Mark Bennett: Taking a deeper look at the river on Earth Day

Apr. 22—The science behind the positive effects of being close to bodies of water probably hadn't occurred to Jerry Hay back in the early 1960s.

As a boy, Hay would carry his school books down to the bluff overlooking the Wabash River by the former Pillsbury factory in Terre Haute. He'd study there. Pillsbury's security guard would chase Hay off, but the kid kept coming back. The guard finally relented and let him stay.

Why take a book to a riverbank? There's a scientific answer.

Humans experience emotional benefits of being close to water, marine biologist and author Wallace Nichols explained in his 2014 book "Blue Mind." Just the sight and sound of water unleashes a chemical reaction in people that increases blood flow to the brain and heart, and relaxation and wellness follow, Nichols told the business publication Quartz in 2018.

No doubt, Hay has felt that peaceful feeling thousands of time. The Terre Haute native recently retired as the longtime "riverlorian" on the American Queen Steamboat, a job that had him explaining the sights and history of a river to passengers. He's also written 10 books on rivers, including his first — "The Wabash River Guide Book" in 1997. He's also spent decades exploring rivers, including traveling the entire lengths of the Mississippi, Ohio and Wabash. The legendary Lewis and Clark expedition westward from 1803 to 1806 inspired Hay as a high schooler.

Thus, Hay is a fitting choice to deliver an Earth Day talk 10:30 a.m. today in the Vigo County School Corp. administration building in West Terre Haute, a free and open-to-the-public event sponsored and supported by the Emily's Walk and Riverscape organizations. He's followed the efforts of Riverscape and community leaders to enhance the Wabash riverfront with amenities, and supports that effort.

"Most people only notice that river when it floods," Hay said by phone Tuesday. "People should really appreciate it for what it is." Meaning, the Wabash remains a scenic natural resource — coveted by communities around the nation — and the cornerstone of Terre Haute's culture, history and economy.

"People go thousands of miles to go to a beach or a body of water, and they have it already in the Wabash River," Hay said.

He admires the Wabash from afar these days. The 1964 Gerstmeyer High School graduate moved south 20 years ago and now lives in Natchitoches, La., about 240 miles northwest of New Orleans. It's in river lovers country, nestled along the Red River. Years of riverboat excursions and adventures, many leading to New Orleans, drew Hay to settle there. He's got more time to explore on his own after retiring from his role on the American Queen during the pandemic.

"There's a lot of waterways down there. I'll never get to all of them," Hay said of Louisiana and its bayous, lakes, rivers and the Gulf of Mexico.

The 750 miles between Natchitoches and Terre Haute haven't diminished Hay's interest in his hometown or the Wabash River.

Likewise, Hay's "Wabash River Guide Book" remains a must-read for anyone daring to boat or canoe along the Wabash. Northern Indiana outdoorsman Keith Poole traveled all 474 miles of the Wabash in 2017, from its humble origins in a farm field near Fort Recovery, Ohio, to its confluence with the Ohio River near Posey County, Indiana. Poole hiked the first six miles, where the Wabash is too slim and shallow to boat, kayaked to the town of Wabash, then drove his jon boat to the finish.

And he kept Hay's book with him. "I remember planning my trip and looking at it frequently, with anticipation. I would also review it at camp almost nightly for the next day," Poole recalled Thursday. "I liked [the book] because it started with the river miles at the very beginning of the Wabash river. I posted [on Facebook] daily where I was, and that helped me tell people how far I had come and how many miles I made daily and sometime total miles so far."

In 2011, fellow Wabash enthusiast Brendan Kearns planned a journey with his late father on the Wabash from Terre Haute to the confluence, but an illness nixed their plans. Kearns still keeps a copy of "Wabash River Guide Book" handy. "I have used the Guide Book more for research and references than anything," Kearns said Thursday. "I have owned so many copies because I seem to be loaning out the books to friends of mine, realizing that I will never get them back."

Hay is among those who've traversed the entire Wabash. He took that journey years ago with fellow Terre Hauteans Dennis Meng and Percy Mossbarger. Hay charted the distances and quirks of the river, such as sandbars, treacherous turns and swift-water spots. Hay continued mapping the Wabash for nearly 20 years. Other river explorers began asking to borrow his maps.

Finally, Meng inspired Hay to put them into book form. Hay published his "Wabash River Guide Book" in 1997.

Since then, Hay's also published guide books on the White, Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee, Cumberland and Mississippi rivers, as well as "Rivers Revealed: Rediscovering America's Waterways" and children's books.

The view from the Wabash's water is striking, with civilization largely out of sight. "You're kind of on your own out there," Hay said. "It looks better than it did a hundred years ago. I looks about like it looked 300 years ago."

Through the 20th century, communities used the Wabash as a sewer or dumping ground. "The water is cleaner than when I was a kid," Hay said. "It was kind of a cesspool." Wildlife once seen 300 years ago, disappeared during the past century, then began returning to the Wabash as environmental laws — particularly the Clean Water Act of 1972 — gradually restored its natural settings.

"You didn't see eagles when I was kid. You didn't see river otters. You didn't see mussels," Hay said. Today, those species are back in the Wabash River's watershed area.

Hay still enjoys trekking to the river to see that wildlife. Hay's 75 years old now. "But I can still go out there and canoe with the best of them," he said.

Through his river travels and speaking engagements around the country, Hay has seen communities begin to embrace activities and amenities along their waterways.

"Pittsburgh used to have an ugly riverfront, and now it's great," he explained. "And it's paying off with more tourism and ecological opportunities."

He likes seeing similar progress in his hometown. "It's getting people more in touch with the nature of their community," Hay said.

Mark Bennett can be reached at 812-231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.

To attend ...

—Terre Haute native and riverlorian Jerry Hay will speak about the Wabash River and wildlife from 10:30 a.m. to noon today at the Vigo County School Corp. administration building at 501 W. Olive St. in West Terre Haute. The talk is free and open to the public.