Our Coordinator
Ivan Bartha
Ivan graduated from Northern Michigan University with a Bachelors in Outdoor Recreation. He received his Masters of Science in Education from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
Regional Outdoor Recreation
Canoeing & Kayaking Information
Current water levels can be found on the DNR & USGS websites.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/river_levels/levels.html?id=mississippi
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mn/nwis/uv?05270700
Wear a life jacket! Your PFD (personal floatation device) is your first line of defense against drowning. Proper PFD selection and fit is critical. Remember that a life jacket does you no good if you don’t wear it. More information about PFD selection is in a file from the American Canoe Association.
http://www.acanet.org/PDF/lifejacketsmatter.pdf
Kids need to wear life jackets too! Proper PFD fit and selection is even more important with children since they vary so much in size. Stearns, Inc. has developed a great program for parents that teach you how to properly fit your child for a PFD. The program is called Rise To The Top and is an excellent resource.
http://www.risetothetop.org/
Most of the year, the water in Minnesota is just plain cold. Be prepared for the cold and understand the basic signs & symptoms of hypothermia. Proper preparation is key in preventing hypothermia. The American Canoe Association offers some great resources in understanding and preparing for cold water conditions.
http://www.acanet.org/safety/coldwater.lasso
The Safety Code from American Whitewater is a great resource for planning a river trip and considering the risk management involved. While much of it is designed for avid whitewater paddlers it transfers to recreational boaters equally well.
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/safety:start
