Dartmouth Ledyard Canoe Club members Nate Goss ’16, Alex Lochoff ’17, and Jake Lyon ’17 offer their views on dams and the Mascoma: the intrinsic value of rivers lies in their ability to flow freely.
Jake Lyon ’17
“I love rivers. I’m an earth science major and hydrology is what got me into it. I take as many water classes as I can. I’m the type of person who, when I’m driving and I cross a bridge over a river, I take my eyes off the road to look at the river (laughs). I think rivers are so special. They’re so beautiful and dynamic, and they’re really incredible forces in terms of their ability to shape the Earth, to renew. With the exception of dams, they have the ability to self-correct, self-clean. From an earth science perspective, that’s one of the negative things about dams: they prevent a river from doing what a natural river aims to do. I think they’re just such fascinating, important things. I’m really captivated by rivers.” Jake Lyon ’17
Alex Lochoff ’17
“I think what makes water special is that it’s the one outdoor sport that I can identify that doesn’t require any trail. The way a river flows is very pure and natural. When you’re paddling on a river, there’s no sign of human interaction. Water is the most dynamic element that we surround ourselves with. If you did a roller coaster over and over it would get boring, but you can do a paddling route 100 times and it’s different every time.” Alex Lochoff ’17.
Nate Goss ’16
“Being near water is human. When you look at civilization, communities grow around rivers. They’re central to life. People are so happy to be on rivers.” Nate Goss ’16