River Hazards

[harringtondav]

This deadhead emerged yesterday. Our slough is just off the Mississippi main channel. The river has dropped 3.5' in five days. I saw boats cruising over this thing earlier. I learned the hard way to keep to center channel in sloughs years ago. That's why I only use aluminum props. I haven't broken out the binoculators, but I bet this prop eater has scars.

 

[JASinIL2006]

We were out last weekend and I couldn’t believe how low the water was.

 

[gm280]

Sorry, but exactly what is it? I can't tell from the picture? And is it movable while it is surfaced?

 

[JASinIL2006]

A big ole nasty deadhead, waiting rip out the bottom of someone's boat... sometimes they are floaters, but often it's a huge branch or a whole tree lodged in the river bed.

 

[harringtondav]

Sorry, but exactly what is it? I can't tell from the picture? And is it movable while it is surfaced?

JASinIL2006 nailed it. It's a large tree that floated down during a flood. As he also mentioned the waterlogged submerged logs floating below the surface are a greater hazard. Dead head trees normally attach close to bank where it's shallow. Center channel navigation will clear most. But the floating deadheads can get you anywhere after a major flood.

 

[southkogs]

A good rain here in Middle Tennessee will put 'em in the impounds ... right in the middle of the main channel. I've made a few spectacular turns

 

[JASinIL2006]

It keeps you on your tows!

 

[Scott Danforth]

Fishing the Menominee river taught me about deadheads and floaters.... and a big rock ledge 300' out from shore 6" below the surface in 30' of water

 

[JASinIL2006]

JASinIL2006 nailed it. It's a large tree that floated down during a flood. As he also mentioned the waterlogged submerged logs floating below the surface are a greater hazard. Dead head trees normally attach close to bank where it's shallow. Center channel navigation will clear most. But the floating deadheads can get you anywhere after a major flood.

Seems to me there have been a lot more of this kind of stuff, especially the big floaters, in the water this year on the Mississippi. I don't know if the flooding from last year and early this year killed off a bunch of shoreline trees or what, but we've seen more large branches and trees in the river this year than in the past, even when there haven't been recent heavy rains.

 

[dwco5051]

Used to boat on a lake in Canada in the 1950's where they floated log booms to the sawmill at the end of the lake. Deadheads were every where. A good thing that a 10 hp Johnson on a 14' wooden Peterborough didn't go very fast.