Columbia Water Levels

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

Water levels have been real low for quite sometime... No more kiddie pool this summer at the sandbar? Guessing there is not much snow melt to drive things anymore so are current levels what we can expect until the end of season?

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

I dunno. For the past few weeks they've been bring the water level up in the evenings...

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

what time? I'm just going off of what I've heard while I was gone and seen from the Cams... trying to figure out where to aim after work today.

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

Yesterday we were out at the Sandbar ~6-7ish and it was filling in fast. Did't see how high it got, but in the past couple weeks it's been enough to fill in the puddles and ride! Guess that's pretty late though.

jbruxer · Since 24 Jul 2005 398 Posts Beaverton, OR Obsessed

I have been out there the past few weekends and have noticed the same thing. It will be extremely low until about 2-3pm and then you will notice it steadily increasing. Two weekends ago I left around 4pm and the kiddie pool had already filled in and there were some guys ripping it up! Very Happy

Onad · Wed Aug 08, 07 3:18 pm

I know, let’s get an excavator out there and dig a nice deep kiddie pool that will last all summer!!! Question

WakeUp- You got a lead on a big excavator??? Wink

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

Sandbar looked light and dry... Headed to SS, lit 7m .. low water set up some nice flat water.

When we were back in HR the water level was up but not a whole lotta kiddie pool.

tekko · Since 20 Feb 2006 376 Posts White Salmon Liquid Force

I agree.. need to dig it out to help define high ground and pools.

High winds and low water has been blowing so much sand around it's leveling everything...

Easily dry enough to get a sand mover out there.... could open up the moat from the hood to flow as well...

Hein · Since 08 Mar 2005 1313 Posts Possessed

There's a shit load of flat water down by the
bridge but the windsurfers have claimed it
as a speed run. We need to get the port to
give us a launch down there. It seems the
windsurfers are free to establish themselves
anywhere they see fit. They got a new launch
upwind of Luhr and now they claimed another
one down at the marina. That's not fair. we
need a launch from the marina gravel road.
All the way downwind at the end would be fine
with me. It would be a Hook style launch.

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

At the last CGKA meeting Cory mentioned that some people (the port?) had discussed the possibility of some sandbar "sculpting" that could occur if they did get the funds to dredge. He said they were into the idea of doing this in such a way that it would make a world class flatwater speed strip.

Sounds really cool but a lot of us were worried that any kind of dredging meant probably: A) Losing access from the event site, since that would likely be the first place to be dredged, and B) Losing sandbar space.

Basically since things still seem a bit bias towards windsurfers, we should be skeptical of any actions the port would make to reconfigure the sandbar.

Plus who knows what you could do that would be sustainable with winter flows and 30 knot winds pummeling it. You've probably noticed how much sand/rocks/debris there still is upriver in the Hood. It will be interesting to see what happens next winter...

In the meantime A low tech bull dozer solution sounds best to me, but I'd doubt we'd ever get the permits to do it.

Mark · Thu Aug 09, 07 8:15 am

I can't agree more.
Beware of any plans to change the sandbar. It will mean less access for us and more for the windsurfers. Until we are stronger as an organization, we will get the short end of the deals....

NOOB · Since 21 Jun 2007 24 Posts

Its strange for me to read that the columbia is soooo low, Up here (technically the start of the columbia river system) our resevior has been a full pipe for weeks now. We have not seen water levels this high in years and its actually seriously affecting my learing to kite as the water is sooo full of driftwood due to higher levels that you can barely even fish.

Id love to give you guys some more water, which would leave the driftwood high and dry on our shorlines and Id actually be able to try out my new kite !

funkysub · Since 14 Jul 2005 53 Posts

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?14105700
see "depth to bottom" Probably a bit of a delay downstream to the sandbar..
-funkysub

TWIN-FIN · Since 24 May 2006 805 Posts Portland, OR Hot Monkey

My Wife-O-Unit works for Bonniville Power Admin.
She told me that the water level in the Columbia fluctuates as a function of increased electrical load demand. Since you cant store those little electrons they release more water during the peak load times morning and afternoon (when everyone gets up in the morning and gets off work) to keep up with demand.

In the spring (high water levels) Bonniville Power will let alot of water over the spill ways in an effort to flush fry (baby salmon) down the river.

To me, low water means that the east winds are not far off. Crying or Very sad

Kataku2k3 · Since 14 Aug 2005 3753 Posts Los Angeles, CA Videographer

That makes sense! And by next month I'm sure we'll be doing downwinders from Dalton to Rooster!!!

Hein · Since 08 Mar 2005 1313 Posts Possessed

Maybe it was just the late evening sun
but the swells out at Rufus sure seemed
fat last night as I was driving back from
A-town.

Damn Phil, only a few more miles Sad

Low water level = bigger swell? Especially
when John Day is wearing a frothy smile.

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6548 Posts Couve / Hood Site Lackey

Gman tried to talk me into a Rufus sesh... 2 hour one way drive for an after work sesh is just too rough. Confused