Kip’s Comments - October 20, 2024
No Need to Say It, But We Need Rain
This past week I made the disappointing decision to pull my fishing boat out of the river in front of our cabin. At best we have maybe eight inches of water… maybe. In the main channel of the Wapsie there is more water depth, but I still bumped the bottom with my lower unit every now and then last week. So, the boat came out and I miss that option for exploring already.
Alcock Park in Autumn - Image 923348
Today I spent some time looking around to see just how low the river is. As the first picture shows, water is only falling over about a half of the dam and many rocks and debris are completely exposed below the dam. I hate to see the river so low going into winter. We need rain!
When you look at this picture, what appears to be an odd shaped rock in the foreground is really a rounded/shaped chunk of a log that spent weeks getting beat against the dam when the river was high this spring. The power of water is amazing.
Elsewhere I found many nice views along the Wapsipinicon River in Bremer County. Following are some of what I saw.
Alcock Park in Autumn - Image 923333
Wapsipinicon River - Image 923430
Wapsipinicon River at Snyder's Access - Image 923491
Alcock Park in Autumn - Image 923279
Red Oak Leaves - Image 923378
White Oak Leaves - Image 923505
I will end with an update picture of a dock along the river that is slowly breaking apart. This dock was the passage to countless hours on a pontoon boat and fishing boat for its owner. As I understand it, the owner is now in poor health. We may be witnessing the last chapter in the story book of this dock. It seems sad to me to see a dock fall into disrepair and it use ended. I know, it is just a structure, but what this loss represents is significant.
Old Decrepit Dock - Image 923359
