Two people in a canoe will need at least 2 feet of water to float.* Water at many Ipswich River landings drops up to 2 feet from June to August every year. Anyone who has paddled the same stretch of river in early spring and then again in late spring or summer knows what these drops mean for paddling. Blow downs that previously were hidden beneath the water become obstacles. Rifles can’t be bypassed without portaging. Banks become insurmountable. When the Ipswich River loses water, paddling is not as enjoyable, but that’s far from the only negative impact of course.
Less water, and thus slower flows, harm the health of the river and its ability to support other life. Water temperatures rise and dissolved oxygen levels plummet, making the river a very stressful place if not uninhabitable for many species of fish and other aquatic life. Fish need habitat along the river bank and in shallow riffle areas to thrive and these are often the first areas to go dry. As we all know from early lessons on the food chain, when a key food source like fish are compromised, others species suffer as well.
Sadly, these changes are often only noticed when drought conditions become severe and sections of the river dry up. However, every summer the river is strained by a combination of higher temperatures, decreased rainfall and increased withdrawals. In our upcoming Before & After paddle series, we will look at water levels from the beginning of spring and compare them to now. We will take stock of blow downs and other obstacles, and compare their current state to how they would have been with higher water levels. The first paddle of this two part series is on Friday June 29th, from 5:30 pm to 8 pm. Both paddles will depart from Salem Road landing in Topsfield, where RiverWatch monitors routinely collect data on depth, flow, temperature and dissolved oxygen levels. The second paddle takes place on Friday, August 31st, near the end of summer and two months after the first paddle. Please join us for either of of these two paddles, and learn how you can help keep the river flowing and paddle-able by visiting our #4ourRiver campaign page.
*this is dependent on the size/weight of both the canoe and the paddlers as well as the type of river bottom.