In the News
June, 2017
A selection of paddling-related news stories.
"Lake project identified by voters a step closer" (Sugarland, TX)
"A voter-approved lake project at Brazos River Park is a step closer to reality thanks to the Sugar Land City Council. The Council recently approved a contract for the design to accommodate canoeing and kayaking, activities that residents have identified as high priorities through many years of public input. The lake is also expected to accommodate annual dragon boat races..."
"How's the Water?" (Houston, TX)
"Each year the H-GAC Clean Rivers Program produces a report for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality summarizing the state of water quality in the region. The 2017 Basin Highlights Report includes water quality status and trends for waterways in four basins monitored by the H-GAC Clean Rivers Program, an overview of the program's outreach activities, and summarizes special projects using Clean Rivers Program data..."
| Complete story: H-GAC.com |
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Entry contributed by Natalie Wiest. |
"Dallas will spend $2 million to remove $4 million whitewater feature from Trinity River" (Dallas, TX)
"The Dallas City Council voted Wednesday to spend almost $2 million to partially remove the whitewater feature in the Trinity River that opened and closed in a matter of days in the spring of 2011 after the Army Corps of Engineers said it rendered the river unnavigable..."
| Complete story: Dallas News |
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Entry contributed by Natalie Wiest. |
"Dealing With Strainers & Sweepers"
"I had the unfortunate job the other day to inform listeners on Canada’s National Radio how a paddler was killed after being caught in a sweeper in a local stream. It was just after ice out and the waterway was in flood. “Know your water and your skill level” was my response. Coming around a blind bend in a fast moving stream and spotting a fallen tree, or what some canoeists call a “strainer,” is a paddler’s worst nightmare..."
"Self-Rescue: Swimming"
"There are two ways of swimming through a rapid. You can swim defensively or offensively. Defensive swimming is also referred to as "body surfing" and involves floating downstream in a protected position: lying on your back, feet downstream, arms out to the side and with your whole body floating as close to the surface as possible..."
"Launching a Kayak from a Dock"
"What I want to discuss this morning is how to launch a kayak from a rather high dock, just about two-feet high from the surface of the dock to the surface of the water. It's intimidating to a lot of people, but if you use a rope attached to approximately the mid-point of the kayak or the balance point, it's very easy to both launch the kayak, and enter and exit the kayak without capsizing. I'll demonstrate that. It only takes a few minutes..."
"Canoeists have advice for others after being rescued in BWCA" (Minnesota)
"The two canoeists knew they were in trouble when they had to start bushwhacking and carrying their canoe through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.They had already missed their portage on the way out of the backcountry and decided to continue down a river that would lead them back to the Echo Trail. It wasn’t until the seventh day of their trip, when the two confirmed they were lost..."
"Canoe returns to Hawaii after epic round-the-world voyage" (Hawaii)
"No modern navigation instrumentation guided a Polynesian voyaging canoe as it followed the horizon during a three-year journey around the globe. About a dozen crew-members for each leg of the voyage relied only on their understanding of nature's cues — ocean swells, stars, wind, birds— and their own naau, or gut, to sail across about 40,000 nautical miles (74,000 kilometers) to 19 countries, spreading a message of malama honua: Caring for the earth...."
"Kayak guide dies in Yellowstone Lake during rescue attempt" (Mammoth Hot Springs, WY)
"A kayak guide in his first season on the job in Yellowstone National Park has died while trying to rescue a park visitor who capsized on Yellowstone Lake. Conant was among three guides on a kayaking excursion with a group of nine tourists. Park rangers found Conant in the water and worked to revive him, but he was pronounced dead before he could be transported by helicopter to a hospital..."
"Coast Guard rescues 4 participating in marathon canoe race" (Seadrift, TX)
"The Coast Guard has rescued four people from a small island on the Texas coast after their canoe capsized toward the end of a taxing 264-mile race. Coast Guard officials said in a statement Wednesday that a large wave overturned the canoe in the night near Seadrift..."
"Texas tubing outfitter opens less 'rowdy' route" (San Marcos, TX)
"As summer kicks off and adventurers head to Central Texas to tube, one outfitter in San Marcos is making it easier for families to enjoy a float without being crowded out by groups of people out to drink and go wild. Texas State Tubes opened a "family-friendly" floating route this summer for a less rowdy experience..."