De-Stress Outdoors

Ohio River

Vevay, IN (Mile 538) to Markland Dam (Mile 532.5)

October 2015

(Navigation Charts 101 and 102)

Putting in from Vevay, Indiana is a real pleasure. The town has a great feel to it. It's actually pronounced "VeeVee" as per a gentleman I met at the town ramp. When you're here you're in Switzerland County. I've written before about the Kentucky River and about how the very first commercial vineyard in the United States was started there by a gentleman named John James DuFour. Well, long story short, things didn't work out there and he eventually moved the operation here. There's a great writeup on all this here.

Anyway, the town has a very nice ramp that lies within a large park along the waterfront. It's called Paul Ogle Riverfront Park after an Indiana philanthropist. This is where I put in, to proceed upstream to the Markland Dam, about 6 miles distant. Note, however, that there is another ramp almost directly across the river amid the community of Ghent, Kentucky (Ghent is on Facebook).

At this point on the river you'll find yourself in the midst of nearly 10 mile straight stretch which runs from about mile 544 to 534, and prominent ahead of you is the Ghent Generating Station just ahead at mile 536. This is a coal fueled operation that's been here since 1973.

A stream, Plum Creek, enters almost directly across from the plant. I wasn't able to get in very far before reaching a deadfall, but the stream did provide for a wider view of the plant along with some other, more pleasant natural scenes...

Emerging from the creek you'll spot another business in Kentucky just down from the power plant. Irving Materials, Inc. (also known as IMI Materials) is a building materials supplier with various operations that span the South and the Midwest. They look to have a pretty large operation here (first photo below).

Also here, but a little receded from the shoreline and a little further upriver, is a large Nucor Steel operation. It was formerly known as Gallatin Steel. Nucor bought it in 2014, but of note between these two businesses is Agniels Creek. It seems to split right between them. I wasn't able to get back very far, but I thought the scenes in the second two photos were intriguing as I paddled back out and looked back over to the Indiana side...

On the Indiana side, which I found to be a little more scenic than industrial today, you'll have some pleasant scenes near what the charts call the Vevay Towhead Bar. Following this, Indiana Route 156 will creep in closer to the river bringing on a string of dwellings, a few of which have their own ramps fashioned from the rocky shoreline.

It was at this point that the Louise S. of Campbell Transportation passed. Campbell is headquartered up near Pittsbugh. They're pretty prominent on the river and I do like it when I encounter these push boats. For me, they add to the appeal of the already pleasant scenes around me. I followed this one as it rounded the right curve and headed up to the dam. I call these push boats rather than tow boats because they push, rather than pull, barges up and down the river.

The photo below was taken in here as well. Note what almost looks like a drill core (the circular looking rock formation in the center). It reminded me of someone... When I was in high school I lived in Houston, Texas. I didn't have a great high school experience, but when I met up with an Amoco geologocial explorer post group I got involved after I met what would be a real mentor and confidant for me. I'd like to dedicate this photo-journal to George Kronman. Unfortunately, I lost touch with my friend and I fear he may no longer be with us. I hope to see you on the other side George!

Before you get to the dam there is a little stream called Log Lick Creek on the left side that you can paddle back into a little way. I think the name is quite appropriate given the photo I took at the mouth of this stream...

The Markland Lock and Dam comes next. That's an Ingram Barge vessel in the second shot. It passed me right after the Campbell vessel did. The dam was completed in 1964 and there's apparently a hydroelectric power operation here. There's also a road going directly across the top of this dam.

From here it was time to head back. I didn't make it to Stephens Creek which is supposedly right up along the right side of the dam. Given the short distance of the streams I'd explored to today, I didn't think I'd get back very far anyway. I may try it another time though. It sure is pleasant out here. Vevay, Indiana. Time well spent!

DIRECTIONS:

The name of the park in Vevay, Indiana is Paul Ogle Riverfront Park. Type that into Google Maps and you'll have it. The ramp is in the midst of this park.