Clearbrook-Gonvick River Watch Team Places Second at Red River Basin River Watch Forum

The Clearbrook-Gonvick River Watch Team took the second place Judge’s Award at the 21st Annual River Watch Forum held March 15th at the University of Minnesota Crookston for their poster presentation and proposal to develop a paddle route on the Clearwater River. Recognizing the aesthetic natural beauty of the river corridor below the Clearwater Dam, the Team proposed developing better access points, resting spots, and tree snagging to provide opportunity for the public to enjoy this river reach. Taking first place was the team from Larimore, ND.

The Clearbrook-Gonvick poster and presentation was selected by a panel of judges from among 20 posters presented by River Watch teams at the Forum. Sharing river recreation opportunities as well as barriers such as river access were featured on the students’ posters which can be viewed online at the IWI website, http://tinyurl.com/RWposters. Nearly 250 students, teachers, and natural resource managers from throughout the Red River Basin participated in the annual Forum.

Students from around the Red River Basin have been kayaking their local rivers through the International Water Institute’s (IWI) River Explorers program. Since the kayak program began in 2013, nearly 1,000 participants have paddled over 3,000 miles on rivers in the Red River Basin. Students discover nearby river recreation opportunities, while also documenting watershed conditions to share with resource managers.

Keynote speaker Mark Hennager, an experienced trail guide for Wilderness Inquiry, shared his passion for engaging youth in kayaking as a way to better understand how we are all linked to our valuable water resources—how we affect it and it affects us. A critical first step in caring for our crucial land and water resources is to recognize our connections to these resources. Wilderness Inquiry’s paddling programs engage students in observing and understanding these connections.

Students also attended concurrent sessions presented by natural resource professionals on a wide range of topics, including river access issues, drone use in watershed management, Red River fishing, macroinvertebrates, river-related wildlife, and river recreation planning.

The Clearbrook-Gonvick River Watch Team received their award in the closing Awards Ceremony. The River Watch Program and Forum is supported by the IWI, Red River Watershed Management Board, Red Lake Watershed District, and the Minnesota Clean Water Legacy Fund.

For more information on the River Watch Program, contact Danni Halvorson at danni@iwinst.org or 218-280-0515.