Larry wrote; (SNIP) >are sewer waves frequent? >any paddlers familiar with *sewer tidal waves*? > > Sewer waves (Sewernami?) are common. The cause is simple enough. Cities have huge areas of paving that funnels water into the storm sewer systems. Heavy downpours overload the system and out it comes in a rush. Not unlike the effect of clear cutting on rivers although considerably more concentrated. Here in southern Ontario where landowners have been restricting use of traditional portages and essentially cutting off access to whitewater rivers we were forced to find an alternative. The alternative was the storm sewer system in Toronto. A few of the Wilderness Canoe Associations more daring members ran the Bathurst Street sewer in 1992 and have since run sewers in many other cities. We named our group the WCA Sewer Surfers. For a few years we advertised out rips in the WCA newsletter (Nastawgan) but complaints about the dangers and questionable legality of the practice forced us underground. People who know little about sewers do not know that there are two systems under most cities. A sanitary sewer system that carries everything that gets flushed down the toilet and storm sewers that carry the runoff from streets etc. Even so we still take advantage of spring run-off and the occasional heavy rain storms to do some quick runs down to the harbour where one can get a thrill popping out on the chute. Sewer surfing is dangerous and one should not attempt it without thoroughly studying the system. Some sewers have steep vertical drops and the turbulence at sewer intersections effectively mimics a washing machine. Practised with proper precautions I believe it no more dangerous normal whitewater paddling. The greatest danger is when the overload causes mixing with the sanitary sewer system. Also dangerous is paddling after prolonged drought. Then oil and such from streets are flushed down in high concentrations. While drowned cats and dogs are frequently encountered only once has anyone encountered a drowned human and then they were of great service to the police in solving a murder since they where the body came from. Cheers, John Winters Redwing Designs Specialists in Human Powered Watercraft http://home.ican.net/~735769/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sun Aug 02 1998 - 05:52:24 PDT
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