Canoeing the Big Muddy

As part of our outreach efforts we spend quite a bit of time educating kids about how we, as St. Louisans, interface with our local rivers every day. We talk a lot about wastewater management, access to clean drinking water, stormwater runoff issues, and proper trash disposal.

As a capstone experience for our St. Louis Science Center Camp participants we got the kids out on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers in a magnificent hand-crafted 15 person canoe. Big Muddy Mike Clark guided our trip and schooled us on the ins and outs of canoe travel on the big rivers. Conditions for our trip were just right; the river was high enough to get us over the Chain of Rocks, but not high enough to be dangerous, so we jumped at such a spectacular opportunity. Here is a shot of us just before launch...

Our day trip began on the Missouri River at Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area Boat Ramp. That is MO River Mile 4. We paddled downstream past Ted Jones State Park and Confluence Point to the Mississippi River. The Confluence is located at MS River Mile 195.5. We stopped for a swim at the bottom end of Duck Island and then continued on over the Chain of Rocks and to the back channel of Mosenthein Island. Half way down the back channel we stopped on a sand bar island which is technically a part of Mosenthein though it is detached during high water. A bunch of swimming and lunch, then on to the full navigation channel where the Chain of Rocks Canal reenters the main stem. We passed under the Old RR bridge, the McKinley Bridge and finally under the MLK Bridge where we landed. Our landing spot was the Laclede Landing which is located at MO River Mile 180.

Total river miles = 20.
We put in at 10:45 AM and arrived at 3:30 PM. Total river time = 4 hour 45 min.

Getting kids out on the water is so impactful because it allows them to make their own personal connections to the river, creating their own stories, and ultimately informs their personal choices and actions as water stewards.

I love this work! : )