'American Rivers' Day

Canadian Rivers Day

    For most of this century there has been a "Canadian Rivers Day" held on the 2nd Sunday of June. I don't think there is an official "American Rivers Day", but I will inaugurate one here since I intend to discuss a few 'local' rivers, some of which are located in the United States. It was my intention to have 'rivers' be a frequent topic in this blog, but I have failed to deliver, just as I have been unable to offer much about anything over the past few weeks.  Here, quickly, I will attempt to catch up by providing mercifully short entries (for a change).

The Cuyahoga River

If you look closely at the label above you will see that it is branded as the Burning River Pale Ale which is, it seems to me, an odd choice for the marketing people to make. It was 50 years ago that the Cuyahoga caught fire and for that reason there have been many anniversary articles about the event. 1959 was the year of the last fire on the Cuyahoga so the news is generally good. The marketing people who are attempting to sell Cleveland now have a much easier job.

Sources:

"A Gleaming Cuyahoga River Helps Tourists Flow to Cleveland," Scott Suttell, Cleveland.com June 7, 2019. "Jim Ridge, the founder of Share the River, a nonprofit group that heightens awareness about the Cleveland waterfront, said the Cuyahoga River has achieved something that few could have imagined decades ago. It's a destination. Seeing recreational aspects on the body of water that ignited the environmental movement is a game-changer for locals, but also for folks well beyond our ZIP code who are going, 'Wait, that's not the Cuyahoga River I had in mind,' " he said.

"From 5 Rowers to 1,500, How the Cleveland Rowing Foundation Shares the Cuyahoga River with the City," Laura Johnston, cleveland.com ,June 11, 2019.

"Rough (but clean) Water Ahead: Cuyahoga Falls Embraces Cuyahoga River's Return to Nature," Grant Segall, The Plain Dealer, June 12, 2019.
"Just upstream, high schoolers are sitting along a boardwalk, sketching the scenic river. Fifty years ago on June 22, Cleveland’s stretch of a gunky, stinky Cuyahoga had its best-known fire, spurring the Clean Water Act and a half-century of cleanup. Now a resurging river and its corridor teem with fish, turtles, herons, paddlers, hikers, diners and more."

"A Cleveland River Once Oozed and Burned. It’s Now a Hot Spot." By Erik Piepenburg June 7, 2019, New York Times.

"Then there's this striking example of how a river that once was so toxic that it bubbled and oozed like a caldron is producing edible marine life: the Ohio E. P. A. announced in March that fish from the Cuyahoga River, including catfish and common carp, are safe to eat."

The Thames River

The riparian situation here in London is rather murkier, both above and below the forks of the Thames. The failure of a dam downriver has reduced the more robust activities of rowing and boating, although the fishing may have improved. The promotion of a waterfront promenade is rather difficult given that it will overlook not much more than a muddy stream because of the dam upriver. In terms of the health of the river it can be said that: "While combined efforts in the watershed have been great over the past two decades, the outcome has shown only small environmental improvement."

Sources:

You locals will not need any. For the quote above see the report card offered by The Upper Thames River Conservation Society,

The Chicago River

 

The recent reviews about the Chicago River are somewhat mixed. Reports from upstream are better, which is usually the case. The river is green in the above picture because it was taken around Saint Patrick's Day when the water is dyed that colour. The good news here is that everyone everywhere agrees that that holiday is one that should be celebrated.

Sources:

"In Chicago, A River Revitalized — But Not for Everyone," Kari Lydersen June 22, 2019, Washington Post.

"The river’s water is cleaner than it has been in decades. New amenities, including four new boat houses, riverside restaurants and the Riverwalk, a pedestrian promenade downtown, line its banks. Revitalizing the river was a major priority of Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D), who left office May 20. The spot in the river where the rowers launch could be seen as the dividing point between the two sides of the Chicago River system. Just upstream is a lush park with a Chinese pagoda, and beyond that, the skyscrapers of downtown. Downstream, the river becomes increasingly industrial and filled with detritus...[it gets worse].

The Buffalo River

The situation in Buffalo is so good along the rivers that some Canadian beer marketing folks obviously thought old industrial silos were perfect platforms for their brand. The city promoters say that Buffalo should be your "Port of Call" and that Canalside is a good place to kayak and party. They can also say "Sail Into Summer" and "Make a Splash in Buffalo" because there is another river - the Niagara River - and Lake Erie is close by as is the Canal. The water resources so important for trade and industrialization are being revitalized for recreational purposes.

Sources:

See: The Buffalo Touring Guide.

Fishing (!/?)

We were in Buffalo in early May, allured by the arts not the water. It was still a little chilly for waterfront wandering, but I did notice in the Buffalo paper an entire page devoted to fishing and the major headline was: "WNY[Western New York] Fisheries Show Off for National Media" and apart from two pictures of huge fish (a lake trout and a king salmon) there were remarks such as these: "Outdoor media from around the country arrive every spring to take advantage of the world class bass and walleye fishing on Lake Erie. The Niagara River spring trout fishery is outstanding too...." "Being from Michigan, I was a little slow to discover the world class trout and salmon fishery Lake Ontario offers...." "Lake Erie's Eastern Basin is well known as a walleye destination...." Year end and year out, spring offers some of the best multi-species fishing in the Lower 48 in and around the Niagara River." Buffalo News, May 9, 2019.

I was surprised by the extent of the fish coverage and the apparent success of the fisherpeople. I live on a river between Lake Erie and Lake Huron and don't read much about fishing and I don't think one reads much about the subject in the Toronto press. A quick search of Toronto-area papers didn't catch much. A short one for the Cleveland area landed:"If You Aren’t Catching Walleye on Lake Erie, You Aren’t Trying:" June 14 Fishing Report, Cleveland.com May 14 and "Anglers Eager for 2019 Lake Erie Fishing Season: Ohio Anglers, Get Ready for Another Phenomenal Lake Erie Fishing Year." Laura Johnston, Jan. 25, 2019.

   My impression about the fish coverage may be incorrect, but, if not, among the questions that could be asked are these two: Is the fishing better below the invisible border line in the lakes or are the Americans just better at fishing (or marketing)?

Post Script:

   Near the end of the 19th century the flow of the Chicago River was reversed and no longer emptied into Lake Michigan which provides Chicagoans with their drinking water. The sewage is now sent south. 

  Not all the news is good. The Maumee River which empties into Lake Erie at Toledo is a major reason for the algae bloom the develops in that lake. The Cleveland slogan "A Green City on a Blue Lake" may soon need a slight change.

  Bonus tourist tip. If you are going to Buffalo I recommend that you stay in the insane asylum, now known as The Richardson Hotel (formerly The Henry.) From there you can walk to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Burchfield Penney Art Center.