The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

I conducted my first Arkansas River tour of the season, by canoe, this past Sunday afternoon. We left Sand Springs and arrived in Tulsa a little over two hours later. The water was a little high (27,000cfs and 7ft at the 11th street gauge) so the paddling was easy and we never dragged bottom. Shortly after departing, we saw a juvenile Bald Eagle swoop in front of us and pluck a fish out of the river. We saw the Blue Herons nesting in odd places, the least terns struggling to find islands to nest on and of course some really big fish rolling around.  The skyline viewed from that part of the river is gorgeous.  Evening is even better as the sun reflects off the buildings and the Martins and Swallows swirl through the air. You can now see the new Arena in the foreground. After stopping on an island, we crossed the mild rapids near Newblock Park and floated under the bridges and into the port where the new restaurant will be built at 19th street.

The cost for this trip is $50 per person and I provide all equipment, drinking water and descriptions of the river and its history (but I will shut up on command). The other tour starts at the Keystone Dam and takes another hour or so. The river is quite different that far upstream. The cost is $75 per person for that one.

At this time, I can accommodate two passengers in the 16ft aluminum canoe and one more in an inflatable kayak or sit on top kayak. If anyone would like to experience this part of the river before it is dammed up and changed forever, pm me or e-mail me. This is a truly unique adventure not being offered to the general public.

Waterboy

I will also do floats of the lower river, Tulsa from below Zink Lake to Jenks. The area is more urban than the Sand Springs tour but also has some great views around Turkey Mountain. It is also flatter and slower so more water is required to keep from having to portage your craft.

Also, does anyone know of a good digital camera or digital video camera for outdoors use? I have had difficulty being able to see the screen on my Kodak under full sun. It also is difficult to use the viewfinder so something with a cup to shield the sun. Best combination would be field binoculars with a digital capture but I am told they are unreliable as of yet.

I will definately take you up on this offer. I need to gather up some cash, but how long will this offer be good for?

As long as people want to do them. Last year I kayaked well into November. Gets a little too chilly after that, though a Christmas or New Years trip might be nice. 8) Look forward to hearing from you.

I'm all over this....Thank You.....

I look like the skipper, want to be the professor, but act like gilligan. You don't want me in your boat.

That's a cool idea..... and certainly makes sense.  I've never thought of canoeing the Arkansas in the Tulsa area.  Why on Earth do I drive to the Illinois?

I like the Illinois too. Have been going there since I was Fruit Loop size. Their personalities are similar but the size of the Arkansas and its solitude make for a different experience.

I promise not to do this each trip. But since I described the SS to Tulsa trip thought you might like to hear about the Keystone Dam to SS trip.

Memorial Weekend trip Saturday 5/23/09 (from Waterboy’s perspective)-

“You’re a lot braver than I am!” shouted a large fisherman with tattoos surrounded by his buddies camped along our Swiftwater Park departure point. He was looking at the canoe, my inflatable kayak, water rumbling past us at a good clip (45,000 cfs at that time) and my modified city boy demeanor. “Either that or you’re smarter than me,” I answered. He was more concerned with the speed and depth of the river than I was but the river is not to be disrespected. It simply looks scarier than it is. My standard reply is two-fold, be sure and tell the press that I was sober and fearless, and, no matter what happens, with this current it’s likely I’ll still accomplish my mission and end up in Tulsa in one form or another.

My fellow TN floaters, JtCrissup and his buddy, loaded into the canoe quickly. They were skeptical of its wiggle upon sitting down.  Just like the river, the canoe’s tippiness is counter-intuitive. If it feels shaky when you first get in that’s a good thing. Primary stability is not as important as secondary stability. If it feels stable when you first step in, it most likely will not have much control when you’re in a tricky situation in rapids or fast water. They soon became adjusted to its manners and were able to take in the breadth and beauty of this part of the river.

We passed beneath bluffs, high hills on both sides and some fierce sounding rapids that the guys weren’t ready for yet. We bypassed them and soon emerged into one of the prettiest landscapes of the whole river. It is the delta created from the entrance of Shell Creek into the Arkansas. It’s a postcard vista pockmarked with little streams and ponds that appear and disappear with the fluctuation of the river. At low river levels these wetlands are favorites of the pelicans, herons and four legged creatures, but alas, today they are hiding. The “living river” concept in the last failed bond issue would have been a re-creation of this part of the river.

This is the area along hwy64 that the road rises above the river and you have a great view of the valley below. In fact an old lookout on the highway still exists, though closed because of the crumbling shale beneath it. From our perspective we saw old Wekiwa road at near water level, highway 64 on a second level and the limestone hills rising above them all. Good place to rest.

Most people are struck with the solitary nature of being on this part of the river, the feeling that you have it all to yourself. Jake and Andy were no exception. It is both exhilarating and a bit scary as I tell them from this point on, should you drop your cell phone in the river, you have no safety net. There are few connections with civilization, no security personnel, no readily available rescue squads and no one else to hear you yell for help. I adore this feeling. Only your wife and friends know what you’re doing and they all think you’re crazy. On the plus side, indeed, the river is yours for a few hours. A few fishermen may be around but they mostly remind you of Deliverance.

The second leg was from Sand Springs Park to Chandler Park. Competition for prettiest view of the river is halfway through this leg where you get the skyline nestled between Chandler Park on river right and islands to river left. We saw storm clouds massing up to our right so we hustled. By the time we hit the refinery island to recharge, the trip was almost over. We noted the increased activity of the Least Terns as they anxiously searched for nesting spots. After passing by Waterworks/Newblock and under the bridges (I love it when the train is going over at the same time) we angled to the right to enjoy the increasing speed of the river as it passes between the Least Tern islands and the shoreline by Westport. It is a sort of Venturi effect that you can paddle into and get a little boost.  The geese like it too.  We beat the rain to 19th street. Total time at this level was 3 1/2 hours. These guys seemed a lot fresher at the end than I did.  I may have to charge more for this distance!

GREAT TRIP!!  What a memorable Memorial Day experience.  My buddy (visiting from Austin) and I had a great time on it.  Waterboy's account is right on...the canoe was a little shaky at first (I figured it was because I was used to more "flat bottom" type of canoe and this one had more of a "v-shape" hull...which leads to a more efficient ride, so not all bad).  We had a few "whoa" moments during the trip, but only had water come into the boat once, and it was a VERY small amount (more probably came in from my sneakers when putting in from the bank).  I enjoyed both "segments" of the river as the first part (Keystone to SS) is very scenic with bluffs and rolling hills and the second segment (SS to Riverparks) lended amazing views of the DT skyline.  I got a few great pics of the downtown skyline, which I hope to upload later this week.  Waterboy knows a TON about the river and has been in it under all kinds of conditions from his Airboat tour days, and we enjoyed all that he had to tell.  My favorite is his interpretation on the origin of our city's name...I won't spoil it for him though, as I know he enjoys telling the story, and it is more suitable for "on the river" vs "on the posting board".

I would recommend this trip to anyone who is looking for a good adventure...especially while the water is UP as it made for a pretty relaxing trip in terms of how much you have to paddle.  My legs and lower back were a little sore from sitting in the same position for 3.5 hours, but my shoulders were suprisingly in no pain at all (and I have bad shoulders...surgery in one and arthritis in the other).  The few island stops were also nice as it gave a chance to get a little deeper into the cooler... 

All in all, we both had a blast and I hope to do it again soon (plan to look into getting a kayak for myself), introducing others to this before the "secret" is out to Tulsan's (well, that might take a generation or two to un-do the negative attitude's of Tulsan's about our River, but their loss is our gain as it is nice to have the place to yourself).  Everyone I told I was doing it was intrigued, but most thought I was crazy for doing it with snide remarks about gaining extra toes, etc.  To be honest, the river is clean (from a manmade pollution standpoint...especially at the high flow rates) and the ONLY industry you see is the Refinery (Holly) which accounts for about 10 of the last 30 minutes of the trip, so no big deal.  I hope others on TN give it a try as well...hurry cause it sounds like waterboy is re-structuring the payment!!   

Sounds amazing, please do post the pics from your trip.

I am thinking about getting a 'sea' kayak for the lake, where is a good place in Tulsa to get one? 

I'm not happy with the selection at Sports Authority, Academy or BoatersWorld. Best selection is online, but there is a guy in OKC who attended our boat show. Look him up on the OKC Craigslist. Search under kayaks.

You want something long and narrow on a lake so you can move faster. The shorter ones are better on rivers and rapids. Also, don't get too hung up on exotic brand names and designs. Its way overkill for Oklahoma waters.

I think Boater's World is liquidated and closed.  They were owned by the same company that owned Wolf Camera.  I would imagine West Marine has about the same selection as Academy or Sports Authority.  If you are new to it, I'd just suggest you buy something stable.  Or if you want to try something completely different, do the learn to row program at Tulsa Rowing Club.  There's still space in the July and August classes.

Best two pics from the canoe trip on Memorial Day Weekend...getting the camera out/ready was kind of a pain...has anyone else taken waterboy up on his offer?  I am guessing the flow is so low right now (not to mention the heat) that it would be more work than fun...but could be cool first thing in the morning leaving from the dam and getting out in Sand Springs...

(http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs086.snc1/5054_1070737734760_1415628539_30153783_4549417_n.jpg)

(http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs106.snc1/5054_1070737774761_1415628539_30153784_6373408_n.jpg)

The flow actually seems pretty good.

The Aamco at 41st and Harvard has a poster from a 1984 float.  The "KRMG Great Raft Race 13."  Which is what I imagine people were referring to above.

I remember going to the great raft race... That was fun.

Thanks for the pics Jt. The flow is pretty good for such a dry period. There are more islands and sand bars then when you went and yes, a little more paddling effort. Always cooler near the water. Alas, no more TN posters have signed up.

A good local float is the Lower Illinois River below Tenkiller Lake...cold moving water, cold CLEAR moving water with real live Trout living in it! Cold, no skeeters!

It is amazing how chicken poop and recycled beer show up clear in a stream like that. You should take a few big gulps of that cold clear water. Seriously, they use sand to filter water, not rocks.

edit: btw, the huge population of birds, including Purple Martins, keeps the bug population real low on the river. One of the surprises for me was the absence of wildlife visible along the Illinois compared with the Arkansas. I always see a lot of birds on the Arkansas, including Pelicans, Eagles, Kingfishers and a variety egrets, geese and terns. Too many people along the Illinois I guess.

I'd do it if I'd ever been in a canoe. Doesn't seem like a wise place to start, though. I'd have to get a good lanyard and a waterproof shell for my camera.  8)

I think its a good place to start. The river starts fairly narrow below the Dam and widens out as it continues. The flows, especially in the summer, are slow and the rapids are tame but totally avoidable if you don't want to try them. The water is shallow (late summer you'll likely walk some just like the Illinois) and you can always easily float to a sand bar or the bank if you do tump over. It is a river though, not a narrow little stream and it must be treated with respect. I always wear my pfd rather than sit on it.

Of course, even experienced folks turn their craft over, but the only time its happened on a tour I conducted was when my 20 year old son got over confident and turned his small kayak 180 degrees and the current caught him off balance. We floated over to the bank and noted how cold that water was! Waterproofing your camera is always wise on the water.

I'll take care of you. :)

Hmm, I'll have to take you up on it sometime when it's not going to be a hundred degrees out.  ;D

Get up early enough and there's coons and foxes to be seen between 11th and the pedestrian bridge at 31st.  Early morning is an interesting time to be on the Arkansas.

Same can be said for about anywhere in the city.

My strangest encounter with wildlife was walking out my front door at dusk and coming within a couple feet of a Opossum.
At first I thought it was a strange looking gray hairless dog with a really long nose. He kept staring at me as though it was the first time to see my species too. I think he had been spending some time beneath my sunroom which was driving my dog nuts.

LOWER Illinois River. LOWER; few people on this section.

Hey Waterboy - just FYI that I sent you a private message.  Let me know if you don't get it.  Thanks!

Friday was one of the most memorable floats I've ever had on the river. The weather was perfect, the water level was perfect and it was an adventure. Thanks to Patrick and his wife for good company, good cheer, and a good attitude!

Can we expect a trip report?  And maybe some pics?   :)

I'm at work now, so I can't upload my summary or pics but maybe Patrick can do his. Suffice it to say, some of the locals added a little excitement to the tour. Also, going backwards through rapids,though unorthodox, makes one laugh out loud. We didn't see much wildlife, only a few hawks, an eagle, herons and egrets. I did see two very large Turkey Buzzards when I went back to get my truck. Handsome little devils.

Since you asked. :)

The trip (from Waterboy’s perspective)-
     This was one of the better trips I’ve ever had down the river. This couple wanted an out of the ordinary adventure and I believe they got one. The weather was perfect, a mild, sunny day with gentle breezes from the South East and temperatures in the 80’s. Unusual for late July. The dam had only one gate open that gave us a little push all day long.  Patrick and Kim had little experience in watercraft but picked it up pretty quickly. This aluminum Aero canoe is a great starter vehicle. I was trying out my new 10ft Vapor by Old Town.

Our first challenge came a 1/4mile into the trip where the river narrows and is rocky. It is the first contrast to ones perceived view of this river as a flat, sandy, slow old ditch. It starts conversation. Some herons cackled at us and the small two person kayak with fishermen ahead of us. We talked about the ecology of the river, its place in the universe and how it works. After some mild rapids,  the adventure began in earnest.

As we came near the delta created by the old Shell Creek entrance into the river, I was pointing out how it had created the myriad of islands, ponds and rapids that attract the wildlife. We were anticipating going into a former sand mining area that is a maze of small connected pools when I heard what sounded like fireworks. Only they were popping at a regular rhythm. The water about 20 yards in front of us was erupting into small geysers at each pop. This concerned me greatly as I realized it was gunfire, pointed in our direction. There were two guys in a canoe about a hundred yards in front of us who suddenly pointed their craft towards the bluffs where the popping noises were emanating. I wondered if they knew who was shooting, if it was a confrontation of some sort or just what was happening.

Instinctively, I recommended we follow their lead. By moving in toward the shooter it minimized the chance of him having a good angle to hit us, unless of course that was what he was trying to do. More likely, someone was target shooting and hadn’t foreseen where the bullets were landing, or didn’t care. That is a danger on this river. Inattention to it means people can abuse it as they hold it in low regard. Part of my purpose is to keep folks knowledgeable about what they have so that they plan for it with insight.

Anyway, we caught up with the other canoe and found out they were sightseeing, just like us, and didn’t know who the numbskull was shooting and it had frightened them just as much as us. They had yelled to the guy that they were in his line of fire.  He responded with “Where’s your 20?!” We suspect some teenage bravado behavior.  I know where the property is and will relay the story to the owner. Stuff like this happens in the city too,

We didn’t have time to contemplate our close call with the Deliverance redneck. This area is really diverse with lots of creek like passages, islands, sand bars and shallow ponds. It is bordered by large hills that highway 64 cuts through high above us on the north and low flatlands that old highway 51 travels along the south where the channel runs. Even though it bears the scars of some human errors, most notably tires that had been used to fortify caving banks but have since washed into the river, it is a postcard location.  

It then turns into  a rather slow, easy float as we approached the Sand Springs island where the old low water dam used to reside. They blew up their dam in the late 80’s after numerous deaths, silt build up and very little return on the investment. I explained how the areas we just went through, including this island, would be under 4-6 feet of water when Sand Springs builds their new dam just below highway 97.  The magnitude of that tragedy cannot be measured unless you float that area and see the resulting changes in store. The water in this area is clear and cold having been out of the depths of lake Keystone just a couple hours earlier. That will change.

It took longer than we had expected for the first leg. Patrick e-mailed his friends from the island, took some pics and we headed home. The SS to Tulsa leg had some eddies and a few rapids that we tested our craft with and it gave me time to relay some of the history of the area with some anecdotes from my experiences in my airboat tour business. Its what I call “the skyline tour”. The city skyline is beautiful from this vantage point. But there was still some excitement left. We stopped on the refinery islands that were created by the sharp turn of the river around the Waterworks at Newblock Park. We mapped out a strategy of where we would cross the rapids that are formed by a rock ledge that crosses the river there. Its a natural fault line and the river basin drops about three feet downstream. When the water is up, they are noisy but harmless. At this level they are formidable. Large rocks punctuate the crossing and create what look like class 2 or 3 rapids. I usually take my craft to the far west where it is less pronounced. Kim was ready to attack them head on and today so was I. But as we approached, I had second thoughts and attempted to steer them laterally along the fault to a gap where I had always taken the airboat. However, I underestimated the strength of the current and we didn’t have time to adjust. Communication failed as well. I kept yelling, “Paddle right!” meaning turn the canoe to the right. Instead, they paddled on the right side of the canoe turning them into the rapids. By the time they did start to paddle on the left of the boat it was too late. At the last moment I yelled, “Hold on! We’re going through backwards!”  And we did.

It was scary and I was sure this would be my first time to flip on this river. But they were game, the craft was quite stable and we luckily had found the gap I was looking for. We made it through and laughed out loud. The last surprise was nothing for us after making it through Newblock. The large rocks and concrete debris left under the bridges at 11th street after their construction allowed my light kayak to barely pass over them but the canoe hit one rock square in the front and turned them sideways. By now they knew the craft, counter balanced themselves as the canoe tipped and Patrick powered them into a deeper path.

As we unloaded at the West Bank ramp near the Rowing Club, I showed them how the water quality had seriously deteriorated at this point. Even though there was still good current, the impoundment at Zink lake has caused algae buildup and clouded up the water. It catches and holds everything put in upstream.

Great fun but I am worn out. Total time was over 5 hours.

Thanks waterboy, sounds like a very interesting trip.  I know you are not an advocate for the low water dams but do you think they could aid in possibly changing people's perceptions of the river and draw more people to it?  

Possibly. In fact, short term, yes. However, it won't take long for them to sour on the finished product when taxpayer monies have to be used to manage them. We are bucking the trend around the country of taking these dams down. My hope is that someone pays more attention to them than the last time. It doesn't have to be a bad outcome. Its just historically they have been.

Have you ever thought of writing a book of your knowledge of the Arkansas?  Your knowledge of it's history, value, the hydrology, and ecology is priceless.

Good idea.  Even a multi-part series in the TW or in a lengthy article in a local magazine would be very informative.

Well, thank you both for your kind remarks. I wouldn't know where to start. Though I would like to share before I become any more senile. :)

I have to apologize for the length of time it has taken for me to get on here and post about our trip.  I needed a day or two to recuperate from our adventure. Factor in a hectic work week and here I am a week after our trip.

Steve did an excellent job summarizing our trip.  My wife and I were celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary and I wanted to plan something special/adventurous.  We both enjoy being outside and seeing as though we are lifelong Tulsans, a canoe trip down the Arkansas is a unique way to see more of our city.

Most Tulsans have a formed opinion about the river - it smells, it is polluted, we should / should not "develop" it.  Whatever your feelings / thoughts / opinions are, if you feel strongly about it, you owe yourself a day on the river with Steve.  At the very least you will get some exercise.  I am sure, though, that you will come out of the experience with a clearer understanding of the river and quite possibly, a better appreciation for our little jewel.

We really had a fantastic time and were very appreciative of Steve's commentary and understanding of the river.  The rapids were quite fun although as Steve mentioned, we went through them backwards and sideways which I believe is not the typical way of handling them.  I blame it all on my wife as she was all for going into the thick of the rapids.  We saw lots of herons and egrets and also caught a glimpse of a bald eagle.  The bald eagle's nest we saw was huge (didn't get a picture).  I was amazed at how clear the water was.  We put in by the dam - the river was crystal clear all the way up to the turn at downtown by the refinery.  At that point, the water clarity was significantly reduced.

Here are some pictures of our trip.  I have a few more but didn't want to post too many.  I have higher resolution versions too if anyone wants a copy.  It is hard to imagine we were in the middle of a city (and river) while taking these pictures.  It was a great time.

Steve - I will send you some more pictures via e-mail.  We have a good shot of you in the kayak.  I didn't want to post it here without your consent - just in case you are really a top secret CIA spy of some sorts, I don't want to break your cover.

To boil it down, the trip was an A+ and time well spent.  It was fun and educational and certainly qualifies as your workout for the day.  Shoot Steve a message and book your trip!

-Patrick

Skyline picture.

Excellent photos Patrick, especially the skyline shot!  That stretch of river from Lake Keystone to downtown is really beautiful with the hills to the north and south. 

Thanks, Patrick. Good pics and my "real" identity is safe so post any other pics you want.

Waterboy, what advice would you give boaters/kayakers interested in taking their craft on the Arkansas?  What areas to avoid/be careful around on the river in and around Tulsa?  Obviously stay away from the dam. 


Have you kayaked any of the other rivers in Tulsa like Crow Creek or Bird Creek?  I remember visiting a friend who lived in a house backing up to Crow Creek near Peoria and he had a kayak in the backyard.  He said his dad would take it down Crow to the Arkansas when the water was high enough..

Waterboy, what advice would you give boaters/kayakers interested in taking their craft on the Arkansas?  What areas to avoid/be careful around on the river in and around Tulsa?  Obviously stay away from the dam.  

My advice is to go heavy on preparation. When I started down this river, there was no Google Maps to prepare me. There were topographical maps available but I didn’t know where or how to get them. Nonetheless, I was in an 18 ft x 8ft flat bottomed boat with lots of horsepower, which was more than capable, and I had years of experience on local lakes and rivers growing up here.

Using a small craft, I would want to have some idea of what to expect. The Google Map shots I have seen were taken when the water was pretty low. You can clearly see the channel of the river, the shoals and the rocky areas. Spend some time getting a feel for where they are. For the most part, the channel is on the river right going downstream.

I carry a medium size dry bag that is well designed for small craft, available at Academy. I stuff it with an extra set of clothes, rain jacket, water shoes, a flare gun, some prepackaged food and a medical kit. Never had to use any of it but still….I put my ID, phone, some cash, etc inside a waterproof baggie and put it near the top of the dry bag. Then strap the bag to the kayak.

Wear a comfortable PFD. If its not comfortable you end up sitting on it which leaves you at risk if you tump over. They make a jacket for fishermen and kayakers that fits loose on the shoulders and is great for holding extra gear. Finally, use a good waterproof sunscreen and get some “croakies” to hold your glasses around your neck and some good gloves to keep from getting blisters. I’ve found that knit/leather weight lifting gloves are cheap and effective.

There are only a few public places to load into the river. Upstream, its Swiftwater Park, Sand Springs Park, and Westbank Ramp (by the Rowing Club). Downstream its 31st and Riverside on the East side of the river and PSO Soccer Fields on the West side. Then possibly the new ramp on the east side across from Turkey Mtn. about 61st.  Kayaking, in this area, is where bicycling was 20 years ago. Many parallels.

Watch the water levels and more importantly, the cycle of the river. You can do that by logging onto one of the Corps websites. I use http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ok/nwis/uv/?site_no=07164500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060. This will give you the level of the river at the 11th street bridge (SW Blvd for the purists). Remember, that level represents water that was released upstream at the dam 4 hours earlier and which travels at about 5mph. I’ve never been able to find reliable forecasts of release amounts and times, probably for many good reasons. Always let someone know when you’re leaving, your approximate route and when you think you might arrive just like a flight plan. It keeps your friends and family calm. Take a cell phone but don't rely on a cell phone. The mountains may block the signal and you might get them wet.

Once on the river avoid areas with tree branches sticking up or exposed rock. Obvious I know. Swirls of water indicate submerged obstacles. Small ripples indicate shallow water. Indications are not always correct though. Rapids on this river are most obvious below 10,000cfs. I wouldn’t go on the river as a newbie above 25000cfs and even with experience above 40,000cfs. I have, but its an ego thing. A good level is around 4500cfs which equates to 4ft in Tulsa. Unless you have some experience, stay away from “the wave” at the end of the jetty below PSO. I have watched those guys (Tulsa Kayak Club I think) and it looks fun but they wear helmets and know how to turn their craft over and flip back up. That is a skill unnecessary on most of the river.

Beware of bridges. When the water is high and fast, they cause turbulence around the piers and will jerk you around quickly. Try to stay in the center of the span. When the water is lower, you have to beware of debris from previous bridges that were left. Sometimes rebar and concrete are visible or just under the surface and show as whirlpools. The piers also snag trees. Highway 97 bridge, stay in the middle/right spans. Passing through the 244/11th street bridges-count 5 spans from the east bank when water is low. But its not critical, just easier.

Don’t be fooled by shallow water in the middle of the river. If you step out onto some of these shoals, you will sink up to your knees! They also end abruptly with a steep drop. Study the sand bars at low levels and you can see. Stopping on islands is fun. Tread carefully as the wildlife enjoy them too. Turtle eggs, terns, water snakes, even an occasional Coyote all use the islands. Drag your craft out of the water or tie it up to something as the rising water can quickly float your craft away.

Most of the land along this river is publicly owned but inaccessible. However, there is private property, notably petroleum companies and some shoreline along Chandler Park.


Have you kayaked any of the other rivers in Tulsa like Crow Creek or Bird Creek?  I remember visiting a friend who lived in a house backing up to Crow Creek near Peoria and he had a kayak in the backyard.  He said his dad would take it down Crow to the Arkansas when the water was high enough..

No, strangely I don’t spend much time on other rivers or lakes. Lake paddling is boring to me. I have explored along Crow when my boys were younger. I am dismayed at what people put into those creeks. Someday I may float them when they have some water. Problem is that if they have water its likely after a rain when pollutants are 50 times as high and the water is treacherous due to tree fall and debris. Still, it is intriguing. There is a group of folks here in Tulsa who travel around to area lakes and creeks with kayaks. I am too impolitic to be part of any group, but I will find their last e-mail if you’d like.

Hope I didn’t scare you! Call or PM me if you like, I’ll be glad to chat.

Waterboy, here's a useful link on Keystone Dam hydropower release schedules we use:

http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/power/hydropower.html

Thanks. Subject to change but a pretty good estimate.

Thanks waterboy!  I, and I'm sure countless others, really appreciate your posts and your extensive knowledge of the river.  I may have to take you up on the guided float sometime before heading out on my own, I'll let you know. 

Bird Creek seems like a more 'tame' option, and pretty scenic too.  I would think a put-in at Mohawk Park and then down to the Verdigris near the port would be an interesting run.  Like the Arkansas you would want to watch the river level closely. 

Conan, I checked the forecasted discharge today that was forecasted last Friday and it showed 11,200 cfsd (I assume that's cubic feet per second discharge). Instead, it is currently at 22,500 cfs. Unless I read it wrong the forecast was way off. I guess it was the unexpected rains the last few days. It would be nice to have something available 24-48 hours in advance with a higher reliability.

SXSW, I would like to have a look at Bird Creek. I especially would like to see the area where the Civil War battle was supposed to have been fought with Archie Yahola and Confederate troops.

Unfortunately, other than sleeping with someone at the Corps who runs the dam, that's about as good as it's going to get.  I would expect the rain is what skewed the actual discharge.  I'm glad to see some H20 back down in my neck of the woods, it was really showing some sand bars for a few days there.  Fortunately I'm training more for some bicycling endurance events at the moment, our big fall rowing races are still six weeks off.

I'm willing to do that. Am I a bad person?

Seriously, upon analyzing that web site it is really a projection of releases planned by and for Southwest Power to create electricity based on demand projections. So, they may open two gates to create power, yet the Corps. might open other gates for lowering lake levels which may not be reflected in the projection. Nonetheless, it is another piece of useful information in determining river levels.

Interesting (to me anyway) that they show on their map the downstream at Tulsa measuring indicator as being located on the East side of the SW Boulevard bridge, when it is actually on the West side. Any rower will tell you to stay away from the East side when the water is down.

Here's a little lore for one of your future guided trips if you were not aware: The passage between the two Tern islands (I call them North Toxic and South Toxic, one of my rowing mates is an environmentalist with FWS and denies there's hazardous waste capped over on those islands) and Westport is called "The Gauntlet" by the rowing club.  When the 11th St. gage is at 7 ft or higher, it's like a treadmill, even in a quad.  I won't go through there in a racing single when it's over 5.  You can get pitched around pretty hard and it can get a little hairy exiting going the "wrong way".  ;)

I am aware. It was described in each of the last two trips. I see it as a "venturi effect" like what comes in play in a car engine intake manifold. It forces the water through a smaller opening, thus causing it to speed up and swirl. It jerks you back and forth and is unpredictable. Even the geese seem to know about it and float in and out of the main channel it produces, sort of like jumping on and off a trolley.

I know there is something under those islands that needed covering up. The Channels folks promised as part of their plan to do just that. RPA lied for decades about it. During my first few trips I chatted with a passenger who was one of the workers who used a bull dozer to cover the area and he assured me it was to cap a leak of some kind. The Terns were an afterthought.