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Below the Surface founders Kristian Gustavson and Jared Criscuolo recently paddled the Atchafalaya River Basin with an expedition team.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 22 February 2010
CONTACT
Kristian Gustavson, Below the Surface, Founder & Expedition Leader—p: 760.277.3503 e: [email protected]
John Ruskey, Quapaw Canoe Company, Owner, Outfitter & Guide—p: 662.902.7841 e: [email protected]
______________________________________________________________________
Below the Surface Presents ‘Gaining Ground’ in Clarksdale, MS as a
follow-up to their expedition on the Atchafalaya River
~Presentation will explain how rivers provide for us & what we can do to provide for
them~
Clarksdale, MS – On February 27th 2010, at 11:00 AM at the Carnegie Public Library—Below the
Surface & The Quapaw Canoe Company will be giving a presentation to discuss their latest expedition on the
Atchafalaya River. The Atchafalaya splits from the Mississippi River and runs through the largest swamp in
North America delivering much needed sediment to the Gulf Coast.
The Gulf Coast has the potential to be the most sustainable of all US coastlines if sediment from the Mississippi
River is properly managed. A very different reality exists currently exists and as a consequence, Louisiana is
losing about a football field of land every hour due to erosion and the lack of sedimentation regeneration.
The Exploration Team from Below the Surface made many discoveries and observations from this expedition
that will be shared by Team Leader, Kristian Gustavson. The findings will discuss the role people living
upstream have to aid in Gulf Coast restoration efforts. He will also discuss the valuable services rivers provide
and what we can do to provide for them in order to complete the cycle.
This expedition was guided and outfitted by John Ruskey from the Quapaw Canoe Company. Ruskey will
offer his account for the venture and explain the contrast between the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya Rivers.
This venture was a successful exploration of America’s Waterways and will serve to set a precedent for future
restoration efforts on the Gulf Coast. The team was also joined by a writer and a photographer from Reader’s
Digest, Karen Westphal & Melanie Driscoll from the National Audubon Society, Pro-Surfer & Eco-Warrior
Surfer James Pribram, and numerous local stakeholders. This collaborative effort is an encouraging sign for the
type of cooperation needed for enhanced conservation upstream and down.
