CLINTON – Warning signs have been installed along a stretch of the Wapsipinicon River
following several occasions during the last year when first responders were called out for search
and rescue events due to kayaking incidents involving downed trees in the river.
Due to the number of emergency calls in that area, Clinton County Emergency Management
Agency’s (EMA) drone program flew the area of the river and discovered a number of downed
trees submerged and extending out of the water. These trees were making the river passage
dangerous, especially for kayakers with little experience.
This led officials with EMA and Clinton County Conservation to install large signs warning
boaters of the dangers in the 1.5 miles (north fork) stretch of the Wapsipinicon River.
EMA Operations Officer Dan Howard, EMA Lead Drone Pilot, and an avid kayaker have
observed a lack of emergency training among kayakers.
“From the search and rescue calls I have responded to with the drone, some kayakers are not
experienced enough for this stretch of river and have little or no training on how to properly
handle a kayak in a dangerous situation,” Howard said. “It is one thing to calmly paddle down an
easy, slow-moving river, but when the conditions change and the current picks up because you
enter a dangerous area with downed trees in the water, the circumstances can turn deadly in a
very short time.”
He said kayakers who miss signs of dangerous conditions can easily find themselves trapping
their kayaks in downed trees or other debris causing a potentially fatal emergency.
The search and rescue missions on the Wapsipinicon have mainly taken place in the north fork of
the river, west of the Hagenson Pond Area off of Hwy 67 in Clinton County. The North fork of
the river is approximately 1.5 miles long and is in heavy tree cover with large trees and other
debris in the water that can be dangerous to kayakers.
Howard said the current and the depth of the river vary during different times of the year
depending on snow and ice melt, rain, or lack of rain. He added the river can change daily and
the dangers can also change making each kayak trip a different adventure.
Howard said there are more beginner kayakers due to the pandemic last year. He recommends
that beginners seek experienced kayakers’ opinions on safety and purchase of equipment.
Howard offers these safety tips for kayakers:
Get maps of the river or waterway that you will be traveling. Maps of the Wapsi River
can be found at:
https://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/riverprograms/watertrails/watertrail_wapsi
_cs.pdf
Always know your location so if you do have an emergency you will know how to direct
rescue personnel to your location.
Never paddle alone, take a friend.
Let someone know where you are going. Give them a map of the area you will be in if
possible. Let them know when you should return home and if you are not back and
cannot be reached by phone, call 911 to get help started.
Always carry a cell phone or a handheld VHF radio tuned to marine channel 16 that you
can call for help with. Keep the cell phone or radio in a waterproof case to keep it dry
and if at all possible keep it on your person.
Have a dry bag or commonly referred to as a “ditch kit” with some survival gear so that if
you have problems you can easily spend the night where you are until rescue personnel
can find you. Some of the basic items to keep in this survival dry bag are: dry clothing,
drinking water, survival food or some type of energy bars to get you through the night, a
flashlight, a fire starter, a sounding device such as a whistle, survival blanket; and a
signaling device
Howard also suggests kayakers know the state laws as to which kayaks have to be registered and
what safety equipment must be on their kayak.
Howard adds beginners should not exceed their kayaking skills and know their limits. Howard
said kayakers should be aware of how far they can safely paddle, remembering they have to have
the energy and strength to get back to their starting location.
