What is accessible to float and what's not?

[Griffster]

 

   Anyone have a list of what can safely be floated and accessible and what is still unreachable or not float-able.    I guess the rivers are going to be completely different?   Some could have really changed.   First floats after this epic flood could be fun.   I am assuming several normal floats may still have quite a few impassible spots or snags that will make floating difficult.    Any thoughts...... 

 

 

 

[Al Agnew]

Not sure how you'd find out about county bridges and such, or MDC accesses.  If you go to the MODOT website it looks like there are closed roads and bridges in the lower half of the upper St. Francis, in upper Black River watershed, and in the Current river watershed.  Not much in the Meramec river system, apparently.

There will definitely be a lot of changes, but many stretches of these streams are surprisingly stable and won't have changed much.  You will likely encounter a lot of freshly downed trees, though.

I was going to float upper Big River today for the first time since the floods, but the headwaters got a big rain last night and the river came up several feet.

[ChazRock]

While it certainly doesn't cover all of the rivers, here is some information. (You may have to have a Facebook account??)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/MissouriScenicRivers/permalink/1454538357900436/

[Gavin]

Thinking your OYO for river info through most of the Ozarks right now. Modot is good with any major road closure issues but they do not cover county roads.Could probably do some headwaters floats but log jams will be plentiful. Sometimes you luck out. Sometimes you have have a bunch of difficult runs and some portaging to do. 

[awhuber]

Baptist to Parker is clear with no obstructions. Wed. a buddy and I floated this section. We saw the ranger headin for Salem for lunch and we had his wife drop us off at Bap.Very fast  float as the gauge was at a little over 3 feet.

[Gavin]

Got a lecture for floating when closed once. That Red Headed Ranger who nobody liked. Bill Terry was head ranger then and he dismissed the tickets.

[moguy1973]

I fished the upper Big this past Monday and it was moving pretty fast then but like Al said it got all blown back up late this week by the rain we got.  Looks like the upper parts of the Meramec above the Spring are in good shape to float right now if you can have someone put you in way up there.

[Al Agnew]

A guide I know took a client on the upper Current a few days ago, and the ranger contacted him afterwards and told him not to do it any more while the river was closed.

[Krazo]

 

A guide I know took a client on the upper Current a few days ago, and the ranger contacted him afterwards and told him not to do it any more while the river was closed.

Could the ranger have written a  ticket?  is it illegal to float when the river is 'closed'?  not sure how a river could be 'closed', is it just access to/thru public property is closed?  just curious. 

[moguy1973]

 

Could the ranger have written a  ticket?  is it illegal to float when the river is 'closed'?  not sure how a river could be 'closed', is it just access to/thru public property is closed?  just curious. 

It's a national park so I guess they can close the parts that are located in the park.