Call of the River

There’s something about a river that just draws some folks to it. Like a moth to a flame. While it’s difficult to define this magnetic attraction, I suppose it has to do with two of the qualities personified by rivers: timelessness and perpetual change. Follow the Mississippi downstream from St. Paul and you always wind up in New Orleans, by way of St. Louis and Memphis, of course. Yet the rivers path constantly changes. Such changes go mostly unnoticed in our lifetime. Even those catastrophic New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-12 were but a slight diversion in the river’s history.

 

Also ironic is how these same rivers which early settlers used for travel and colonization are the same waterways America's original inhabitants used for their travel. These rivers now are some of the last wilderness areas in many regions. Even though the US Army Corps of Engineers channelized, straightened, wing dammed, dredged, rip-rapped, locked and dammed the Mississippi , it's still a vast wildlife area. Not to mention some of the local "establishments" where river folk stop for refreshments! 

One thing though…the rivers call doesn’t speak to everyone. To paraphrase author Tom Wolfe, either you’re IN the boat, or OUT of the boat. After a canoe adventure featuring equal amounts of paddling and carrying, and few freakishly hot and cold camping trips, my wife no longer shares my enthusiasm for camping along the riverbank or paddling down the river. Since you’ve made it this far, we’ll assume you’re IN the boat.

Maybe you have a favorite spot to go to when you need a little "time out." Look around, you’ll notice something has always changed since your last visit. Each spring brings a new riverscape with new snags/drift-piles, holes, and changing currents. Maybe a few more trees have fallen in. A favorite snag may have washed out. It’s still your familiar, comfortable spot. Visit the river at different times of the year, and you’ll see a creature of many faces. 

Take along a thermos of coffee in winter, and enjoy a quiet morning watching migrating canvasback, goldeneye, or bufflehead ducks. If you’re real lucky, you might spy a bald eagle up in the treetops. I like those winter walks because it’s so quiet. Of course, the fall pageant of leaves is beautiful in the deciduous forests lining our interior rivers. Go after some spring rains and witness the powerful forces of the river in action. In late spring, time to scout out some new fishing holes. Maybe catch a few fish. Summertime, the river often provides comfort in the form of shade, and often, a light breeze. And catfish. If it gets too hot, try a swim at a shallow sandbar. Unless you live in gator country, then you might want to pass on the swim!

Along the river you find a diverse assortment of wildlife. All sorts of animals, plants, trees, fish, and birds make up the ecosystems lining our rivers. In the trees live the hawks, eagles, birds, and tree frogs. In and around the water live river otters, ducks, geese, snakes, muskrats, beavers, and a wide assortment of fishes. Typically, the greatest diversity of fish inhabit our streams and rivers. Where else can you still find ancient critters like paddlefish, sturgeon, dogfish, and alligator gars all living together like some dysfunctional family?

Don't forget that rivers support a great collection of humankind too. Try bank fishing a popular dam and stand side by side with farmers, firemen, professionals, and factory workers. You may see other folks like commercial fishermen, engineers, tavern owners, and barge captains who make their living off the river and its traffic. You'll find more colorful and interesting folks along the river. The river is a metaphor for America.  

While some of these observations relate more to big rivers like the Mississippi, really they to all rivers and streams. So if you haven't been down to the river yet this year, it's about time! The river is always there for you when you need it, the ever faithful companion with interesting and new features to observe each trip. Another thing you can count on - you may leave the river, but the river never leaves you.