Caddo River below DeGray Dam to Ouachita River

[Jamie2031]

Does anyone know if the Caddo below DeGray Dam is floatable right now? I am DYING to get out in my yak, but don't want to make the drive if it isn't worth it.

Thanks!!

[BEubanks]

Yeah, it's always floatable. The minimum flow allows canoe, kayak traffic with no problem. No real whitewater, but a nice float. I live in Caddo Valley just upstream of the I 30 bridge. Saw that stretch this morning on a walk. Not much traffic on it right now.

[Jamie2031]

Thanks, Professor Eubanks! (I actually was a student of yours for a semester in Philosophy-Dynamics of thought back in 1996).

Jamie

[BEubanks]

You should come paddle and stop by the house and fill me in on what you're up to these days. Let me know when you come and I can probably help you with shuttle.

[Jamie2031]

Neat! We, of course, did not make it over there this weekend, but intend to soon. We did manage to get the yaks out and make a run to Lake Catherine. I live in Benton so that makes for a quick, fun trip. Thanks for the invite to stop by sometime. I would be surprised if you even remembered me.

[Jim Krueger]

Jamie,

We live in Benton too, and I can recommend the Saline River float from either Riverside Gro. on Hwy 5, or Lyle Park down to the G&F access just above I-30.
Marlo and I float the Lower Caddo that you mentioned, we also float the Upper Caddo near Glenwood mostly until the water gets too low for the Summer. If you see my posts in the future for the Caddo, you all would be welcome to join in.

Best Regards
Jim

[Jamie2031]

Awesome, Jim! I was wondering about the Saline River. We bought our kayaks Memorial Day last year and so we have been taking it easy with our floats. Then, of course, the whole ecoli and snakes thing happened last summer with the Saline so we avoided it. I will definitely have to try it out now, though because we live less than 5 minutes from Lyle Park.

[BEubanks]

Hey Jaime, give me a little more to work with. Some students stick in the memory and some don't. Last name? Or give me a class and semester and I can look you up in my old grade books.

[Jamie2031]

Sure thing!! Let's see... I was there from 1993 until 1997. I was the first chair trumpet when I was there. I was in your Philosophy: Dynamics of Thought in the spring of 1996, I think.... I was married to Shayne Bryant while there, but we divorced a year later.

[BEubanks]

Gotcha. I had an image and a quick yearbook search confirmed my aging memory! Glad to reconnect and hear you're paddling. I started teaching a whitewater kayaking class at OBU in Spring 2001. And we've added several outdoor rec classes through Kinesiology Dept. For sure let me know when you come my way to paddle.

[Jamie2031]

Will do!!! That is neat about the kayaking class. I would have taken it back then.

[Bennett24]

What all do you work on in the class? I may be interested in taking it.

[BEubanks]

It's an expanded version of the River Kayakings, whitewater level, through the ACA. Don't know if you've ever been the the ACC whitewater paddling school up on the Mulberry. That class is concentrated in one weekend. Mine is offered through the semester at OBU for 1 hour college credit. So we meet weekly through the semester doing mostly flat water work. Then at the end of the semester we move to moving and whitewater on a local river or two. We use the Caddo at Caddo Valley for some moving water practice. Typically, I've taken the class to Dragover on the upper Ouachita for the whitewater part. Depends on what is running those days, though.

[Bennett24]

Are you going to be teaching it this summer?

[BEubanks]

I don't typically offer the class for OBU credit in the summer. I have offered it once in our May term, but the problem is trying to find decent water for the river trip in summer or even late May. On occasion I do informal sessions in the little lake by my house for folks who want some roll instruction etc. Could use the Caddo here for moving water instruction, but good class II runs are hard to find in the summer.