By Denis LeDuc
Draining 760 square miles of southeastern Michigan and 1,000 miles of feeder streams, the 80-mile long main branch of the Clinton River flows directly through the vital heart of our county. As demonstrated by this high-resolution digital print, made from an original glass negative circa 1890, the River has long been a source of pure recreation and enjoyment for all of us.
The gentleman rower, dressed in his “Sunday” best, is enjoying a leisurely outing on the River as he stops pulling his oars and poses for the shutter. His boat is beautifully constructed with sleek narrow lines, a slight flare to the bow, rounded maneuverability for navigating turns and snags in the River, it would be very responsive to the pull of the oars by our veteran riverman – perhaps even able to turn about in its own length in the River’s currents. A worn footpath along the riverbank appears in the foreground to the left, and can buoys mark the River’s main channel in the background.
With greatly improved water quality through volunteer clean ups, restoration of wetland, and citizen/government partnership, we continue to enjoy the leisurely recreational pleasure of boating, canoeing and kayaking our treasured River.
