To all residents of the Susquehanna Watershed...

...think this can't happen here?

Guess again.

Waypoints: The Wysox Narrows

For those folks that have never been in a canoe or kayak on the Susquehanna River, I've decided to create a new feature: Waypoints. Going forward, whenever I get a chance, I'm going to post a few pics from the thousands I have and take you to a point along the Susquehanna that I have paddled through over the years. This will be a work in progress, but for now, I'll start with a few pics and brief comments. 

Where: Wysox, Bradford County, PA, USA.

Why: The river takes some unique twists and turns and is loaded with gravel bars. 

Above: Me paddling through some of the faster water. Note the visible currents and gravel bars.
Below: Folks taking a break on a hot summer day. Yes...you can swim there.

Above: Sunset over Wysox

Below: One more time...

Below: Paddling at dawn just below the Rte. 187 bridge

Thanks to Dan & Karen for most of the pics above. They live right along the river and get to see this every day.

Weekend Weminiscing - 6/5/2010

In less than 2 weeks, I'll (hopefully) be on the Susquehanna River for the first time this year. RiverFest 2010 promises to be another great weekend celebrating the majestic Susquehanna as it winds its way through the Wyoming Valley in northeastern PA. Get all the details at the RiverCommon website, and then check out some of my pics from RiverFest's past.

Hope to see you on the river.

I'm going to pause here to voice my lack of respect for the Wilkes-Barre/Luzerne County officials who were made aware of the results of some water tests performed by the Kirby Health Center at the request of a concerned citizen based upon the pics - like the one above - that I posted of kids playing in the river water last June. I was made aware of the test results, but was asked to keep quiet. I did.

The fecal coliform numbers were way off the charts and should have been immediately addressed. You did nothing. Fortunately, a few of you are no longer around for other reasons.

Don't forget your camera, sunscreen...and plenty of water.

***GAS WELL RUPTURES IN STATE FOREST***

Breaking news!

This link may no longer apply, and the copyright language is such that I do not want to do a cut & paste.

The leak is in Moshannon State Forest. Campers are being evacuated.

Enough is enough! Time to vote them ALL out!

Bradford County being Sucked Dry?

A good friend and legendary outdoorsman from Bradford County alerted me to the very tangible impact of the withdrawal of millions of gallons ( & growing ) of water per day from the upper Susquehanna and its tributaries.

From his e-mail:

Towanda Creek named most Endangered Creek in Bradford Country , check out USGS site. Water color light gray and even after half inch of rain, the creek will fall back to its lows. Small fish and other little water life is being suck in by large pumps. River very low for this time of the year. Wells in area at a very low level for this time of year. Mt. Man

Tens of millions of gallons are being withdrawn from this river every day...and drilling has only just started to ramp up. When another 500 or 1,000 wells are ready to get frackin', what will our river look like then?

Does anyone truly believe these folks sitting on their duffs in Harrisburg know what they're doing? The SRBC's rubber stamp approach to approving water withdrawals for drilling needs to be stopped...NOW.

DELAWARE RIVER NAMED "MOST ENDANGERED"

You knew it was coming.

I knew it was coming.

This is a game changer.

I went through this in 2005 when the Susquehanna was named to the #1 spot. Put another way...been here, done this. To folks everywhere fighting against the impact that natural gas drilling is having on their lives, leverage this for all it is worth.

Do not sit back and watch BIG OIL scramble.

Go for the jugular...NOW!  Write those letters. Make those calls. Our legislators in the Susquehanna River Basin are looking even more inept &  clueless right about now, if that is possible.

On second thought....

P.S. Remember what happened to Congressman Kanjorski's Inflatable Dam after the Susquehanna was named as the #1 Most Endangered River in 2005?

To all of my fellow long-haired tree-hugging environmentalist obstructionist wackos...

GO FOR IT!