Lake Vermillion - up the west side into the east fork of the Vermillion River

Taking advantage of a cooler day with light winds, I decided to go out to the Lake Vermillion State Recreation Area for a cruise up the west side of the main body into the east fork of the Vermillion River. Lake Vermillion is shaped rather like the letter “J” with the main part of the lake running north and south. At the south end of the lake is a dam along with an arm that extends to the west up into the marshes of the Battle Creek area. The main part of the lake extends north about three miles from the dock in the park to the entrance into the east fork of the Vermillion River. As a paddler travels north on the lake, the body narrows at the northern end where it runs into the river. There is little current in the river because of the impoundment, but there is good depth for at least a couple of miles, and perhaps further. The surface area of the lake is 513 acres, nearly six times as large as Lake Alvin.


There are three bays along the west side of the lake that extend inland. I like moving up these waterways to check out the wildlife and flora. In one of the bays, I found both the underwater and surface plant growth to be so heavy that I just glided along on top of the plant material using the flat surface of my paddle. In the largest bay, there is a feeder creek coming into the lake, but there was a barbed wire fence a little way in that closed off further entry.


I was particularly interested in moving up into the Vermillion River, and arrived at that point about an hour and fifteen minutes into the cruise. There was a wind out of the north at about 15 mph, and I thought that the return trip back to the dock would be easy. I brought along my sail, and the plan was to continue up into the river for a couple of miles and then to use the sail to ease my paddling back to the dock. So, I continued up the river until I reached a light tower that was visible way back on the main body of the lake. This tower, I think, must be a signal used by the airport to keep aircraft on a glide path to the runway further east. At least, there is a white beacon light flashing from the top and no other obvious function for the tower. The river was full and the water was deep across the entire channel. After about two hours of paddling, I wanted to get out of the boat and walk around a bit. Unfortunately, however, there was no place to easily get ashore. The water was deep right up to a vertical bank, and then big marsh plants were thick alongside. This situation makes getting out of a kayak a little tricky. There were no shelving areas along the course of the river for that entire two miles or so.

There was lots of bird life along the marshes and in the river, including great blue heron, egrets, and hawks. I did not see any pelicans today, nor were there any geese. While not present in overwhelming numbers, there were a few jumping carp; in fact, my kayak was struck a couple of times by surfacing carp.


When I got as far up the river as I wanted to go, I got my sail ready and anticipated a leisurely ride back to the dock with a nice assist from the steady 15 mph breeze out of the north. To my chagrin, however, I found that I had left the mast step to hold the sail onto the boat in the trunk of my car. So, I had the sail but no step to secure it to the hull. The plan for a five-mile ride in the shade back to the dock was shattered. I was also pooping out from the long paddle into the wind. The long slog back down the lake and over to the dock was tedious: 100 driving strokes, 100 easy strokes, a few minutes of holding the sail up like an umbrella – a routine that kept me moving. I just churned down the middle of the lake trying to cut corners and keep into the following wind.

Finally, I arrived back at the dock after my three-hour paddle with no stop. Fortunately, there is a toilet situated just at the head of the dock within the recreation area.

Heading up the west side of the lake and into the river is a very nice cruise. I especially like moving up into the river and all the wildlife that offers. It is also a very isolated area with no powerboats nor anybody fishing. I like this sort of environment, and it is too bad that such a long paddle up the lake seems to always be associated with this cruise. There must be an access point further north, but I haven’t found it as yet. Of course, the cruise would have been a lot easier if I had carefully checked all my gear to ensure that everything was set. It was disappointing not to be able to sail back as I had envisioned.

Interested readers can check out other observations of my cruises on Lake Vermillion by accessing the link on the right side of the blog.

Water Sampling at Diamond Lake 2009

This year, as it did last year, the South Dakota Canoe Association took part in monitoring an area waterway through the collection of water samples and making observations under the direction of Dakota Water Watch. A fleet of seven kayaks and three canoes gathered at the public access area for Diamond Lake for an orientation to the mission. In teams, the boats set out to designated spots on the lake to collect samples, determine water depth, clarity of the water, weather conditions, and make other observations of the lake. The data will be analyzed by Dakota Water Watch to provide baseline information that should facilitate the ongoing monitoring of water conditions on the lake.


Each team was equipped with a depth-sounding device to determine both depth and clarity of the water. Each team also collected samples of water at assigned positions on the lake.

This lake is fed by a creek at the northern end and ends in a dam at the south end. The dam is wide enough to handle vehicle traffic including farm equipment. Diamond Lake is a popular spot in the area for fishing, and there were fishermen on the dam as well as in boats.

As always in an event of this nature, solitude is replaced with camaraderie, and there was a sense of fellowship among the paddlers as they moved about the lake.

When I set out from Sioux Falls this morning, the winds were calm and the temperature was in the high 50s. On the lake, the wind came up a little and was blowing about 10 miles an hour – just enough to produce some small waves. Such a large crowd on the water must have discouraged the pelicans. The island at the south end of the lake where they tend to hang out was deserted.

This was a pleasant morning, a good time to laugh it up with paddling pals. It was also a good public service project that keeps the SDCA engaged in doing good works.

Upcoming Service Project: This Wednesday, July 22, in the late afternoon, the SDCA will be engaged in a river “clean-up” project along the Big Sioux River in Sioux Falls. Details of this project can be found on the SDCA web site: http://sdcka.blogspot.com. For those who can get away for an hour or so, this is a good opportunity to contribute toward this public service event.

The Big Sioux River: Klondike Dam to Canton

This morning I stood alone on the foot bridge on the downside of the Klondike dam on the Big Sioux River in a heavy downpour. The rain had been falling for an hour or so and rain-laden clouds were still rolling in from the west. The planned South Dakota Canoe Association (SDCA) cruise on the Big Sioux River for today seemed unlikely to take place. Then another car arrived on the scene, and then another. The cruise was planned to get underway at 9:00 a.m. sharp this Sunday. By about 9:20 or so, the rain had largely stopped and SDCA members had arrived. The cruise director, Larry Braaten, organized a shuttle plan in which most cars would be driven to the river access point on the south side of Canton. Shortly after 10:00 a.m., a fleet of nine kayaks and one canoe set out from the public access area on the South Dakota side of the Big Sioux just below the dam. As we launched, the sun came out, and the paddlers began removing rain gear in favor of short-sleeved shirts.


The trip downstream for this segment is 12 miles, and a three-hour cruise was anticipated. There has been a great deal of rain this summer, which has kept the river at a high level. Along with good depth, there was a strong current flowing. It seems that the river flowing south from Sioux Falls is made up of 12 mile segments: Lien Park in Sioux Falls to the Big Sioux Recreation Area, The BSRA to Lake Alvin, Lake Alvin to the Klondike, and the Klondike to Canton. Each of these segments takes about three hours to paddle. The river gets a little deeper and wider as it flows south. This segment from Klondike to Canton is scenic with some very high banks, especially on the Iowa side, and a set of rolling hills, also largely on the Iowa side. The banks are heavily forested. Some exceptionally tall Cottonwood trees are found close to the banks along the way.


The river was free of “strainers” or any other obstruction. We passed through the remains of a set of two serious strainers from last year that blocked the river. That is the site where two Sioux Falls kayakers had an upset that landed them in the water scrambling to hang on to branches of a strainer while their kayaks were swept downstream.


We were accompanied for quite a way by a pair of large great blue heron who would sweep up ahead of us and just move on downstream until we again spooked them. They kept just ahead of us for miles. In addition, we saw an eagle, many hawks, and several large owls. Some of the party observed beaver, but I did not see any myself.

This segment of the river is characterized by a pretty straight course for several miles. There was a south wind that cooled us off but did not markedly inhibit our progress.

There is a spot about 8 miles from the put-in at the bridge over Highway 18 with a concrete launching ramp that provides a good stretch spot along the route. While we were shaking it out at this point about two-thirds of the way along our route, a pickup approached with two canoes in the back. Six people piled into the canoes and set off downstream. We passed them very quickly after setting off. The access points along this segment of the river offers a good paddling opportunity for causal boating, and these young people seemed to be having a fine time.

The cruise this morning and early afternoon really turned out well in spite of the rain that nearly derailed the trip. SDCA cruises are always a time for fellowship and cooperation. The conversation is easy and the pace pretty steady. Arranging a shuttle is one of the best aspects of a group cruise, and this one worked exceptionally well. One of the paddlers on this cruise was in a kayak for the first time. Others have expedition quality skills and stamina. As is nearly always the case now, I was the oldest paddler on the cruise – older by four years than the next in line.