The 2014 River Steward Cohort; Dayton's Newest Student Leaders

River trip inspires UD students:
Kayakers will be happy to see the low dam gone from downtown Dayton.

By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer
Updated 12:35 AM Thursday, August 18, 2011

DAYTON — Sun-kissed and a little damp, dozens of University of Dayton students, faculty, staff and collaborators hauled kayaks and gear out of the Great Miami River and walked them by the Monument Avenue low dam downtown Wednesday afternoon before re-entering the water on the other side.
It was the third of four portages required during a two-day educational trip from the Taylorsville Dam to Sunwatch Indian Village. It’s an annual trip with overnight camping along the river organized by UD, but many hope it will be the last time the Monument Avenue low dam portage is necessary.
Plans are under way to demolish and remove the hazardous low dam and install two rock structures that would provide safe passage for canoes and kayaks.
The plans got a boost last month when executives with Cox Enterprises, the parent company of the Dayton Daily News, announced that the James M. Cox Foundation will provide a $1 million challenge grant toward the estimated $4 million project.
It’s a top priority for the Downtown Dayton Plan, which calls for attracting thousands of people to live in a revitalized downtown. According to the latest projections, construction would begin in early 2013.
On Wednesday night, Dayton City Commission voted 5-0 to approve a resolution asking the Miami Conservancy District to transfer all rights, title and interest in the Dayton Low Dam to Five Rivers MetroParks so the dam can be removed and the river kayak project can go forward.
“We’re happy to see this project moving along,” said Leslie King, coordinator of the University’s Rivers Institute.
She said the Institute has been “a vocal advocate for removal of the low dam since 2006, primarily for safety reasons and also to improve the ecological and economic health of the river. We want to see people back in the water, enjoying their rivers.”
Staff Writer Jeremy P. Kelley contributed to this report.

A new face for the Website

If you visit rivers.udayton.edu anytime soon you might notice a few changes! This summer we completely revamped the website with a new look and a new structure, complete with room to grow as our programming continues to grow. We think the new site fits better with the rest of our publications and represents who we are as the Rivers Institute. Below you'll see a screenshot of the new website and a screenshot of the old website for comparison. We hope you'll like the new look!

Progress!

Plan To Improve Great Miami River Gets $1M Boost

DAYTON, Ohio -- Every year someone is killed or injured on the low dam of the Great Miami River near downtown Dayton.Now, plans to remove that dangerous dam, may be closer to a reality.Cox Media Group Ohio announced Tuesday that the James M. Cox Foundation is making a $1 million challenge grant to remove the low day and develop recreational opportunities along the river.

DAYTON: $1 Million Gives Boost To River Plan

The $4 million project will remove the low dam and replace it with two scenic drops designed for paddling. It is the top priority of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan because of its potential economic impact on the area. It is part of a continuing effort to develop recreational opportunities in our area and improve the environmental health of the river.

"The James M. Cox Foundation and Cox Enterprises are strong believers in doing what we can to make a lasting impact on our natural resources. This project is a great example of that," said Jim Kennedy, chairman of Cox Enterprises. "We all need to do our part, and my hope is that this gift will inspire others to make a difference and get this critical project done. "The Monument Ave. dam is large, five feet high and 472-feet long. Officials said it is both a safety hazard and a major obstacle that must be overcome to redevelop the area.Dusty Hall of the Miami Conservancy District took a WHIO-TV crew to within a few hundred feet of the dam in a kayak. As they approached the dam, they could only hear the traffic above and not the water churning below."That's a very dangerous hydraulic which can trap boaters and it's dangerous and could be deadly," said Hall.The dam was built in 1978 for recreation, not flood control as many people believe. Now, planners said the only way to safely open up the river to boaters is to remove the dam.For many decades, city leaders turned their backs on the river and now they want to embrace it."The flood of 1913 gave us a great opportunity because it kind of kept all of that industry back from the river that a lot of other cities have. Our river is kind of sitting and waiting for us to reclaim it," said Carrie Scarff, Deputy Director of Five Rivers Metro Parks.The dam will be replaced by two water features where the river can flow and boaters can pass through safely downstream. People who kayak will have a safe place to play in the river."These amenities are huge economic development tools. We really think that it's going to boost the economy and help create jobs," said Dr. Mike Ervin, Co-Chair of the Downtown Dayton Partnership.Ervin is one of the promoters of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan and its proposed river run at RiverScape. He said the city already has people fishing, jogging and biking here and Irvin believes adding kayaks and canoes will attract more young professionals to the city."This project is critical to a vibrant downtown, but it is much more. "It will contribute to the economic development of our entire region, whether you live in Tipp City or Centerville," said Irvin.The dam is the only thing standing in the way of connecting by water, Wright Patterson Air Force Base and the University of Dayton.Hall said, "Removal of this dam will create a connection between two significant economic drivers of our region, create a tourist attraction and an opportunity for folks visiting the Air Force Museum or Carillon Park, to add to their visit here."The challenge grant from the James M. Cox Foundation will be made to the friends of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan Fund at the Dayton Foundation.Cox Media Group Vice President Julia Wallace will be working with community leaders to raise the remaining $3 million as quickly as possible."Our rivers are beautiful and a great resource for the area. The more we can make them a prime attraction for residents and tourists, the better. The river can and should be a focal point for the community," said Wallace.Last year, former CMGO Market Vice President Alex Taylor, great grandson of the late Gov. James M. Cox, committed the company's focus on resolving the low dam issue and led the company in its first participation at Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River.In the last two years, CMGO employees have cleared more than 7,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from the river.

River Day in Sidney

The River Stewards traveled to Sidney for a River Day with students from Kindergarten to 3rd grader to talk about water safety and recreation on the rivers or other bodies of water. The field day event took place at Tawawa park and River Stewards took students out in canoes to put safety skills into action, while enjoying being outside. For many of the students it was their first time in a boat. The Rivers Institute was highlighted in an article in the Sidney Daily News.


The experience with the students, especially at their young age was a great addition to our educational outreach efforts! Seeing students, especially at their age, making connections to the water surrounding them was amazing. It is also so beneficial to continue to gain a regional perspective of our efforts surrounding the rivers.



Sorry, we are unable to access the article on-line, so it is pictured below.

Paddle in the Park

Paddle in the Park was on June 4th this year held by Five Rivers MetroParks at Eastwood MetroPark. The Summer River Steward Interns volunteered their help and expertise with the event. Alex G. and Bethany R. were safety boaters out on the lake keeping people within the designated safety area while Jenny B., Nicole G., Lindsay R., Taylor P., and I helped fit people into boats and get them into the water. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. There were over 1,000 people who filled out release forms to get in the water and many others who visited the 15+ exhibitor's tents. Overall, it was an amazing day. I got to help so many adults, children, and families into kayaks and canoes. I also got to pet more than 10 dogs and two MetroParks horses. It was an amazing day. The River Stewards are also known for getting their friends to come out and participate in MetroPark events like GearFest. We got several of our friends to come to the park and try out the boats. They all thoroughly enjoyed themselves and said so several times. It was just so nice to see all the people out padding around in boats and trying out paddle boards. All the events put on by MetroParks are great. But by being a River Steward and getting involved, it really makes me love the city of Dayton so much more. Maybe I'll stay here after college.

Rivermobile Planning, June 2nd

Last Thursday, June 2nd was the kick-off meeting for the design phase of the Rivermobile. River Steward summer interns along with faculty met to brainstorm potential ideas of goals and student learning outcomes gained through the Rivermobile. Steve Wilhoit, Director of Writing, Research, and New Media, helped the group with a process for brainstorming ideas. Small groups organized thoughts into charts based on skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are beneficial to students participating in the Rivermobile, as well as undergraduate students who will plan and execute it.

These ideas will be formed into student learning outcomes that will be distributed and discussed at the Rivermobile Planning Workshop on June 16th. Below are a couple pictures from the day.

SOCHE Presentation

Sarah, McLean, and I presented at the 2011 Ohio Higher Education Sustainability Conference. The conference took place at Sinclair Community College and was hosted by the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) and the Ohio Board of Regents. The event hosted various speakers on higher education and the work being done to collaborate and provide students and the community opportunities to become more sustainable. We shared with the group the Rivers Institute and highlighted the many projects we participate in with U.D. and the community.

Sarah shared information on the Rivers Institute and our goals to connect U.D. and the community to the river. Also, she described our dedication to undergraduate education and research based on the river.
McLean and I were able to share our experiences as part of the Rivers Institute and their connections to collaboration. McLean discussed how her experiences in mini-course have impacted her views on environmental/social justice policies and acquiring an internship with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality.
I talked about how experiences in the River Stewards program have impacted my view on education as well as the immeasurable experience being the educational outreach intern has lent to my views on community engagement and role as a future teacher.