or a boater here in the Midwest, this is the time of year you hate the most. Many of us will go immediately into hibernation mode until spring arrives. We wait in anticipation for winter to hurry its way through and for the next spring thaw. Funny how no one seems to mind de-winterizing their boat but . . . winterizing it - that's a different story.

	The low Missouri River water conditions provided an abundance of sandbars along the river banks. (pic taken 6/9/02 - left bank at MM659)

This has been quite an interesting boating season for those of us who boat on the Missouri River. Last year's drought caused such low water conditions that some Midwestern states found themselves in a tug-of-war over who should get water and who should not. The U. S. Corps of Engineers were forced into a situation that they really had no control over. Mother Nature was just not cooperating.

Marina operators too struggled to maintain enough water in their marinas by having to do some emergency dredging. Many boats were stranded on land for weeks, making a few of us pretty grumpy.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed fantastic weather this past summer and made the most of every

	The annual boater pull-out party at Cottonwood Marina - Time to put her away for the long Winter!

available day we could. The low water conditions did provide an abundance of sandbars along the river's banks where many boaters gathered for barbeques and a little beach volleyball.

The G.O.Y.C. (Greater Omaha Yacht Club) provided several organized activities at the Sandpiper Marina (mm 618). There were also 3 boating poker runs that ran between the Anchor Inn (mm 619) and Cottonwood Marina (mm 651). We wrapped up the summer with the Missouri River Shoot-Out held at Cottonwood Marina on September 21st.