10/22/2005 – Dog River Clean Up

Launch: Luscher Park public boat ramp. Launch Cost: Free. Route: Meander along the banks of Dog River picking up trash. Distance: Unknown. Average Speed: Very Slow. Time: Approx 3.5 hrs. Pace: Very Slow. Weather: Temperature nice, tide falling, minimal current, 10 mph winds from the north. Perfect day for kayaking!

Luscher Park was quite busy today with several little league games going on along with the Dog River Clean up. Luscher Park felt safe today and I saw no suspicious behavior. I did not see any “Mobile Bay Canoe and Kayak Club” tee-shirts. What a shame that there was very little MBCKC presence on such a pretty day. There were quite a few Sunshine Canoes canoes available for use. It did not take long before the canoes were full of volunteers to clean up the river. There was a powerboat towing a chain of half a dozen canoes up river so they would have more time and energy to clean instead of paddle.

(1) Above left. Although this was a kayaking work day, there was much beauty to be seen, like this display of yellow flowers clogging the waterway. (2) Above right. Cardinal flowers are in bloom.

(3) Above left. A canoe coming in with trash piled high. (4) Above right. Parting Shot. This volunteer turned around, noted my presence, and proceeded to piss on the dumpster anyway. Smile, you’re on candid camera and your uncouth behavior is now displayed on the web. There were restrooms on site…

The Dog River Clearwater Revival, with thanks to Dr. Mimi Fearn, has done wonders to help promote a cleaner Dog River. Despite gains today, Dog River is fighting a losing battle. As I drove away from Luscher Park, the amount of trash along side the roads boggled the mind. I know the recent hurricanes generated much trash and debris, but there is no reason for plastic bottles, beer cans, and other household garbage to be littering the roadsides so densely. One heavy rain and all that trash I saw will be headed into Dog River. I’ve been in Dog River during a heavy rain and it looked like a parade of trash flowing down the river. If leaders want Dog River to be clean, the source of pollution must be stopped. The surrounding communities must clean up their piles of trash and clean their roadsides, and keep their community clean. Until then, if you happen to kayak or canoe in Dog River, welcome to the Navco Area Dog River Garbage Dump. Enjoy your paddle.