Rake Tossing!

So, when a lake or river is un-divable, because of pollution, minimal clarity, or unsafe currents, we have to rake toss to gather plant samples. A rake toss is literally throwing a rake into the water at a specific interval, and 'soft dredging' it along the bottom as you pull it back to you on the shore (Photo LEFT, Crew leader, Erick tossing a rake into the Ohio River, Kentucky side). The rake method is not the most efficient, but it serves the purpose. When we come up to a boat ramp and we need to perform a rake toss, we will do two rakes tosses at 10 meters for five intervals starting from the boat ramp in both directions. This means we complete 24 rake tosses along each site, which is enough exposure to collect any aquatic plant that may be at a particular boat ramp.

During the past weekend, June 5th and 6th, my boss Erick and I went along the Indiana and the Kentucky side of the Ohio river and preformed rake tosses. The Ohio river is disgusting. It is murky, muddy, foamy, full of trash and pollution. I can't imagine that people actually fish for food in that river. It has been at the center of industry since the birth of industry in the United States and you can tell. When standing on the shore, the river smells of rotting fish and sewage, and I swear my feet tingle after only submerging my toes for the second when I have to take a temperature reading and water sample.

My boss told me that he read about the Ohio river from the Luis and Clark expeditions, in which they described it as 'epitome of wilderness' and wrote of instances where squirrels were swimming from one side of the river to the other right in front of their boats! I am sure the squirrels don't venture near the Ohio river now. Anyone who doubts anthropogenic involvement in the degradation of natural resources; take a wade into the Ohio...I dare you.

(Top: The Ohio in it's fabulous glory ; Middle Left: a alligator gar washed up, this fish was sooo cool ; Middle Right: A pretty park beach on the Ohio, Kentucky side where I know little kids go swimming every summer - so sad the water is probably toxic.

2nd to Bottom : Even the locals know its not safe ; Bottom: Yep, industry has always been apart of the Ohio river. )