JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Tuesday’s news about the Snake River and its challenges to river users from Deadman’s to Moose, especially around the Bar BC Ranch, has received a ton of feedback from Buckrailers wanting to know more.
What exactly is the issue? Why doesn’t the park intervene to fix it? I’m experienced on the river, should I try it?
In an effort to answer the many questions and hopefully head off any potential catastrophies, Buckrail has prepared this follow up news with more detailed information thanks to the crew at WorldCast Anglers who have been on the Snake most recently.
“There are 12 to 20 spruce trees forming a nearly riverwide obstruction. This is the main channel, and there really aren’t any side routes around it. It’s fairly fast water, too,” WorldCast Anglers observed. “All of the commercial outfitters pulled off that stretch today and ran some trips from Pacific to Deadman’s.
“We scouted DMB to Moose this afternoon and found a way through the logjam, but it’s small and somewhat shallow. The cold weather could put an end to that slot, and also another tree could wash in and finish the job.
“The obstruction may not resolve itself for some time. Right above it, the main channel is blasting into an island at a right angle. The river should punch through the island completely, but I won’t hazard a guess how long that will take or what the resulting channel on the other side will look like. What had been a mature spruce forest on the island is now a minefield of snags a short ways downstream.
“In general, over the last week or two, the navigation between Bar BC Ranch and Cottonwood Creek (2-3 miles) has been some of the most difficult I’ve seen since the days of The Maze. Perhaps even more challenging because of the fast water and sudden wholesale changes.
The river has been shifting east, and the obstructed area I’ve been describing is basically where the confluence of Schwabacher’s and the main channel used to be.”
This is sobering firsthand observation and appears much stronger worded than our update earlier this week about conditions on the Snake.
Wild and Scenic
So why doesn’t the park fix the river?
The Snake River is managed as a Wild and Scenic River—a designation it received in 2009.
Because of this designation, Grand Teton National Park does not remove obstructions that may exist in the river, but rather preserves the natural flow and processes of the river.
The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which turns 50 this year, was created by Congress on October 2, 1968 to preserve rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations.
