It should go without saying that there are decisions on the ballot that will affect the environment, but if you need a break from election news and commentary, read this Undecided Boater Guide for some low-stakes environmental education and take an opportunity to lower your stress levels by getting out into nature! 

Left or Right?

Following the deepest, swiftest part of the river can be a good way to avoid obstructions, but you can’t do that by staying in the center.  You have to go with the flow.  When a river bends, the water has to travel faster on the outside of the bend, and that water can carry more sediment, producing a cut bank on the outside and a sandbar on the inside.  My canoeing partner on Project A.W.A.R.E. gave me a good tip for following the thalweg, or deepest line of the river–look for a line of bubbles and fast moving debris.  What, you thought I was making a political allegory?  Nah, I just like canoeing!

In or Out?

The first question for the undecided boater is whether to get in the water!  After hearing enough stories about brain-eating amoebas and toxic algae blooms, some people are afraid to go in any Iowa lake or river, any time, while others start to tune it alll out and proceed with their plans regardless of how the water looks, smells, or tests.  I think we can enjoy Iowa’s lakes and rivers while taking some reasonable precautions.  As our data analysis shows, some water bodies in Iowa are cleaner than others.  Subscribe to Iowa Environmental Council’s Water Watch newsletter to get updates on beach advisories, and as a rule of thumb, stay out of water that looks like green paint.  Minimize your exposure to pathogens by keeping your head out of water, and washing your hands (or applying sanitizer) before eating.

The Lesser of Two Weevils

“Living under a rock for the past few years” is a figure of speech sometimes applied to undecided voters, but for stoneflies, it’s literally true!  By coincidence, I organized a group of volunteers to do a biological monitoring session in Ioway Creek during the weeks leading up the both the 2020 and 2024 elections, and we caught stoneflies in our net both times.  The stoneflies we caught in 2024 were almost too big to fit in the ice cube tray we use for sorting and counting insects, and had finely branched gills that look like hairy armpits.  The stoneflies we caught in 2020 were a fraction of the size and had no visible gills.  After looking at specimens under a microscope and consulting a guidebook, I determined they are different species with different policies.  The giant stonefly (Pteronarcys sp.) escapes predators by squirting blood out of pores on its leg joints.  The small winter stonefly (Allocapnia sp.) escapes predators by producing a sort of natural anti-freeze and emerging from the water to mate when there is snow on the ground!  However, both families of stonefly are shredders (eating dead leaves) and both are sensitive to poor water quality.  I think that’s not a real choice and am writing in “dragonflies” as a protest.

Closing thoughts

 This election year included several first time water experiences for me: digging up mussels in the Wapsipinicon River for Scott Gritter’s Mussel Blitz, paddling and cleaning up trash as part of Iowa Project A.W.A.R.E., and going stand-up-paddling in Clear Lake with my family.  Even a familiar location can hold surprises; I did not realize there were smallmouth bass in Ioway Creek until just a few weeks ago, when I saw a teenager catch one at Brookside Park on a fly rod. Undecided boaters should be aware that even in a state with many environmental challenges, there is a lot to enjoy and explore!