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Posted

So...we just acquired a new place out here in Montana on the Yellowstone River (anybody want to buy a cabin in Paradise Valley? We need to sell ours!) We can sit on our deck and watch the river, and right now it's about 6 inches above flood stage. The snow melt finally arrived, after a month of much colder than normal temperatures out here, which was nice in that I got in some bonus fishing on the Yellowstone at a time when it's usually blown out.

Flood stage on the Yellowstone is 9 feet, and right now at 9.5 feet, it's flowing 23,300 cubic feet per second. That sounds like a lot, and when you look at the river, a true torrent of muddy water studded with big logs, it LOOKS like a lot. But to put it in perspective a bit, the Yellowstone flows about 2000 cfs at its most fishable flow, which is at about 3.5 feet. So the river is only about 6 feet above what could be considered summer normal. If you consider the Buffalo River in Arkansas at the gauge near Gilbert, it will be about 150 cfs at a good summer flow, yet during the last really big flood, it was pouring over 90,000 cfs past the gauge! And it was something like 45 or 50 feet above normal! The highest the Yellowstone has ever gotten is at about 12 feet on the gauge.

Another foot of rise and the river at our new place will start flowing into the bottom forest on the opposite bank, which is flat for a quarter of a mile, so it will have a LOT of room to spread out. Even though our front yard is only about 7 or 8 feet above the current river level, according to the Corps of Engineers it is well out of the flood plain. If it was in Missouri we'd have to have built the place on stilts!

One of the most fun things to watch with the river the way it is now is the flocks of white pelicans. There is a somewhat quiet eddy across from us, and they fly up to land in it, mill around a bit, and then ride the raging river downstream out of sight, bobbing up and down in the big waves. About a half hour later, here they come again. They just HAVE to be having fun just riding the current...and don't we all wish we could do a shuttle that easily!

Posted

Sounds like a great place for a Smallmouth Summit. When should eric and I pack our bags to meet you there?

Chief Grey Bear

Living is dangerous to your health

Owner Ozark Fishing Expeditions

Co-Owner, Chief Executive Product Development Team Jerm Werm

Executive Pro Staff Team Agnew

Executive Pro Staff Paul Dallas Productions

Executive Pro Staff Team Heddon, River Division

Chief Primary Consultant Missouri Smallmouth Alliance

Executive Vice President Ronnie Moore Outdoors

Posted

Sounds like a great place for a Smallmouth Summit. When should eric and I pack our bags to meet you there?

No kidding. I have a feeling we could all come to a lot of agreement in a place like that. biggrin.gif Sounds nice, Al. Thanks for making us all jealous.

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