speaking of which...one of the first chapters will deal with the myths and propaganda being spread around the watershed like so much horse manure by the Delaware Riverside Conservancy. This mob uses junk science and revisionist history to support their hysterical claims. The tragic result is that hundreds if not thousands of floodplain dwellers believe that a 20% void in the reservoirs will "stop the flooding." It wouldn't, although it could help reduce flooding in certain circumstances, to varying degrees. That's the rub. The river will flood no matter what; not every flood is reservoir inspired much less reservoir related. After all, there are at least three general categories (themes) of Delaware River floods and several possible meteorological and hydrological variations with each. Serious flooding can and has occurred without any influence from the reservoirs.

I predict that the river rednecks will soon be calling for a massive flood control project featuring a dam across one of the only free-flowing major rivers in the Nation. Not going to happen. A war would break out. I'd be on the side of the free-flowing river.

The answer? There are many. Best ones? Raze or raise. Buy-out and raze the more vulnerable homes, especially those that originally served as summer cottages. Raise up the rest. There are many other measures that can be taken to lessen the economic impact of floods.

My self-imposed deadline for the series is June 14. It will be a birthday present and a special gift for the Delaware River. That's my voice and that's my hat. Any day now. Any day now.

Canoeing in February...

Pic #1 Eric looks upstream at Rivergeek during a February trip down the Musky.
Pic #2 Chris shoots the last fish weir below the Musky Trout Hatchery.

Did an impromptu run down the Musconetcong between Hampton and Bloomsbury with Chris and Eric. I call this stretch the "same ol' same old" because it is generally deeper with only a few gravel bars. It was a chilly day but not bad for February, which is one of the best months to paddle for those who prefer sharing the river with only a few people and many ducks.

We portaged at the Musconetcong Watershed Association's future "River Resource Center" in Asbury. I came up with this simple name for a grant proposal while serving as MWA's Executive Director around the turn of the century. Ironically, one of the reasons I left MWA's employ, besides the fact that they weren't paying me, was because of the realization that the building and adjacent mill would necessarily become a primary fundraising focus, with no concern for maintaining professional staff (I couldn't take the competition). The other reason was that my work on behalf of the effort to secure National Wild and Scenic status for the river was finished. The Eligibility and Classification Report, and River Management Plan were done and designation legislation was pending. Funding dried up. Debt was acquired and many days were spent on the water.

Ironically, MWA just received an astounding $4o0,000 grant from Warren County to fulfill the dream of establishing the Musconetcong River Resource Center. Add in the recent W&S designation and these are exciting times for MWA.

Work at the vineyard has wound down. I helped out in the wine tasting room last weekend because they faced hundreds of thirsty customers doing the Wine Trail. It's unclear whether or not I'll be pruning this winter since they are in the process of changing ownership. When it warms up there may be more time for canoeing, although work with the Sourland Planning Council and volunteering with the American Canoe Association's National Board as well as the Delaware Valley Division leaves little time for carving the water with a canoe paddle.

I'll be dropping Sharon off in Pittsburgh and heading to Canaan Valley WVA to celebrate my Aunt Ginny's 96th b-day and party with cousin Doug Parsons and his frau. The Poconos Mountains have more snow than Canaan, which is amazing because the later averages over 120 inches per year. It was the same situation last year right up until we visited Canaan over President's Day, when it snowed heavily and non-stop the entire weekend.

For a live view of Canaan Valley go to the US Forest Service Air Quality Station, which gives a view of the valley from Dolly Sods Wilderness Area.

Wikipedia has this to say about Canaan Valley:

"Canaan Valley was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974. The National Park Service citation indicates that the Valley is "a splendid 'museum' of Pleistocene habitats ... contain[ing] ... an aggregation of these habitats seldom found in the eastern United States. It is unique as a northern boreal relict community at this latitude by virtue of its size, elevation and diversity." Since 1994, about 60% of the Valley has become the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the nation's 500th. The local pronunciation of "Canaan" is Kuh-NANE', rather than the conventional KAY'-Nin for the Biblical region from which the area takes it's name."

That's right..Kuh-NANE. None of that biblical crap for us billhillies.

Balmy start to the paddling season...

Nappy Yew Hear!

Almost 60 deg. on January 7...couldn't resist a day on the water. Chris Meyers joined me for an 8-mile run down the Musconetcong River, the best winter paddling river in the region. Uneventful and relaxing day with perfect 2.50' level at the Bloomsbury gage. It was balm for the soul.

Giant Rat...

My "otre significante" is scared of rodents. Very scared, which is why I posted this wonderful photo of a Giant Rat that was discovered in Papua Province, Indonesia (I'll find out if she really visits this blog). It's supposedly five times the size of the average urban rat. Came upon the story and above photo in the Australian daily "The Age."

Conservation International also discovered a tiny possum, which they described as one of "the world's smallest marsupials."

Another confession...I have a long history of deriving pleasure from exploiting the nature-related phobias of people. That especially applies to insects (bugs), but also snakes, spiders, and just about any other animal.

At an early age I learned that two aunts (Ginny and Polly Parsons) could be made to cry "eeeek" by chucking a bug in their direction. Repeat it a few times and I could then simply pretend to throw a bug at them and they would still scream. With just a virtual wave of the hand I could command a chorus of shrieks and howls followed by protests and threats. Repeat and run.

And then there were the strategically placed rubber snakes and spiders. One such snake was placed on my cabin porch, specifically in honor of a visit from another Aunt Ginny Parsons (Cooper), who despite being a genuine huckleberry-picking mountain woman was deathly afraid of snakes. Upon seeing my foot-long rubber snake she performed an astoundng vertical jump of nearly five feet, which was about how tall she stood.

I haven't exploited Sherry-baby's fears with either real or rubber rodents. All I need to do to get her totally skeevied out is describe the imaginary rat that just ran behind the refrigerator, including tail length, weight, color, etcetera. Speaking of rats -- is this the quote of the year?

"My job is a decision-making job. And as a result, I make a lot of decisions."
George W. Bush

Okay...that' so reassuring.
I'm sure Bertie the Bunyip made
lots of decisions in his/her day too.

Snow on the Toh

Check out L. R. Brunner's recent post from Turkey. She offers some great insights into the universal nature of teens and the travails of an untrained English teacher. Her blog is listed at the top of my links.

The lowhead dam on Tohickon Creek (pictured left) at Ralph Stover State Park has finally been demolished. There is a nice gentle drop and rapid where the dam once stood.

The Tohickon Creek from Stover down to the Delaware River offers some of the best whitewater in the region. This area also has some of the best hiking opportunities, especially on the Bucks County Park side of the creek, where one can walk from High Rocks all the way down to within a half mile of the Delaware River. Not an easy trail, but ideal for rock hoppers.

Balmy November Padddling

Eric S and Wally J (pictured above) met me for a pre-Turkey Day paddle from Kingwood to Byram. The Delaware River was running strong at just over 6' and we had the river to ourselves except for one motorboater near the end. It was rejuvenating just being out on the water, something none of us had done much of recently.

If the predicition of a warmer than normal winter comes true we'll have many more opportunities to paddle the Delaware River and its tributaries over the next 3 months.

Ponyland beckons...

Sunset on Assateague Bay as seen from Assateague Island National Seashore.

Assateagure Island National Seashore is the place I return to for an outstandingly remarkable beach experience and escape from the Piedmont rocks. It's devoid of crowds and the typical shore town blight and has been a favorite, easy-to-reach destination for more that two decades.

And it is always advisable to visit off season when the mosquitos are down and out. This makes the ponies happy and when they are happy, I am happy.

Happiness is a good thing, so we headed to Assateaggue last weekend, staying at the Victorian era Atlantic Hotel in Berlin, MD. Normally we camp next to the dunes, but this time the warmth and ease of the hotel won out.

Only downside was we only had just two days to beach comb and view the sunset.

According to the gage at Riegelsville the river shot up almost a foot so far today. A cursory look at upriver gages such as the Brodhead Creek at Minisink Hills show that the upper watersheds are getting more precipitation out of the storm. The Musconetcong River has been disapointingly low despite the release from Lake Hopatcong. We wait impatiently for it to rise so it can be paddled a few times before winter sets in.

RIP Rivermom

Pic #1 Rivermom does her signature headstand while surfing.
Pic #2 Rivermom was among the 100 notable paddlers of the 20th Century.

Rivermom is gone but her legacy will live on for generations.

A member of the Chicago Whitewater Association (click to visit their memorial page, where the above pictures were borrowed), Marge 'Rivermom' Cline was best known as an American Canoe Association instructor. She was included in Paddler Magazine's list of the 100 most influential paddlers of the twentieth century. Check that link for her writeup, and also take note that Harold Deal appears right below Rivermom.

She came to Phillipsburg during the heatwave of 1998 (or was it '97?) to teach ACA Instructor Trainer and ACA Instructor Certification courses for solo and tandem canoe. I was among the later group of fortunate students to do a cert course under the guidance of one of the nation's most famous and prolific teachers. The course took place over two consecutive weekends at Phillipsburg, Round Valley Reservoir, and Lambertville Wing Dam, where the class was also visited by Harold Deal and Dan House.

Rivermom was a demanding instructor who put a lot of emphasis on teaching & learning theory and requiring her students to demonstrate their teaching skills, as opposed to just focusing on paddling technique. I can also testify that she liked to show off her canoeing headstand - in this case she did it in a solo canoe on a choppy Round Valley Reservoir. She also demonstrated some awesome Freestyle Canoeing technique.

Visit the Chicago Tribune for a wonderful obit. RIP Rivermom.

Kayak, canoe master
Indomitable paddling instructor who drew thousands into the water held safety in high regard, but also knew how to have a good time

By Trevor Jensen Tribune staff reporter
November 1, 2007

A master of canoe and kayak, Marge Cline was one of the top paddling instructors in the country. A stickler for safety and proper technique in her classes, she thrived on the exhilaration of taking on a wild river. Her signature move was a headstand in the bow as her canoe shot through white water...