Small Towns, Wisconsin Southwest Region Summer 2014

In the case of severe weather, sit tight! Find a stand of trees or shoreline to take shelter under and ride it out. Emergency rescue services are available via 911 throughout the riverway. If you find yourself in need of immediate evacuation, you should call 911. Make sure you’re able to identify your approximate location on the map so that rescue personnel won’t have trouble finding you. Rules and Regulations Bring garbage bags to pack out all of your trash. The riverway is a Leave-No-Trace environment which means no garbage containers of any kind are provided along the riverway or its landings. If you bring it to the river, take it out of the river. Also, be aware that absolutely no glass of any kind is allowed on the water (this includes pickle jars, beer bottles, etc). This is strictly enforced by the DNR and can result in fines of up to $739. Wardens will often ask to check your coolers. Campfires are allowed in the riverway. The only thing to be aware of here is that any firewood brought into the riverway has to have been harvested within 25 miles of where it is burned. This is a state law, and it’s not unheard of for state troopers to issue tickets when crossing the Illinois/Wisconsin border with firewood. In times of extreme drought, a fire ban may be issued but this is very rare. When your fire has been extinguished and cooled, always cover it up so that no trace of a makeshift fire pit remains. Keeping all of these things in mind should allow you to have a great trip and thoroughly enjoy what makes the Wisconsin River one of the best rivers in the country. Ryan Schmudlach is the owner of Wisconsin Canoe Company, running shuttles and handling the back office. As a recent convert to the WI River, Ryan has only been exploring Wisconsin waters for the past 6 years. Wisconsin Canoe Company www.thebestcanoecompanyever.com www.facebook.com/wiscanoe Phone: 608.432.5058 Also at: www.Facebook.com/SmallTownsWI | www.Twitter.com/SmallTownsWI Local Expert p.25

Small Towns, Wisconsin Southwest Region Summer 2014 | Page 25