About SRP

ABOUT SRP Skunk River Water Trail River Gauges News and Events Photos Blog

The Skunk River Paddlers (a.k.a. SRP, the Skunks, or the 'Paddlers) are a loosely organized group of outdoor enthusiasts. Our group began as an unofficial satellite chapter of the Central Iowa Paddlers, but rapidly evolved into an energetic team of paddling and river advocates. Please contact us at skunkriverpaddlers@gmail.com.

We've switched from Yahoo Groups to Groups.io. You may subscribe at Skunks.groups.io, and once there can also subscribe to "subgroups" according to your personal interests. Please include your name and a brief introduction.
The South Skunk River is on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/southskunk
A committee of SRP members led an effort to bring an accessible canoe and kayak launch and dock to Ada Hayden Park. The dock was installed in August and a ribbon cutting has been scheduled for September 21st. You'll find updates on Facebook at AccessAdaHayden and on our Blog Page.
This site is currently under (re)construction. Old SRP pages can still be found at http://skunkriverpaddlers.org/index-old.html

You're welcome to join in!

Paddle at the Park: Between Memorial Day and Labor Day the Skunks meet Wednesdays at ~ 7 pm to paddle and socialize (and eat!) at Ada Hayden Park. Weekend plans are often made among the paddlers in attendance.

Our river trips are often announced only days (and sometimes hours) in advance, but scheduled events include the Pancake Paddle, the Waffle Float and the South Skunk Spring Float.

The annual Pancake (December) and Waffle (March) events begin with breakfast at the Iowa Arboretum. Only rarely are our plans thwarted by weather or ice!

Spring Festival: Since 2001 we have volunteered at the Story County Conservation Partners Spring Festival, and it ranks among our favorite events. For many this is their first time paddling. We do our best to make it a good experience, and occasionally get to experience that feeling again by paddling with them!

Trash Patrols: Paddlers dislike seeing things that don't belong in our rivers, and the Skunks are among the many avid paddlers and volunteers who routinely work to remove boat-loads of litter, discarded items and "legacy trash." The Skunks are very well represented on Iowa Project AWARE, a week-long river cleanup held on a different river each year.

Adopt a Park and Stash the Trash: In April 2002 the Skunks were the first to "Adopt a Park" (the Sleepy Hollow Access) under Story County Conservation's new Adopt-a Park program, then participated in the inaugural Stash the Trash event.

River safety: Knowledge and skill help keep a paddler safe. But as time and water levels allow, we attempt to clear just enough of a strainer or obstruction to allow safe passage, and sometimes work with local agencies and landowners to manage larger blockages.

(Woody debris provides important habitat for many aquatic organisms, large and small, so removal is not our goal.)

Water Trails: Our involvement in water trail development began with improvements to the E18 (Lekwa) Access in 2001. That project led to a federal trails grant which involved construction of "Small Footprint Water Accesses" and installation of water trail signage. The DNR's Water Trail Program has evolved since those early efforts and on the 24th of June, 2020, the South Skunk in Story County was officially designated as a State Water Trail!

GAAR: The Skunk River Paddlers have been a co -organizer of the Great Ames Adventure Race (GAAR) since the inaugural event in 2007. This amateur paddle/bike/run athletic event is designed for participation by individuals, groups, and families of all skill levels. Proceeds are donated to local nonprofits and community projects.

Pack the Park: In 2013 the Skunk River Paddlers teamed up with JAX Outdoor Gear to hold an event at Ada Hayden Heritage Park. The AWARE Race (named for the Project AWARE) involved loading a canoe with truck tubes and completing a course around the lake. Proceeds were donated to the Friends of Ada Hayden Heritage Park.

Environmental education: By definition, rivers are supposed to have water flowing through them, and for over 10,000 years the South Skunk was no exception. But due to changes in land use and the rapid conveyance of rainfall, the river is now known to be “flashy,” with rapidly fluctuating flows, damaging floods and destructive droughts. This photo of the Skunks by Diane Lowry (featured in an issue of the DNR's Iowa Outdoors magazine) demonstrates the loss of environmental and recreational opportunities.

Fall camp and paddle: As the end of the season approaches you may find the Skunks, families and friends on an annual fall camping and paddling weekend. The outing consists of day of paddling, a campfire, a midnight hike, more paddling and way too much food.