Traveling Along the Kalamazoo River Oil Spill

Frank Szollosi travels down the Kalamazoo River along with 1 million gallons of oil that are flowing towards Lake Michigan.

The morning of Thursday, July 29 found me by the Kalamazoo River in Comstock, Michigan, just downstream from the Morrow Hydroelectric Dam.

Download a map of the area impacted by the Michigan Oil Spill >>

At sunrise I identified several trumpeter swans, Canadian geese and dozens of American black ducks resting alongside a very high and fast Kalamazoo River. These birds were thankfully mostly clean. I resolved that I'd end the day back along the water in Comstock to see if these birds made it for at least one day without being coated in oil. 

Traveling east, Morrow Pond on the Kalamazoo River looked crystal clear. The notion that 1 million gallons of oil threatened this natural treasure was both unbelievable and infuriating - especially as I was aware of the checkered history of pipeline safety in Michigan and Enbridge's involvement with incredibly destructive tar sands oils.

After a long day working my way upstream, with stops in Galesburg, Fort Custer State Park, Battle Creek, Ceresco and three different sites in Marshall, Michigan, I returned to Morrow Pond and the birds I had seen so early in the morning in Comstock. At least for now, in this pond, the waters and wildlife have been spared. Whether it was the hydrology of rivers, good luck, or the recovery efforts of the State of Michigan and the company responsible for the catastrophe, just before sunset I could see fish under the surface at Morrow Pond.

We'll keep tracking the progress of the oil containment efforts and impacts to wildlife as the oil continues to flow east down the Kalamazoo River.

And for now, enjoy your two minutes of zen watching the swans, geese and ducks that who are safe, for now, from the 1 millions gallons of oil coating the river just upstream.