Labor Day weekend float question

[Jeff_L]

Looking to do a 2 night kayak over Labor Day weekend, probably 20ish total miles (afternoon Saturday to morning Monday, I'm slow).  Would prefer to put in as high up the river as possible to avoid as much traffic as I can.  I floated Akers to Pulltite last October and water levels were fine.  Anyone know if Cedargrove to Akers or even Baptist to Akers is floatable this time of year?  Thanks.

[Gene K]

I routinely put in at Tan Vat and it's almost never an issue, but those are day trips with no overnight gear. I see people putting in at Baptist with loads of overnight gear, so I would think it's doable.

[Jeff_L]

Thanks.  I'm not sure where Tan Vat is (I'm not familiar with the upper part of the river, so going off maps).  I will also call Akers Ferry and ask if they know conditions up river.

[Gene K]

Tan Vat is the farthest upstream that you can launch a canoe. It's right next to the Inman Hollow label in this map link. https://goo.gl/maps/iMyw1ACrhGXikTMr7

[jdmidwest]

9 hours ago, Jeff_L said:

Looking to do a 2 night kayak over Labor Day weekend, probably 20ish total miles (afternoon Saturday to morning Monday, I'm slow).  Would prefer to put in as high up the river as possible to avoid as much traffic as I can.  I floated Akers to Pulltite last October and water levels were fine.  Anyone know if Cedargrove to Akers or even Baptist to Akers is floatable this time of year?  Thanks.

Avoiding traffic on a holiday weekend would be hard to do.  Especially this year where Covid is keeping everyone local.

Plenty of water this year, CFS is double the normal for this time of year on all of central Ozark streams.  Floating should not be an issue.  Should have a recharge this week from Laura.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Better plan on the college crew who all just went back to school.  Rolla, Springfield, cape. 

[Jeff_L]

Thanks everyone. When I say avoid traffic, I know it is relative on a holiday weekend, and I’ve seen the USGS and water is above normal. What I don’t know is whether 2x  normal is enough to float from Baptist, or whether the “college crowd” puts in at Baptist or Akers or Round Spring. My experience in rivers and in life is that if you choose something slightly less convenient, most of the annoying people are at the convenient spots. But I’d rather not choose Baptist only to discover we are portaging kayaks and gear. If it is floatable from baptist to Akers then that’s the float I want. 

[tjm]

4 hours ago, Jeff_L said:

 What I don’t know is whether 2x  normal is enough to float

past thread

On 6/4/2014 at 8:03 PM, Al Agnew said:

Essentially, you need a bare minimum of 100 cfs ... float reasonably comfortably; you'll still do some scraping bottom at that flow, .... Under 75 cfs and you'll be doing a LOT of scraping bottom and will have to drag the canoe over a fair percentage of the riffles. At 150 cfs or above, you'll float pretty much everything. That holds true for all Ozark streams that sometimes get too low to float...100 cfs is the minimum number for being able to float without doing a lot of work.

[Jeff_L]

Yeah, I typically use the 100 CFS rule.  I just realized there is a gauge at Montauk, so assuming that is good enough to use for putting in at Baptist.

[Gene K]

12 minutes ago, Jeff_L said:

Yeah, I typically use the 100 CFS rule.  I just realized there is a gauge at Montauk, so assuming that is good enough to use for putting in at Baptist.

Yepper. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?07064440