COLUMN: Trailing or Leading: DNR, SWCD help slow the power of water

Spencer and Owen County residents are very aware of the power of water. The annual White River floods leave behind debris and cause other damage.

And the constant work of erosion eats away at the riverbank and can even change the course of the river.

Before MYPath was established on the south side of the river, across from Cooper Commons, staff and board members from the Owen County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) noticed the White River had begun digging a gouge into the south shoreline.

Stopping erosion is no small task.

The SWCD applied for a grant from the Department of Natural Resources Lake and River Enhancement Fund (LARE) to try to control the erosion. Funding for LARE comes from boat license fees. That includes the $15 dollars I pay annually for each of two kayaks.

After multiple applications, a search for matching dollars and finding the right contractor, the erosion control project was ready to begin. Then we had rough weather that kept pushing the project back. Would it be finished this year?

In December, The Stanger Group from Goshen, Ind. began removing trees and plants from the shore and along MYPath. Their work opened up a wide area, exposing a new view of the White River. You are likely to experience one of three responses, perhaps all of them.

Your first response will be to gasp at the new open view of the river. This area had been blocked by trees for many years. Now it provides an expansive riverscape overlook, a nice addition to the MYPath experience.

Your second response will be to gasp at the loss of trees. MYPath is known as a great spot for birding and observing wildlife. Bird hobbyists have even registered MYPath as a "hotspot" on the e-bird website. Over 130 species of birds have been identified.

The loss of any trees seems counterproductive to what SWCD is all about. The SWCD is proud of the lowlands reforestation project that has been happening on the other side of MYPath, right across from the new treeless area. The reforestation project includes the "food forest" and the "tree tubes" along the trail. Won't we miss the trees that were removed?

Well, there were a lot of invasive mulberry trees and other plants. To replace them, tree plugs have been replanted along the bank. You can see them right now. At this point, they are sticks, but this mixture of dogwood, willow, and sycamores will grow to bring back tree cover and help hold the bank.

The bank itself will be further stabilized by grasses and other plants. You can see the heavy mats along the slope and the straw mats along the level areas. These mats hold the seeds in place for growth this spring. The large rocks at the bottom of the slope provide protection for the lower bank, but I'm excited to see the natural plants protecting the majority of the slope.

Your third reaction will be to gasp at the large gouge in the shoreline that is caused by erosion. If you had been studying overhead images of the river on GIS maps and photographs, you were aware of the impact. But now, with the trees and vegetation removed, the damage is obvious to any MYPath walker.

MYPath has become an important community asset, and I'm pleased with this project to keep it from washing away. Special thanks to Devin Brown who received the initial design grant from LARE. Sean Huss submitted the first construction grant. Current SWCD Director Tammy Bingham got the project across the finish line and has received planning grants for the next sections of the riverbank that need help. Thank you to the Indiana DNR for the LARE grant, and thanks to the organizations that provided matching funds including the Soil and Water Conservation District, Owen County Community Foundation, Owen County and the Town of Spencer. The county and town funding came from Indiana Riverboat proceeds, so no local property tax dollars were used.