Marengo, Illinois
NEW DATE AND TIME: This Sunday, September 27 from 9-1PM join us as we tackle the 16 log jams west of the Thorne Road Bridge near Marengo. Park in the grassy MCCD lot northwest of the bridge. We’ll wade downstream with loppers and saws to remove the log jams. Wear workgloves and wading shoes. RSVP on facebook or call Pat at 815-715-0592.
Thank you, Nick Guerrero, for the great mowing you did at Woodbine. All our new parking spaces are mowed and the launch area is nicely cleared. Now we just need more water in the Kish…. The officicial depth according to USGS at Hwy 23 is 7.18 feet, the lowest since I have been monitoriing it in 3 years. This is a good depth to chainsaw out the jams, but if you want to paddle, start west in Boone or Winnebago Counties until we get more rain.
Chainsaw volunteers needed! At this point our main focus is helping the Kish to be more friendly to paddle. That means removing the downed trees all along our river. Form groups of 2-4 with at least 1 chainsaw, choose a spot, and work for a few hours. You can contact Pat Lawlor 815-715-0592 to discuss a good working location or to report work you completed. Some suggestions:
We have 3 months to get this done so that everyone can enjoy a safe and happy paddle without having to get out of their boat to portage.
Gather up your friends or family and head out to the Kish!
The goal is to make a 15 foot wide safe passage down the Kish. Saw the downed trees into 15-20 inch sections, and just let them float down the river. If we throw them on the shore, they will float down during the next flood anyway. If they get caught on other trees, it is easy to untangle the short sections for more floating.
Thank you in advance for your time and expertise, because we certainly only are addressing experienced chainsaw gurus to do this. I am sure you understand.
BE SAFE. BE CAREFUL. QUIT WHEN YOU GET TIRED.
THANKS SO MUCH!!!
The steering committee for Paddle the Kish in Marengo is still working on red tape from the state for our grant. There is a lot to do! We are all working diligently to get all the details addressed as quickly as possible. That being said, it is now March and the beginning of paddle season for brave folks (not me!). Keep checking here for scheduled work days on the Kish. We’ll need chainsaw people. First we want the river to go down some. Our plans are to start east around Siems Memorial Park and work our way west during the next few months. Exciting!
Also, we recently attended a great information sharing event with many Kishwaukee River watershed stakeholders. This Class A river has many fans to help protect it! Illinois has great laws that help protect our rivers from too much nitrogen and phosphorus.
Lastly, Linda Zumpf and Pat Lawlor presented the Paddle the Kish project to the Woodstock Rotary. Everyone had fun and was interested in our quest. Linda made quite a stir in the restaurant while demonstrating how to enter and exit a kayak! Just spreading the word…..
We are excited to have our own website. Stay tuned for news and updates.
