Current River Damage by the flood of April 30, 2017

[Phil Lilley]

Presented by Sam Potter TightLine Fly Fishing

Montauk Park is a sand box... well almost a sand box. They have done a great job of cleaning up the upper area where you come down the hill and around the dam. The camp ground is closed for maintenance while they get all the sand, trees and logs out of there. The lodge is open and the cabins are being rented. A lot of the trout were lost, but not all of them as reported on FB earlier this week. The carnivorous animals in the area will put on weight in the next week or so feeding on dead trout.

You will find considerable changes to the stream and riparian area. New holes were made and old holes are gone, with more to be discovered as the stream recedes and the water clears.

The “wire” at the end of the park is gone. I didn’t go looking for it, so it may still be there, but it isn’t hanging across the river anymore. The cabins just outside the park took on a lot of water. A Garage/shed collapsed at the new cabin and the LP tank was dislodged and lodged again against the garage/shed. The lower cabin has a partial roof collapse. I did not go down there to check on it as I didn’t want to invade the privacy of them cleaning out the cabins. If you cussed that huge walnut tree that was across the river at the cabins, you won’t have to worry about it anymore.

It is difficult to see, but looking closely at the roof of the cabin in the distance shows the collapse of the roof.

TanVat parking lot probably had 4 feet of water running over it and now there is a 6 foot high gravel bar where the creek and river meet. The swimmers will be happy with the results, because they now have a very deep pool next to the gravel bar. The big tree in the river upstream is gone leaving new runs and channels.

View of the signs at TanVat Parking lot showing the debris washed up against them. The debris in the trees is about as high as the pick nick table sign.

A new 6 foot tall gravel bar washed in where the creek and river meet

Baptist camp circle drive remodeling done last year will have to have some resurfacing and sidewalk work done to it after they remove all the gravel and sand. A huge tree with the root wad caused the current to cut under the parking lot and buckle the pavement.

The walkway going down to the river is buried under a couple of feet of gravel. Where the former retaining wall used to be along the road near the river, there was a line of boulders and willows growing. Now the river is going over those boulders and through the willows. The entire curve was bisected by the river leaving huge cuts in the soil and depositing gravel all the way across the point over to the handicap access area.

The trees in the water, is where the old road and retaining wall used to be as the road curved along the river. The road ran parallel to the trees in the water and made a curve to the left where canoes were launched. Remember how high that wall was?

This is the path going down to the Handicap access at Baptist Camp. Now there is probably 4 feet of gravel over the path and parking area.

[bkbying89]

I was at Montauk and Tan Vat this morning. There were very big changes in the fly fishing section. Like fishable water was scarce for the average angler. Some stretches were definitely scoured and deeper. With the water levels 2.50 some of the favorite stretches were just unfishable the access points even as bad as they were have been washed away. I mean gone like some giant just cut them away. Stream levels will have to drop considerably before these areas are going to be wadeable. I believe the park workers are working on improving access.

At Tan Vat, I did not see the gravel bar mentioned above but It may have been moved by the park service. If it had been washed away there was no sign of it. I went upstream from the Vat and the fish were active. Mostly small with a few stocker size and I had one Break me off when I pressured it too much. In fact, the fishing was easy. All those small fish were eager to bite almost anything.

Bill

[Born to Fish]

Thanks for the update and posting the pictures!  Interesting that Tan Vat is a deep hole again.  

[bkbying89]

On 5/30/2017 at 6:12 PM, bkbying89 said:

I was at Montauk and Tan Vat this morning. There were very big changes in the fly fishing section. Like fishable water was scarce for the average angler. Some stretches were definitely scoured and deeper. With the water levels 2.50 some of the favorite stretches were just unfishable the access points even as bad as they were have been washed away. I mean gone like some giant just cut them away. Stream levels will have to drop considerably before these areas are going to be wadeable. I believe the park workers are working on improving access.

At Tan Vat, I did not see the gravel bar mentioned above but It may have been moved by the park service. If it had been washed away there was no sign of it. I went upstream from the Vat and the fish were active. Mostly small with a few stocker size and I had one Break me off when I pressured it too much. In fact, the fishing was easy. All those small fish were eager to bite almost anything.

Bill

I was back to Tan Vat and I have to modify my previous post. I believe the ^ foot high gravel bar was immediately in front of the parking lot but I still didn't think it was six foot high at this time. The river has changed but is in great shape. I don't know hoe many trout escaped from the hatchery but there are a very large amount of smallish fish in the river. we caught browns and rainbows at Tam Vat and Baptist Camp. There was quite a few fisherman out enjoying the weather. 

[awhuber]

The parking lot and sidewalk repairs are done now at Baptist access, Ozark-NSR.

[BilletHead]

1 hour ago, awhuber said:

The parking lot and sidewalk repairs are done now at Baptist access, Ozark-NSR.

                  From 2017?  

[awhuber]

26 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

                  From 2017?  

Yes! The repairs were completed yesterday. Pic is from today.

[BilletHead]

4 minutes ago, awhuber said:

Yes! The repairs were completed yesterday. Pic is from today.

             Wow thanks, 

  Took awhile. 

[jdmidwest]

Had to work it into budget.  Most boat ramps down river are still gone.

[Gavin]

I can't tell what they fixed if anything. Maybe new stripes and some sealer on the asphalt?