Black River Conditions..

[Griffster]

Just wondering if anyone has been down to the Black River lately? How is the river? Is it still in recovery from the collapse of the dam on the East Fork. If anyone has some recent information I would be interested?

Thanks!!!

Cg

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Where abouts is the Black ? I do not believe I've ever heard or read of it. Brian

[sms_alum]

Brian,

The Black in Southeastern Missouri, it used to be a great smallmouth and gogleye river but there was a huge resevior break late in 2005 so I'm not sure what it looks like now. Johnson shut-ins is located on the river if that helps you place where it is.

Jason

[hank franklin]

I haven't been down to the Black River but Bob Todd in the latest River Hills Traveler says the river is in pretty good shape but effects from the dam breach are still noticeable. Fishing apparently is pretty good. Traveler has been an excellent source for Black River and Johnson's Shut-Ins info following the disaster.

[Phil Lilley]

Is that a website or publication?

[riverrat]

Both-www.riverhillstraveler.com

[Kicknbass]

I drove over the black last weekend on my way to the current river. The east fork below johnson's shut-ins looks cloudy from the effects of the dam break both the middle and west forks look crystal clear about Lesterville at the Hwy 21 bridges.

I have crossed the black hundreds of times, but never have floated or fished this river. It looks like a great river for fishing and floating.

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, Bob said it was clear, but not "Black River clear". Black River is normally the clearest stream in the Ozarks, with visibility of 15 feet or more (how much more is hard to determine, since there aren't many holes over 15 feet deep).

I flew right over Black River last Thursday, on a flight from St. Louis to Florida. In fact, it was really cool...weather was very clear, and I followed our path from St. Louis, right over the Meramec at Times Beach just below the mouth of Big River, then all the way up Big River to the mouth of Cedar Creek on the upper end (with Council Bluff Lake on the headwaters visible). Then right over the Taum Sauk upper reservoir and down the East Fork of Black River (good view of Johnson Shut-ins and the lower reservoir). Down the Black to Clearwater Lake, which even from high in the air the Black was obviously pretty clear). Then on down the Black to Poplar Bluff, where we veered to the east and crossed the Mississippi at about Charleston.

Coming back home today, we crossed the Mississippi at the mouth of the Ohio, and went up the Mississippi, recrossing it at Kaskaskia Island, and finally again just south of the downtown St. Louis. My first view of St. Louis without old Busch Stadium and with the new stadium, and I gotta admit the old stadium was a LOT prettier from the air.

[DaveB]

We fished/floated the black weekend before last. Above where the East Fork confluence, the river is crystal clear like it always has been. Below the confluence there is a visible layer of mud and silt on the rock bottom. When "shoving off" from the shore, mud is stirred up and the area around your feet and paddles muddies up in a hurry.

I drove down in January and in March to check on the river and both times left feeling disgusted at the sight of JSI, the East Fork, and the main river. Now that it's had a few more months and some good rain, it looks a lot better. It'll be interesting to see what happens once the summer crowds pick up and the water gets stirred up with regular canoe traffic and swimmers.

Some pictures from January:

Lower resevoir:

East Fork below the resevoir:

From CR-354 (this is above where the East Fork meets the river):

From the Mill Creek confluence:

The spillway and lower resevoir in March: