Buffalo River - Large things to be cleaned up

[Eric Esche]

Where -Below Steele Creek, but about a mile or more above Jim's bluff

What - 2 items - If the river doesn't wash them away this week, There is still about a third of an ivory colored canoe (royalex?) on river left leaned up against a tree about 10 feet above the river maybe a mile above Jim's bluff, (I know, I know, I should have gotten it, but I already had a load, and was solo, and it was windy, and I did not want to paddle back up stream that far as my shoulder was hurting) and a teal colored water trough on river right, about 100 feet away from the river on river right, maybe a bend below where the canoe is. I thought it was a tent when I saw it on Tuesday, but the Boy Scouts who were on the river today said it was a water trough when they went to look for friends who were overnighting. It is about 100 yards above where there is some corregated tin on the right bank with large piles of woody debris above it.

Didn't see the rest of the fiberglass canoe I hauled out.

The water trough looks to be big enough to warrent a raft or a double canoe rig to haul it out if it fooled me into thinking it was a tent, and might take more than one person to retrieve.

Sorry I can't be more precise in the locations right now. Next time, I will take my GPS to log the coordinates and try for the canoe. Never seem to carry it and will have to find it in my gear boxes and put new batteries in it. Lesson learned - Documenting where exactly something found is a good enough reason to carry it, even if I supposedly know where I am going.

Eric Esche

[Cowper]

Well, you know you've got me interested. But its going to be late April or May before my first chance to join any expedition, so I'll have to settle for whatever pieces you or someone else hasn't already beat us to, and may have to do the recovery at low water.

Like you've already noted, GPS coordinates would be helpful in planning; if the parts are not at the 1/2 way mark, it might be easier to use and "in and out" approach instead of a through trip if the water is low. The other planning note would be if you can examine the trough; will it still hold water? Because it it can keep water in, then it can also keep water out and float. Take a photo, too, if you're so inclined; it will help to know exactly what this puppy looks like.

If others beat us to this; I'll celebrate, not cry, because there is plenty of other work to be done. There's still some aluminum on Cadron; another group found four tires I missed just by hiking one gravel bar; and DeBo/Mikki/Stan/AG&F are about ready to place watertrail signs through 20 miles of Bayou DeView swampland, making that another good target for some water-based clean-up efforts. And or course, you probably saw Jakjax's post about the Bayou Meto trail developments in Jacksonville. That one is of particular interest to me because there are two high-school based stream teams involved; I'm all for anything that helps get another generation involved in the fight. :myday"

[sleekmason]

Hey Eric,

The half canoe was still there on April first, and I also spotted the water trough or maybe a kids pool? or the like, about 60 yards in back in late March. I'd be happy to help when the time comes. Just let me know when and what you are planning. - Dave