Tidal Flotsam In BC Waters

[webejammin]

I checked the river flow chart history and the 'cubic feet per second ' CFS is the hightest it's been sence 1997 on the Columbia River when it also hit 560,000 cfs double most years. I can see lots of floatsome going by on the river and the depth is about 5 to 6 ft higher than normal at the marina were in at the Port of Kennewick WA. I've heard that the big river tug boats are fighting to get up to the locks at 1 kt with empty barges so were staying home this spring instead of going down river and up to the San Juan Islands because were not sure we could get back up stream if we needed to and several other sailboats around here have made the same desition for this year. Next year and the next we'll need to watch for floatsome coming from Japan's tsunami on the Pacific North West coast.
I'm sure the Fraser River is very full too, but I haven't found the river flow charts for it.

[Capt Phil]

Not too surprising given the size of the watershed each river drains. With high snow pack and major flooding in the tributary system that supports these two major rivers along with this being a high flood year, heaps of junk that has been lying on the shore upstream for years has now been floated and washed off into the rivers. At least there isn't the problem of homes being built on the flood plains of the Fraser or the Columbia like there is on the Missouri and Red rivers back in the north central US.
When the westerlies kick up off the Columbia, there wil be some interesting bar crossings and great video of the USCG training out of Astoria this year... Capt Phil

[hummingway]

There are times when a large boat going through the mud will leave a beautiful blue wake as the muddy fresh water is pushed aside to reveal the clean salt water below. A beautiful effect.