If you live near the Mississippi River, or any river, you have probably gongoozled before. What does gongoozling mean? It’s an old English term that refers to the act of leisurely watching life on waterways. It captures the quiet joy of observing boats float by, locks open and shut, or herons wade through the water. What better way is there to gongoozle than from on the water itself, along with experts to enrich your experience? Join U.S. Army Corps Engineers, Josh Hendrix and Anthony Heddlesten on August 26th or 28th for a Channel Cat Talk, an educational river cruise aboard the Channel Cat Water Taxi, where you’ll be immersed in river activity and learn about the Mississippi. These experts take river experiences to new heights by teaching about history, current happenings, and mechanical operations along the waterway. In other words, they elevate gongoozling to gongooz(learning), helping you better understand, appreciate, and connect with life on the water in deeper ways.
On this Channel Cat Talk, you’ll learn the story of the founding of the USACE by George Washington in 1775 and discuss their agency’s progress over 250 years, up to their current-day efforts to make our waterways cleaner and more navigable. Participants will also have an opportunity to lock through lock and dam 15, the first lock and dam constructed on the Mississippi back in 1934, and learn about why locks were built, how they operate, and what type of upkeep they require to work smoothly.
To learn more and sign up for this Talk or any other Explore the River Series events, visit riveraction.org/education or call River Action at 563-322-2969.
Happy gongoozling!