After 29 days of active paddling on her historic “Source to Sea” journey, during which time she covered well over 1,000 miles, Devin Brown has been forced to suspend her quest to become the first Black woman to kayak the entire length of the Mississippi River, from the Minnesota headwaters at Lake Itasca to Mile Marker Zero in the Gulf of Mexico.
This summer, unprecedented flooding has occurred along the Mississippi and many of its tributaries, some of which are at or beyond record water levels. Many locks and dams have been closed in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri. With no end to the rain in sight, these conditions have made it far too dangerous to continue.
Brown took four days off during this journey, three of which she spent celebrating with her son around his graduation. She paddled as many as 60 miles in a single day.
Among the sites that she passed in her last week on the river were the cities of Dubuque, Iowa; the Quad Cities (Bettendorf, Davenport, Moline and Rock Island); New Boston, Illinois; Muscatine, Iowa; Burlington, Iowa; Quincy, Illinois; and her final stop at Hannibal, Missouri, the birthplace of Mark Twain.
Brown, who plans to take on the river again in the future, shared the following statement with those who’ve championed her along the way:
“Hi! Thank you for your support on this journey. Every morning around 4:30/5 am the river would call me. I could feel her current in my entire body, inviting me to her waters. Saturday, after a debris-filled day paddling from Quincy, Illinois, to Hannibal, Missouri, the call from the river was no longer a call; it was a warning.
“I decided to pause my trip, booked a U-Haul, and headed home. There was talk of a pause happening before me, getting affirmation from the river herself. The dam failure in Minnesota, the locks moving slowly with impending closures due to catastrophic flooding—so many factors, in addition to the river herself communicating, aided in my decision to pause.
“Unfortunately, the rains aren’t letting up, and I was scheduled to wrap up around July 12. I am so thankful for the time spent on the river. It wouldn’t have been possible without you, and I pray lots of prayers. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I’ll make it to the ocean when the time is right!!! Until then, I’m safe at home with my son. Until next time.” – Devin