Area River Hazards (strainers, etc)

[admins]

Please post new hazards here. Please list the river and location and be as specific as possible.

[Ol'Geezer]

Look out for wood the next time you run 2nd Break. I haven't been that way in a long time but today it was choked full of huge logs. I'm talkin 15 or more big logs scattered below the drop. One is right where you need to be to run the drop. If you move to the right to get around it, you're gonna be a rodeo star.
Be careful.
Ol'Geezer

[bambam]

12/17/13 edit: This hazard is gone. Be aware this spot tends to gather wood.

Upper river right in Devils Kitchen. The root ball has shifted which allows more water to flow under it. See here for details.

http://coastals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6864

9/27/09: If I edit this does it become "new" again? I just updated the post shown in the above link.

11/16/09: After some rather impressive effort (not mine) this hazard was cut into more manageable but still big pieces. We finally got some high water to flush them out but some of them didn't go far. The root ball is out of play but can still be seen at the bottom of the Kitchen. One of the logs is lodged vertically at Corner to the right of where anyone ordinarily runs at ordinary levels. Both could still be issues at higher water.

Ken Dubel

[dkeller]

A few of us paddled the App. today at about 5.2' on USGS gauge and about 2.75' on the painted bridge gauge halfway down.

One word of caution.

The channel leading to Jug Handle is essentially completely blocked by a fallen tree. We got close to it but the current was pretty swift and we could not find any relatively safe ways through it and had to paddle back up the channel and climb down the wall back into the main channel.

Also, lots of small channels around islands were partially or completely blocked by trees and wood so be careful if you go when the water is this high.

Other than that, the current was good throughout and target rock was a blast with big waves and nice hole at the bottom. I think it is much easier at higher levels since rocks are not an issue.

Will leave this up for a few days.

Don.

[RangeRon78]

Third time's the charm, I hope. Let's try putting this where it belongs!

We found there were three river-wide strainers across Moormans River between Millington bridge and Free Union Road Saturday, Nov. 14. They are not easily seen before you're a little close to be able to avoid them. Moormans River has a well-deserved reputation for having downed trees because it flows so infrequently due to the Sugar Hollow reservoir holding it back most of the time. Be careful out there!

Ron

[Paddle Daddy]

The wood that tends to build up in the channel straight below Hollywood came into play again recently. On Sat 5/15 I was in a group with a swimmer who ended up on top of the log which extends about twenty feet across the current there. At 5' levels everyone should be extremely cautious until someone can get out there this summer at lower levels and get the wood out of there.

[MvillePaddle]

the giant log at the bottom of hollywood is once again causing problems for the paddlers of richmond. it is avoidable if you are watching for it, but it is hard to see at the current levels. its possible with some effort to paddle around it, and possibly slide over the top, but if you flip or swim hollywood it will trap you since the main flow goes right to it.

the best bet is to get as far river left as possible in the wavetrains to avoid it, or catch the high eddy on river right and ferry across.

[Daryl]

Found this on AW posted 6/27:

The top of a large tree was brought down in the recent thunderstorms and blocks the right channel
of the Rivanna about 1.5 miles upstream of the takeout at Route 729. I ran the river today at
~720CFS and it was clearly visible and easily avoided, however at higher levels, it could easily
turn into a bad strainer. There is a rocky point that forms shallow shoals to the left of the main
channel at higher levels which has a small channel running through it which must be portaged at
lower levels, but should be runnable at higher levels. Landmarks for this hazard on the river are
the point that closes the river into a narrow channel coming from river left. On river right will
be the remains of the big tree which lost its top. It stands on a small point that sticks out into
the river from river right and has clearly lost its top. Coordinates are 38.010752, -78.408748 You
use those coordinates to see the section in Google Maps/Google Earth.

[Nutter]

Big tree caught on the boulder in the middle the second drop, it is above the rapid on the left side and easy to see now.

[bambam]

12/17/13 edit: These hazards are gone. Be aware these spots tend to gather wood.

I haven't been there but have been told there is a new stump lodged to the left of House Rock in Devils Kitchen Rapid. This one is not so easy to see. Note this was the site of a fatality two years ago.

There is also some new wood above the ledges on the right bank below the Kitchen. Easy to avoid but pay attention.

Have fun, be safe,

Ken

[GDalton]

Like Bambam said, there is a tree/root ball wedged against the left side of "House Rock" in Devil's Kitchen. It is in almost the same situation as the tree where the fatality occurred not all that long agon. See:

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/conte ... oid/42741/

...for a pic of the tree's location.

Other small changes to the riverbed have occurred, and some more wood is in the river, but those are the notables so far.

GD

[VAnate]

I have not been out to see it, but per the Corner Rapid Facebook Page:

*NEW WOOD* as i figured yesterday....... wood in lower road side,2 drops above the pool before the kitchen. it is big and visible from the road on the ride up. Tell everyone.

[GDalton]

There is long tree wedged in the top-right of Devil's Kitchen. The tree is blocking almost all of the river-right lines from House Rock all the way almost to the right bank. This affects the "Inside Boof" line (nice boof just to the right of House Rk) and the semi-sneak line over there as well.

The wood/rootball to the left of House Rock is still there as well, as of yesterday's run. The flow seemed to be peaking while we were there so I don't expect much to change before this weekend, etc.

More wood than i've seen in the Pass since 1995!
Gordon

[jdb777]

Balcony confluence changes see:

http://www.coastals.org/forum/viewtopic ... highlight=

[slo2rol]

Word of caution for those on the Upper (Big) Piney... there's lots of new wood in it, including several river wide mandatory portages. The first one can be easily portaged on the left. The second one is ripe for landowner conflict as the trees lining the flat, *would be* easily portaged side, from whence the tree fell (behind a house) are lined with fresh Posted/No trespassing signs right up to the river. To avoid any conflicts, the portage should be made on the steep river right bank. Carefully catch the eddy on the right immediately in front of the tree for a quick carry up and over.