10/12/05

It was eight fifty when I arrived at Bessey, out of breath and out of time.  The morning chill crept past the layers of cotton as I navigated the building in search of the meeting room.  Within this small lab, a few students and mentors had already gathered at a table and were trading various stories about past outings.  I recognized Dr. Colbert immediately, despite his unusual outdoor getup and serious fashion faux pas, rummaging around his office across the hall.  After introductions and safety instructions, we piled into university vans and headed north.

            I sat between two others; a sophomore on her second trip with the Skunk River Navy, and Lynette, from IOWATER.  Lynette spoke of strange experiences on her first trip, which I found rather unnerving and hoped all were isolated events.  At that point, I was thoroughly convinced that it would be a long day.  Thankfully, the ride was short and took us to the southern most point of our journey on the Skunk River.
Across the street lay Ada Hayden's calm waters and just down the hill was the river.  The crisp, fall air stung my face as I exited the vehicle following the swarm of students.  Sunlight peaked through the tree tops and offered a mild warmth while we made our way to the bank where we split into five groups.

Our first task was to determine the water quality and temperature.  Nitrates, phosphates, and dissolved oxygen were among the testable compounds.  The water temperature was recorded as a comfortable forty-eight degrees.  This I would have guessed, my feet were already numb.  A long day, indeed.

With the water quality carefully analyzed and various species discovered under rocks and in the current, we returned to the trailer to unload the canoes.  Each of the middle canoes (eight in all)  received a leash, trash bag, and makeshift trashcan—in which smaller items could be collected.  Larger objects would be set along the bank for the return trip.

The first hour was cold.  My body slowly adapted to the initial shock of fifty degree water, most easily by numbing my limbs.  A number of soda cans hugged the bank, caked in sand and mud.  For the most part, the first half of the day was slow.  Until Dr. Colbert and another student pulled an old-fashioned washing machine from the water. 

The machine stood about three and a half feet tall and weighed approximately fifty pounds—a significant find for the size of this river.  A few feet from where the washing machine was located, an unidentified box was partially buried in sand and underwater.  Using a chain and multiple students, we were able to drag the object to shore where it was determined to be an air conditioning unit.  It weighed more than the washing machine!
Hours later at the most northern leg of our trip, we'd located the remains of two vehicles, one of which was not recovered.  The other was minimally recovered but comprised the majority of the total weight retrieved.  This piece, which contained both wheel drums, was too bulky for one canoe and therefore a 'doublewide' design was constructed.  Two canoes were anchored together with rope, a board laid across the widest part of the canoes, and the metal straddled the board.  This made for difficulties downstream in low water levels and narrow sections of the river.
Collectively, we were able to pull a large amount of trash from the Skunk River and hauled it to a dumpster in the parking lot.  My legs were tired and I made a mental note to forgo wearing jeans in a river again.  Despite the fatigue and cold, I had fun.  Most of all, I felt good about my—and my peers'—contribution to the environment. 

There is no doubt that the impact of Dr. Colbert, Jim Holtz, and the rest of the SRN crew, is a positive effect upon the environment—the very home of Iowa's species.  And even upon the participants themselves.