Man-made channels on the Mahoning

[KenM]

Please stop re-channelling the Mahoning River.

There is yet another posting on the FB group about some paddlers(?) that are altering the flow of the Mahoning River. They have excavated a trench at the Marshall St rapid that lowered the pool so that paddling the true course on river-right is too low to navigate through the rocks. The new trench now shoots you thru an artificial channel that directs you right into a bridge column.

Now there is another posting where they are starting another trench to ease getting around a log jam.

These same people also appear to do river clean-ups and other good work to help the Mahoning. Wonderful. But then they turn around and damage it with mid-guided efforts to re-channel it.

These are man-made constructs that are (in my opinion) directly in conflict with the idea of restoring / reclaiming the Mahoning River. What's next? A channel thru all the rapids so we don't bump rocks?

While I recognize the inconvenience of portaging a rapid or log jam, that's part of paddling! I can see the benefit (safety) of taking a saw to a log jam. But that does NOT alter the river flow.

So how do we stop these channelling efforts? Are these people members of Friends of the Mahoning? Do they have any knowledgible river experts that could explain the damage that altering the flow of the river causes?

Comments please. --KenM

[KenM]

I will re-post this here for the record. The only place anyone will now comment is on facebook. I am saddened that TCT forum has been overshadowed by FB. An hour after posting on FB a post is lost so there is little if any continuity to any conversation. As far as I know, this forum is still the Official Voice of TCT.
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As a member of TCT I know our club is not involved with altering the river. It would appear that Friends are not involved or condone the work. So apparently a group of unorganized paddlers(?) are doing what THEY deem is best for the river.

Marshal St: By channelling off the water the natural chute on river right is now MORE dangerous as any rebar is more exposed. With all the work that was done digging a trench maybe some work winching out some offending pieces would have taken less effort?

The log jam: Yes they can be dangerous. There are LOTS of potential danger when paddling. That's when experienced paddlers get out and scout or portage. You will never make the river safe for people with no skills. If you channel off the water from the log jam you will possibly create an even MORE dangerous place to get trapped in.

The topic of fundraising gets brought up fairly often at TCT meetings. Just for the sake of conversation... How about a fundraiser to accumulate funds to have someone winch rebar out of the Marshall St channel? Or winch out part of a log jam? ---KenM

[JPTolson]

Some thoughts on the issue of the Marshall Street rapids...all my opinion and with all due respect to others…FULL DISCLOSURE: I have never paddled the line through the rapid on river left before or after its recent modification.

In my opinion, the Marshall Street rapids, created by a broken down dam, is one of the best features of the Mahoning River. Like most rapids, different lines were available to paddle through it depending on water level. At lower levels, paddlers used the route close to the shore on river right that features a prominent rock to avoid (or is it a piece of concrete from the dam?) in the middle of the line, but the slot close to the shore on river left was not runnable. At higher levels, both lines and another one closer to the middle of the river were runnable. Carrying around the rapids on the river left bank is most always an option at reasonable water levels for those who did not want to run the rapids.

Variable water levels are part of the sport of paddling. We adapt to them. We stay off the river when it is too high to be safe or too low to be pleasant. Experienced paddlers can practice and refine their ability to run Marshall Street rapids cleanly and make note of how different water levels change the character of the rapid. If a rapid is too difficult for a paddler’s skill level or if the water level makes it so, portaging or lining through are options. For a paddler who is unsure of their ability, scouting and discussing how to run it with a more experienced paddler is prudent.

I am not sure of the reason that the line on river left was modified so that it is now runnable at lower levels than it had been in the past. The river right line of Marshall Street rapids was not particularly dangerous in my opinion. The pool below makes it reasonably forgiving for swimmers to gather their boats and gear. Unless there was a compelling safety issue that endangered paddlers through the river right line, it is unclear why a line that was available at higher water was modified to provide an alternate line at lower levels and, from a report I have heard, impact the flow through the line on river right.

I have observed video of paddlers hitting the bridge abutment in the run out of the modified line. I have heard a report that there now seems to be less water available in the river right line making it more likely to hit rocks, and that ferrying across the run out on river left to reach the shore is more difficult due to the increased flow. If there was a compelling safety reason for this modification, it would be more understandable why it was done. If the modification was made to make the rapid easier, it is disappointing. Shouldn’t we work to improve our skills to run a rapid rather than altering a rapid to make it easier?

This issue could become a moot point if the old broken down dam is taken out as part of dam removal efforts along the river.

[JPTolson]

Originally Posted by KenM

I will re-post this here for the record. The only place anyone will now comment is on facebook. I am saddened that TCT forum has been overshadowed by FB. An hour after posting on FB a post is lost so there is little if any continuity to any conversation. As far as I know, this forum is still the Official Voice of TCT.

I, too, lament the migration of paddling discussion away from the club website in favor of Facebook. I suppose it is a natural evolution based on human nature, just as others migrate from Facebook to newer social media sites. But the most important reason to be disappointed is, in my opinion, that not all club members are on Facebook. As Ken says, discussion on Facebook is quickly lost as new threads are added and earlier commentary is continually bumped farther and farther down the page into oblivion. At least the threads are identified on the website and are reasonably accessible.

JP

[Ambridger]

I think removing or cutting some trees to maintain a safe, navigable channel is one thing, however making physical changes to the river probably violates some sort of EPA or ODNR or USACE or XYZ regulation. I believe the Shenango River Watchers contract with the amish to maintain their river, and The Kent FD and DPW have mitigated some strainers in the Cuyahoga. But hiring a winch or maybe even a tow truck might draw unwanted attention. A hand winch might be too cumbersome for the job. So what is the right answer? Where do we, or regulatory agencies (if they find out) draw the line? I'm all for reducing risks and efforts in the name of safety, and even flexing beyond some regulations, but who is to be the judge?

As for this site and the FB page . . . I still look to this site for "the official word" on club trips, meetings, events, and news. This site has become too cumbersome to post pictures on, and even posting this message is a bit more taxing here on the site than it is on FB. We might need some funds to update our web site. The FB page has been great for spreading the word about the club and attracting potential members. And sometimes FB is littered with non-club members, spam, and items that are more entertaining than news-worthy or educational. And you know what they say about opinions ... "they are like assholes, everybody's got one and everyone thinks everybody else's stinks" . . . And FB is full of opinions. Good. Bad. Otherwise.

And that brings us full-circle back to people's opinion of what is right for our waterways, our club, our communications . . . I think at the heart of the matter, we all want to have safe fun on the water. The Mahoning will be evolving in the next few years, and beyond. Hopefully we all can continue to enjoy floating the Mahoning and hope the changes thrust upon us are for the best.

Just my $.02