Another day of chugging along upstream towards home. The river is still rising and is still around 7 feet above normal stage. The current is flowing at 2 mph, sometimes higher. Our normal cruising speed is about 9 mph, so with the current we only make 6 or 7 miles an hour. Makes for a long day of slow going.
We noticed this island full of cormorants and white pelicans. Actually there were 3 islands. We’re guessing all the bird poo killed the trees and vegetation. This might be a nesting area. The white pelicans don’t dive for fish like the brown pelicans. They dip their heads under water and scoop up gizzard shad or emerald shiners. So in other words, I’m thinking they eat minnows. Lots of folks out today enjoying the warmth and water. The water being high makes beaches at a premium. This one is being put to good use.
This work crew is scooping sand off
the bottom and dumping it in a barge.When it is full, they start filling another. This section of the river must be silting in and causing a problem for barge traffic to pass through.
A bit further up the river we saw where they were unloading the sand. Looks like they are creating an island. You can see how high up the water is on the trunks of trees. 
Our destination for the night was Dubuque. Their courthouse is quite impressive.
It was built in 1891, despite the outcries against it by taxpayers. Sound familiar? When it was finished there were 12 massive figurines placed on the roof and ledges. Only 6 now remain.The Dubuque marina is very nice. Once we were secured and settled in, Mark and Ross took the bikes off the boat and rode to the store for a few supplies. On their way they ended up traveling the same route as a bike race that was underway. People were clapping and cheering them and calling out that they liked their bike wear. Which by no means included spandex anywhere!
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