Lookin For Some Fast Water

[ollie]

Bobber knows his streams when it comes to WW! Of course we need more rain to make it happen!! There was a run close by me, but last time I did it in high water I could tell that gravel had filled in on top of some of the flat rocks making it not as good as it was. It was a standing wave section, but a good one. Then again I am not close to Branson. I am guessing you have done The Mullberry? Most all the better WW streams are down in Arkyland.

[Al Agnew]

Yep, for the most part the Missouri streams are blessed with more consistent water supplies, the Arkansas streams are steeper but get pretty dry. Pretty much the only class 3 streams in MO are on the eastern side of the state in the St. Francois Mountains, and they are as dependent upon good rains as the Arkansas streams. Very few of the floatable Ozark streams even reach class 2 unless they are so high they are dangerous.

The St. Francis between Syenite and Silvermines is the premier MO whitewater river, usually has good water from March until late April, and will have good water for a few days after any big rain event. It can get up to class 5 in really high water, and at it's most optimum floating levels will be class 3 with a couple places maybe class 4. The Little St. Francis has one class 3-4 rapid in higher water levels, and a beautiful class 2 run on the lower end. The upper Jacks Fork is maybe class 2 at optimum levels.

There are some smaller creeks that can get really hairy after a good rain. Marble Creek is a challenge. The upper end of Big Creek can be scary; I knew an experienced whitewater guy who said he wore the ends of his fingers off leaving fingernail scrapes on the tree trunks as he careened down it one time in high water. He also floated Turkey Creek, which enters the St. Francis at the upper end of the Silvermines shut-in, and said it was pretty hairy. Some of the Current River tributaries could be pretty spectacular if you caught them just right.

I used to do some whitewater occasionally, small creeks that were not considered anywhere near floatable. i got into some serious willow jungles, but also found a few nice runs over ledges. I was running these creeks in a 15 ft. Grumman, and got fairly good at it, but mostly good at knowing what I could handle and what I was stupid to try. I was also stupid enough to run some of the larger streams when they were really high, like 5 or 6 feet above normal. They were actually pretty easy because at that level the riffles are gone and the river is mostly pretty smooth, but the margin for error is so slender that it would be deadly if you made a mistake.

[bobber]

They were actually pretty easy because at that level the riffles are gone and the river is mostly pretty smooth, but the margin for error is so slender that it would be deadly if you made a mistake.......................words to live by!

[BadKarma]

Yeah, I grew up living on Swan Creek in Taney County. My Pop had me on the water in an aluminum canoe when I was 12. Back then Swan had a big rep as a fine Class 2-3 when water was good. A few years ago the local outfitters stopped putting canoes on Swan because so many people were walking away from it as way more than they wanted. This was what I grew up with, so my belief was all canoing was like this. So you can imagine my disappointment of my first time down the Buffalo, nice lazy float, but hardly any excitement. That was many years ago and now I can appreciate a nice quiet float, but now I'm looking for a bit more.

Thanks guys for your help, insight and suggestions. Looking for some rain and a bump in my heart rate. Will keep y'all informed.