Floating breakfast

50 miles yesterday. Mile 113.
Like yesterday I’m floating mid-channel with the engine off, eating breakfast.  No traffic either direction. It’s a good time to write.
Last night I anchored behind Fish Creek Island. The thing to know about islands is that on the downstream end there is a sand bar.  Actually a mud bar. The last of the day was hot from the low angle sun.   Shade from an island tree and the downstream breeze made for a comfortable anchor site.  I rowed in.  I don’t believe I have mentioned that I rigged oar locks on my gunnels, and use my long sculling oars.  The oars are from my rowing shell.  This is the boat’s auxiliary power, to safely slide into shallow waters without the risk of damaging the propeller.

 At one in the morning, the wind came up, and there was heat lightning all around. I got up and let out some more anchor lining. As I did this, there was a huge splashing in the water not very far away.   The disturbance was visible, but not the animal.  I picture something in the shape or nature of an otter.  Further south I would be sure it was an alligator!
Just upstream was a nuclear power plant.  I did some online search about it, but did not learn anything.  I did learn more about the river’s pollution. Here is an article.
https://www.newsrecord.org/news/environmental-protection-agency-calls-ohio-river-the-most-polluted-in/article_5d6a04a6-9304-11e5-bf5c-c70efe02bafb.html
What caught my eye was 380 pounds of mercury. ANY level of mercury is toxic to living things. The article is very perceptive on the shortcomings of the study. The article did not say much about the Toxic Release Inventory.  Most people think that the EPA does the measurements. Not true. They are self-reported by the industries.  We can assume the results are not overstated.
On the more cheerful note, here’s  an answer about the prospects of power generation at a dam.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.timesonline.com/news/20190111/proposed-hydroelectric-plant-on-ohio-river-still-in-works%3ftemplate=ampart






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