Cairns in the creek

[RobertH]

These cairns in the creek seem to spring up from time to time - cool landscape art
   

[O'B's]

The person who creates them is part Native American, and they honor the four directions. I've had the opportunity to meet and encourage him, I use them as water level markers and appreciate the stone art!

[Nancy Farmer]

I've been wondering about them - I love 'em! Thanks for the information, O'B! (And Robert for the photo.)

[Steven B in PV]

With respect, I want to offer an alternate view of piling rocks in the river.  While the forms can be interesting, and sometimes artsy, they detract from the natural beauty of the stream, damage the riverine ecosystem, and encourage others to believe such injury is acceptable.

Any disturbance of the river bottom scrapes and smashes aquatic insects such as stonefly and mayfly larvae and the plant life that they rely on.  Turn over any stone in the water to see how much life is active there.  Fish, birds and many other animals rely on the interconnected ecosystem.

The waters running through Jamestown are still in recovery from decades of mining, with leachates continuing to limit the health and abundance of aquatic life.  Aquatic life is an important resource for land animals, birds, fish, and aquatic insects.  (One way or another, all animal life on this planet consumes other animal life.)  Bear, river otter, mink, and raccoon eat the fish.  Moose and beaver consume aquatic plants.  Trout, and birds such as Belted Kingfisher, Spotted Sandpiper and American Dipper forage on both aquatic insects and small fish to survive. 
 
Consider the dipper nest boxes placed by Michelle under bridges in Jamestown.  It is a town treasure that residents can watch these remarkable birds diving into the rushing river water to feed and sing their bright song year around.

Please take a minute to read the excellent article by Greg Lowell, a writer for the (Lyons) Redstone Review.  Greg explains the issue better than I can, and he touches on the social motivations driving the new age practice.  “Stacking rocks in the river creates damage to the river environment”, is found on page 11 of the Sept/Oct 2021 issue.  See:  https://issuu.com/sdcmc/docs/redstone_septoct_2021

Artistic rock cairns might have a place in a sterile urban environment.   But if Jamestown is Bolderized what’s left may not be the unique mountain town of Jamestown but just another suburb of the big city.  The natural integrity of James Creek is worth preserving.