Morning Paddle click here to read or make an observation about this  article
By Jose Joven - Indianapolis, Indiana

A recent morning paddle on the White River in Indianapolis, Indiana led to a big surprise. The White River is an urban waterway that flows through several Indiana cities before joining the Wabash River in the southern part of the state. Once known for it's clear water, rippling shoals, abundant fish, fowl and mussel habitat the White has seen hard times. In 1999 a chemical spill in Anderson Indiana 50 miles upstream killed 100,000 fish, causing a disaster of monumental proportions.

Today the river is making a comeback. Increased awareness, an aggressive restocking program, and annual river clean ups are changing the river for the better. Yesterday I saw an attempt at "urban beautification" in the Broad Ripple reach of the White River.

This summer the White River Yacht Club sponsored a contest to create riverside "sculptures". The displays had to use riverside trees and snags as their main ingredient. As I paddled the river I was amazed at the creativity, and took pictures of the displays.

The Serpent:

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Mermaid:
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King Neptune:
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Woody's Lodge:
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and the winner was
The Bald Eagle:
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Now some may call this graffitti. But this reach of river is smack dab in the middle of the city and is lined with houses, condos and boat docks. Houseboats, skiboats, PWC and fishermen all ply the waters. The people who live on the river are the people who created this art. Who am I to judge them?

As it is, I spent a very enjoyable morning paddling upriver and taking over 30 pictures of their efforts.

To view the entire album you may click here:

https://usera.imagecave.com/hoz/WhiteRiverArt/

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