Portage paths constructed at Wagaman Mill

Employees of the Jasper County Conservation Board, plus a couple of volunteers, spent a blustery Wednesday in Lynnville, making it easier for canoeists to enjoy a ride down the North Skunk River. The group spent the day building a pair of portage paths, places where travelers on the river, in canoes or small boats or inner tubes, can circumnavigate the dam at Wagaman Mill. Cory Van Zante of Sully Construction used a backhoe to create the initial paths from the river’s edge both upstream and downstream from the dam. Then an erosion control fabric was laid down with “Geo-Webbing” on top of that to hold the gravel in place. Recycled railroad ties were added to create steps. Others working Wednesday included Conservation Board employees Keri Va