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Post by turfdawg on Feb 3, 2016 6:09:10 GMT -6
Did the weather this year drive everyone to drinking wine?
With the low flows now has anyone seen the rivers route at the start of the Bluffs?
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Post by Fenwick on Feb 3, 2016 12:01:16 GMT -6
The prolonged flooding is over and so it's time for a new Mike Love drone flyover video, eh? I know there'll be lots of strenuous hiking for us along the Spillway. I expect it might be a little bit wider than the post-May flood left it. I guess we'll have to find our own way around and through the wetland woods to get to the Bluffs as before. Without a parallel path it's having to wade up and down the entire length of the Evening Hole that wasn't much fun either. I found myself wandering around back in the woods along the Evening Hole looking for a convenient way to the water only to be blocked here and there by so many fallen trees and branches. I had to laugh at myself getting stuck back in there. I imagine we'll all have to bear in mind that as we wade the new Evening Hole it'll be inevitable that our footsteps will inadvertently raise long streaming silt clouds that'll head downriver to the next fishermans spot. Silt goes with the new territory now. Don't be upset if your spot is suddenly stained for a few minutes. You'll unintentionally do it to the next guy yourself.
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Post by bradbessett on Feb 4, 2016 8:51:16 GMT -6
New pics uploaded to the foundation page - River looks pretty fishy!
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Post by paul01 on Feb 4, 2016 10:33:48 GMT -6
"Did the weather this year drive everyone to drinking wine?"
Unless I'm mistaken, I thought that this was a drinking group with a fishing problem.
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Post by golferjeff on Feb 4, 2016 11:32:51 GMT -6
Teetotaler here.... no drinking problem, just a simple lack of fishing problem Pics look pretty good. Lower EH may need a small trench or channel added to it. Below EH bridge fishable water hasn't changed much. Spillway channel is massive but fishable water looks pretty much the same. I wander if the wife would like Valentines weekend in Broken Bow?
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Post by jonbo on Feb 4, 2016 13:19:28 GMT -6
So long as it's somewhat sorted out by the end of the month when I plan to go fishing, I'm cool. I may end up spending a fair amount of time in Zone II if the generation schedule is really back to normal.
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Post by jonbo on Feb 5, 2016 7:48:37 GMT -6
Current LMFRF best guess: Wednesday, Feb. 10.
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Post by okieman71 on Feb 5, 2016 8:16:09 GMT -6
Fingers Crossed! Wonder if the Evening Hole will still get redone and wetlands restored.
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Post by Aaron on Feb 5, 2016 8:23:14 GMT -6
Yes and yes on the restoration. Will take a while though.
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Post by okieman71 on Feb 5, 2016 8:26:36 GMT -6
You think it will go down before summer Aaron??
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Post by Aaron on Feb 5, 2016 10:22:42 GMT -6
I am not sure when it will happen. Right now they are trying to get their ducks in a row. I think the Corp and the Park are kind of playing off of one another. The park is waiting on the Corp for info, all the while, the Corp may be doing something with heavy equipment. The channel that was cut by the bluffs was done by the Corp, and the Parks haven't done anything yet(for good reason). Once they are on the same page, I think we will see some movement on restoration. But right now, there are a lot of things on both the Park's and the Corp's plate. One would think it would be a priority, but in reality, it's probably down the list a bit. It would be good to do the improvements soon before the crowds increase. Long story short, who knows when they might start working the improvements. I will say the Corp does have an incentive to restore the "wetlands" soon, but not the EH as we might expect. Just my opinion...
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Post by Aaron on Feb 5, 2016 10:27:49 GMT -6
Also, priority number one for the Corp, in regards to the evening hole, is to releive the back water from the main dam so it is not saturated on the down side of the dam. That's why they were so quick to cut the straight shot next to the bluffs. The back pressure was pushing water back toward the dam. So any work done by the Corp will be for wetland purposes, and to release the water that gets pushed up towards the dam. That's the info we were given...
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Post by Aaron on Feb 5, 2016 12:30:47 GMT -6
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Post by Aaron on Feb 5, 2016 12:37:41 GMT -6
The two pictures in the previous post are from the new channel on side of the new island created at the bluffs. This channel splits from another at the bluffs and runs toward the cypress. There is another run on the opposite side of this island. Also, lost creek is running water with the flows this low. They may need to do a little work to help get more flow, but at least we have the possibility of more fishable water in the Red Zone. We already have more if they keep this split at the bluffs. There is a ton of rock for the stream bed, so I would anticipate some very nice looking stretches. Water clarity is also improving. Look for Mike Love's drone video in the next day or two. They are launching it in a few hours.
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Post by Aaron on Feb 5, 2016 12:40:08 GMT -6
A little shot of Lost Creek. Shallow, but running water. It may need a little help.
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Post by bradbessett on Feb 5, 2016 14:12:11 GMT -6
Thanks for the update Aaron!
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Post by Fenwick on Feb 6, 2016 11:21:14 GMT -6
Per this week's ODWC weekly e-mail bulletin: Lower Mountain Fork: Report compiled February 2. Stocked approximately 2,360 rainbow trout on January 28. Report submitted by April Drake, secretary at the Southeast Regional Office.
Consider the previous bulletin that mentions stocking: Lower Mountain Fork: Report compiled January 21. Stocked 3,068 pounds, approximately 3,800 rainbow trout on January 19. Report submitted by April Drake, secretary at the Southeast Regional Office.
So there's a bunch of trout in there now and they've had time to move about into areas of cover, what little structure there may be at present. Sure is a lot of wide open water lit by direct sunlight from bank to bank. The weather report is sposta be clear all next week. I'm thinking any deeper pocket, hole or run will be holding. What with the natural aquatic buffet somewhat upended I'll guess the trout won't be picky eaters and will be fond of anything presented to them. It'll be interesting to discover what bugs are on the menu other than those ever present size 64 gnats that eternally rise from every inch of the river.
And what a rude surprise it'll be for the lawn chair bucket and bait brigade when they find out the Cold Hole is now within the red zone. Picture that whole scenario. Hoo-boy. Oops, ya know, maybe I spoke too soon as I have not seen any results of that survey we participated in and so the Cold Hole may not yet "officially" be on the state rules and regulations books as being subject to red zone regulations. Maybe Eddie can find out.
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Post by woscholar on Feb 6, 2016 12:15:17 GMT -6
And what a rude surprise it'll be for the lawn chair bucket and bait brigade when they find out the Cold Hole is now within the red zone. Picture that whole scenario. Hoo-boy. Oops, ya know, maybe I spoke too soon as I have not seen any results of that survey we participated in and so the Cold Hole may not yet "officially" be on the state rules and regulations books as being subject to red zone regulations. Maybe Eddie can find out.
A man can dream, can't he? I'm with you. Also hoping the annual camping trip with my boy and his friends to BBSP can go on as planned this coming weekend. If it opens this week, will be there Friday. Betting for a big turnout if it opens.
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Post by schrederman on Feb 6, 2016 13:01:21 GMT -6
Sons and I are planning a 14th to 18th trip... I sure hope they aren't delaying opening the park. Thanks for all the updates!
Jack
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Post by Fenwick on Feb 6, 2016 14:07:04 GMT -6
The Beavers Bend State Park staffers have been posting informative updates regarding the park every few days on their Facebook page so it behooves you to check there from time to time: www.facebook.com/beaversbend.statepark/
Scrolling down through it you'll see the waterside campgrounds have taken a beating. You'll see the park is operating with a reduced staff and reduced operating budget too. Hopefully the $ and work crew has been found to restore those particular sites.
Another reminder to get your 2016 license if you haven't yet done so. Imagine the embarrassment if you got checked on your first time back. The authorities will no doubt be visible to set the right impression for the first few days the park reopens.
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Post by Fenwick on Feb 6, 2016 22:41:36 GMT -6
As Aaron mentioned the newest Evening Hole and Bluffs drone video from Mike Love is up on the foundation site at lmfrfoundation.org/latest-news-and-updates/ offering irrefutable proof that water does indeed flow on the Moon's surface.
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Post by golferjeff on Feb 6, 2016 23:10:18 GMT -6
Wow, that video is harsh. EH is a wreck. That doesn't even look fun. I hope it can be re-arranged by ODWC. Looks more like a swamp that a trouty river.
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Post by Fenwick on Feb 7, 2016 0:26:14 GMT -6
I watched the video a half dozen times already, pausing it here and there along the way for a good look. What I see reminds me of my trip to Mt. St. Helens a few years after she blew. The surrounding trout waters were all filled in with ash and trees for miles around. Man ohhhh man, what a restoration task we have for that stretch. Wait. What? What was that you said? You watched the video and then you said "howzabout they make it a blue zone from the Cold Hole on down through the Bluffs and Evening Hole and a red zone above the Cold Hole on up to the dam"? Izzat what you just said?!?
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Post by jonbo on Feb 7, 2016 9:29:37 GMT -6
EH is a silted-up mess, alright. Until something's done about that it looks sort of finished as a nice fly-fishing zone. I sure wish it were possible to run 2000 fps from the Spillway for about 4 days right at this time or before the Park opens up. It might clear the silt out some. Those riffles between the EH and the Bluffs look kind of interesting.
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Post by Fenwick on Feb 7, 2016 10:44:44 GMT -6
Yeah, those riffles along the bluffs and at the end of the bulldozed rockpile look to be about the only halfway trouty locations but who wants to stand there elbow to elbow with the next guy? However optimistic you want to be there's no escaping that any right turn / Bluffs / Lost Creek / Evening Hole restoration of river structure and vegetation will be done in phases spanning multiple years of budget allocations. Come spring I suspect a good number of those trees in the Lost and Found Creek area are not going to green up. As for the silt, well, it's not going anywhere via increased flow as that's how it got there in the first place. Consider the horseshoe from the Evening Hole bridge to Eddie's bridge was silty enough to begin with and no doubt moreso now. I imagine the rest of the run from Eddie's bridge on down through the park is also much more silty than before so moving the Evening Hole silt downriver isn't helping those locations. Heck, this whole restoration thing takes on the scale of a job for Bechtel.
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