At Clarke Outdoors, praying for rain and another good season

CORNWALL — Another summer of recreation on the Housatonic River is getting off to a good start. At Clarke Outdoors, owner Jenifer Clarke supervised equipment maintenance Friday morning, while willing a light rain to pick up.

“We could use it for the weekend,� Clarke said. “The river has gone down some, and I’m getting concerned. Then again, we’re always worrying about it.�

What happens on the river in the summer sets the tone for much of Cornwall commerce, and recent years have been rough. The Route 7 business rents canoes, kayaks and rafts, and provides transportation for boaters.

It was the re-licensing of the hydro power plant in Falls Village several years ago that appeared to have doomed river recreation downstream into Cornwall. The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) called for a “run-of-the-river� regime for the plant, which had previously employed a pond-and-release approach. Water was diverted above the dam and collected in a canal, then periodically released downstream through two large pipes and turbines, producing electricity at periods of peak need.

Because they were so regular, boaters were able to schedule their outings around the releases of water.

The river is also a Blue Ribbon stream for trout fishermen, however. The state environmental agency (which stocks the river with trout) said that the pond-and-release regime was unhealthy for the trout. The federal agency that grants licenses to power companies was required to follow the orders of the DEP, and the power plants on the Housatonic were changed to run-of-river facilities.

The future looked gloomy for Clarke Outdoors at that time. Many customers schedule trips up here from out of town and out of state. The company feared visitors would not come up and simply take a chance that the water might be running high and fast enough for an exhilarating river adventure.

Things ended up not being all that bad. But there may still be a slow eroding of the economic base. It’s always tricky to be at the mercy of Mother Nature.

That first year of run-of-river, Clarke estimated the number of river users at about half the average number. By August, water levels had dropped so low, the river was unusable by boaters. The financial strain on the business almost crushed it.

But, outdoor recreation is a business that has to be approached with an eye to the long term. The good years tide  over for the bad ones. The same holds true for Cornwall’s other major draw, Mohawk Ski Area.

Clarke said last year was, finally, a good one for her business. It might even have been one of the company’s busiest ever, with lots of rain in late June and a good August. It provided a little bit of a cushion.

“But we could really use this to be one of the really good years,� she said. “Then I would feel we are no longer on the edge.�

It’s hard to judge what the coming summer will bring.

“The river was really low in April, which was a concern. Spring was funny. Even though it was cold and gloomy, we didn’t get much rain.�

Rainfall has been well below average this spring.

But despite the less-than-ideal weather, Clarke said things have been fairly busy.

“The water is usually warmer by this time, but it’s not that bad. Maybe it just feels warmer in comparison to the air. One man told me he flipped over and expected the water to be really cold, but he said it wasn’t.�

On the upside, the bad economy seems to be signaling a return to simple family vacations. Local campgrounds are filling up on the weekends. With the school year about to end, and the governor’s office heavily promoting “stay-cations,� campgrounds are expected to be busy full time this year.

That’s about as far as the predictions can go. Most people don’t book boat tours more than two weeks in advance. Groups plan four to six weeks ahead. But Clarke has a good feeling about things.

“Gas prices are going back up. People are looking for weekend trips and vacations close to home. All we need now is rain, during the week and overnight, please.�

Boat sales are going well, too. Clarke keeps a decent-sized inventory, which the company purchases in October.

“I had one man who bought a kayak here. He got out on the river and absolutely loved it. He told me it not only relieved his stress, it changed his whole perspective on life.�