The Olentangy River
Secret jewel for paddlers may get a facelift
By Steve Croyle |
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The Delaware people called it Keenhongsheconsepung, which translates to "stone-for-your-knife-stream." Settlers dubbed it the Whetstone River, but when the Ohio General Assembly decided to restore the original Native American name back in 1833, they accidentally commandeered the Delaware tribe's name for Big Darby Creek.
Nevertheless, the Olentangy River is the centerpiece of a unique watershed that features a significant portion of the city's green space. The Olentangy Bikeway traces its route from Worthington Hills all the way to river's confluence with the Scioto. Massive cottonwood and sycamore trees line the banks, while ducks, geese, muskrats, and beavers raise their young in the brush, and countless birds use the canopy for nesting.
In spite of its beauty, the Olentangy is often overlooked. Those who are aware of it are often under the misconception that the river is little more than an open sewer, but the reality is that for most of its journey through Columbus, the Olentangy scores very favorable water quality readings. "There are a number of organisms that help us determine a river's overall health," said Heather Dean, of Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW), "but there are several species of darter that are intolerant to pollutants that seem to be doing well near Kenney Park."
That part of river is photographer (and paddle-junkie) George Anderson's favorite. "It's a precious little paddle," he said of the five-mile round trip from Northmoor Park in Clintonville to Kenney Park just west of the Graceland Shopping Center.
North of Kenney Park the river is a bit shallow and it can be challenging to navigate, but Northmoor Park offers a bona fide put-in, and the river doesn't put up much of a fight as you paddle north against the current. "I've been paddling the Olentangy for 12 years," said Anderson, "but most of my time is spent in that area."
As paddlers head south of Northmoor Park, they encounter a gauntlet of low head dams. It's possible to portage around them, but they present a number of hazards. Banks can be very muddy and full of poison ivy. Paddling too close to a dam is unwise, as the current can force a boat up against the edge of the dam and flip it. Swimming near dams, even when water levels are low, is never a good idea. When the water is high, the water spilling over the top of the dam plunges into the river below creating a vortex of water, known as a hydraulic, that can drown the even the strongest of swimmers.
There are also a few places where trespassing becomes an issue. Not all of the property owners are keen on boaters lugging their canoes and kayaks around the dam. Every dam can be portaged, but paddlers should do their homework and understand how to handle each obstacle. Even then, you have to be ready for anything.
"Every year we're going to have a thaw and a flood," explained Anderson. "Things will change."
The infamous Fifth Avenue dam is the worst; despite the Army Corps of Engineers' assurance that removing it is practical, the City of Columbus isn't so sure. "The city has a number of concerns they felt that the Corps of Engineers' study didn't address," said Heather Dean. "They want to know what's under the waterline before they remove the dam."
Funding is also an issue. Beyond merely removing the dam, a complicated clean up is inevitable.
"There's a higher concentration of the population down there," noted Anderson. "And a lot of junk finds its way into the river."
FLOW is working with the city and other organizations to promote a water trail along the Olentangy. Designated put-ins, portages, and signs identifying river hazards are all in the works, as well as a map and trail guide. The main concern is safety. Aside from the Kenney-to-Northmoor span that proves to be a fairly simply paddle, the rest of the Olentangy requires a little experience, and FLOW seems reticent to promote the water trail until everything is in place. "It's a public waterway and people do use it," said Dean. "but we need to approach it responsibly."
Of course, FLOW's mission is to protect the watershed. FLOW relies heavily on volunteers (hint) to do everything from monitoring water quality to clearing debris from the Olentangy and its tributaries. FLOW participates in a number of events to simply raise awareness about the Olentangy and generate interest in it as a resource for everybody. Paddlers just happen to be a demographic with similar interests.
"We need to bring people to the bottom of the watershed," George Anderson, who volunteers with FLOW as well, explained. "Once people see what a resource we have in the Olentangy they'll take an interest in preserving it."
Originally Published: June 1, 2009
