Log Jams in the past and future

Those of you who follow events on the rivers will remember the log jam at Pistol Creek rapid on the Middle Fork the summer of 06. The jam briefly re-formed last May, during what little high water we had, then broke out naturally before there was much traffic on the river. Upstream at the mouth of Lake Creek, the source of the logs that jammed, there was a problem throughout the summer with the new rapid, bank cutting and channel changing, and logs in the river. It was a nasty spot, and a particular concern for sweep boats. It will no doubt look different next spring after high water.
You will also be aware of the fires on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon last summer, and that the rivers were closed in August. I have not yet been on the upper Middle Fork after the fire season, but have heard concerns that there may be log problems next summer. I have been on the middle and lower sections, and, while we will see evidence of the fires, much of the area that was burned will be green with grass next spring. In October, after the fall rains started, there already was a little green grass coming up. I have not yet been on the Main Salmon, but suspect things will be similar--the grass and shrubs will bounce back, and there will be some sections where dead trees will be obvious.
Over the last few years, after the fires, there have been several changes to the rapids of the Middle Fork. The Lake Creek rapid just above Pistol Creek has formed and washed out five times as a result of mud slides from the creek, though it has not a major concern other than producing logs for the Pistol Creek jam until last spring. The Orelano rapid near Pungo has slid about three times, but has washed out enough to not be a big deal. Just above Loon Creek a blow-out a couple of years ago created a new, minor, rapid, which has mostly opened up. A couple of years ago Bernard Creek blew out at the bottom of Haystack Rapid, flooding most of it. The lower end of the rapid was still flooded last summer, but this year it has cut through and is similar to the old Haystack rapid. Immediately below Haystack, though, is the debris from the Bernard Creek blowout, which is a new rapid. The Cramer Creek rapid just above the Middle Fork take-out, which became a major rapid after a blow-out in August 03, and was nasty in 04, began to ease in 05, and was more fun than worry this year. We had a sharp high water in May of 06, up to about nine feet on the Middle Fork, which blew out some of the recent debris.

This summer we hope to get some high flows to flush out a lot of those logs that are clogging up the river, and because snow levels are so good, this very well could be the case.

Come join us in June, July or August this year!

Come join the fun!

www.idahorivers.com