Outfitters on Brown’s Canyon of Colorado’s Arkansas River got a surprise on Sunday when they rounded a corner and saw the stretch’s marquee rapid, Seidel’s Suckhole, clogged by a massive debris flow just below. The flow blocked the stretch’s Class IV rapid with wood and other debris, forcing raft companies to portage.
“It’s going to be here for a long, long time…probabLy until next spring’s runoff.”
“We’re safely navigating around the debris jam with an approximately 20-minute portage,” said Travis Hochard of outfitter River Runners, which plans to continue operating trips through Lower Browns Canyon through Labor Day Weekend.
The debris pile will likely be there until next year’s spring runoff flushes it out — which outfitters hope will be substantially bigger than this year’s drought-ridden flows, with a Super El Nino forecast on the way.
“At this time, we do not plan to go in and try to remove the logs. Based on the location, the size of the debris, and the difficulty of access, we don’t feel it is safe to put a team in the water. We will fly the area with a drone again so we can get a better aerial picture of how the jam is shifting and changing. We will then provide additional updates to all private and commercial boaters directly via email, as well as through the Citizen’s Task Force.
“We appreciate everyone who has checked in and even offered to help. However, we request that the public does not attempt to remove this debris on their own.
Log jams are highly unstable and unpredictable. Attempting to clear these logs and debris manually poses a severe risk of entanglement, serious injury, or drowning. Please prioritize your safety and the safety of the boating community by leaving the blockage alone and giving the area a wide berth while the river does its work.
Meanwhile, it’s still business as usual, as outfitters gear up for a busy Labor Day weekend. “While many outfitters have wrapped up operations for the season, the Royal Gorge remains open, and some outfitters are running trips through Labor Day Weekend,” says Mark Hammer, AROA board member and owner of The Adventure Company.
Info: https://arkansasriveroutfitters.org
(Cover photo courtesy Logan Myers)
Meanwhile, on the Colorado: Debris Flow Blocks Upper Colorado
A month earlier, on July 20 Colorado’s upper Colorado River, a similar debris flow blocked a stretch of river near Mile 52 between the Pinball Rapid access and the Horse Creek access, forcing the park service to issue an ad visry not to float the section.