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Morning Paddle |
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| By Jose Joven
- Indianapolis, Indiana |
A recent morning paddle on the White
River in Indianapolis, Indiana led to a big surprise.
The White River is an urban waterway that flows through
several Indiana cities before joining the Wabash River
in the southern part of the state. Once known for
it's clear water, rippling shoals, abundant fish,
fowl and mussel habitat the White has seen hard times.
In 1999 a chemical spill in Anderson Indiana 50 miles
upstream killed 100,000 fish, causing a disaster of
monumental proportions.
Today the river is making a comeback. Increased awareness,
an aggressive restocking program, and annual river
clean ups are changing the river for the better. Yesterday
I saw an attempt at "urban beautification"
in the Broad Ripple reach of the White River.
This summer the White River Yacht Club sponsored
a contest to create riverside "sculptures".
The displays had to use riverside trees and snags
as their main ingredient. As I paddled the river I
was amazed at the creativity, and took pictures of
the displays.
The
Serpent: |
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Mermaid: |
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King
Neptune: |
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Woody's
Lodge: |
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and
the winner was
The Bald Eagle: |
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Now some may call this graffitti. But this reach
of river is smack dab in the middle of the city and
is lined with houses, condos and boat docks. Houseboats,
skiboats, PWC and fishermen all ply the waters. The
people who live on the river are the people who created
this art. Who am I to judge them?
As it is, I spent a very enjoyable morning paddling
upriver and taking over 30 pictures of their efforts.
To view the entire album you may click here:
https://usera.imagecave.com/hoz/WhiteRiverArt/
Original articles about
river adventures:
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