Conditions on the UU mile of the Parkway are changing rapidly as spring approaches and the river recedes, exposing an unusual display of the forces of high water. I took a walk on our mile last Saturday and made the photographs below when the river was flowing at about 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). From earlier peak releases as high as 90,000 cfs, the scheduled flow during our cleanup is expected to be down over the next few days to only 5,000 cfs. Though our stretch of the Parkway is not now at its most beautiful, I did find wildflowers starting to show, lots of interesting animal tracks in the silted areas, an otter and several waterfowl species in the river, and hawks and other birds in abundance. Good weather is forecast between now and Saturday, 3/11 and springtime conditions will accelerate the renewal of life in its many forms on our mile.

Because most of the UU mile has been inaccessible and with the hope that we’ll have a good turnout for an interesting walk, I’ll call for another “Cleanup Lite” this Saturday, starting not later than 9:00 AM and wrapping up at 10:00. At 8:45 AM I’ll be in the parking lot next to the levee at the end of Northrop off Howe Avenue, for sign-ins and with trash bags. Because of the conditions, I do recommend shoes with good traction. I hope to see you on Saturday and to share conversation with you at Panera afterward!

Dave