Angler Killed, Family Blames Dam Release
- This topic has 7 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated Mar 18, 2010 at 8:49 am by
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http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/home/headlines/87602617.html
Look guys, this article has it wrong. Moreover, the writer is being irresponsible. Any time you fish below a dam, you must take a moment to think about your own personal safety and evaluate an escape plan.
When a dam begins to release water, the hallmarks are (a) colder air/fog, (b) increased debris in the water, and (c) lastly, rising water on the banks. You can spot rising water by picking out a marker (a dry rock or stick), but remember: water rises fastest in the *middle* of the current as the river ‘ropes’ downstream.
Here’s an old article I wrote on high water fishing:
http://www.itinerantangler.com/podcasts/2006/03/article_pushing_your_limits_hi.html
Blaming the Corps for not publishing an accurate release schedule is ridiculous. Those schedules always come fully loaded with disclaimers: they are predictions, not guarantees. Moreover, there’s always the surprise upstream flash flood or equipment malfunction that could cause water to come on suddenly.
In Arkansas, they make no guarantees whatsoever that the prediction will be close to accurate and as a result anglers have learned not to trust the schedule. And that’s the right way to do it: the schedule is not certain. Never go into a river with out an escape plan. If you do get caught in high water, head for the bank (don’t try to ride it out; it’s better to wait than drown).
I feel very sorry for these people for their loss but they need to recognize that their grandfather/father assumed the risk of injury, just like any sportsman, and stop blaming others.
Zach
Sad story and unfortunate loss of life. Thanks for sharing.
[s:2c203826]One of[/s:2c203826]the key sentences in the article was placed at the bottom:
“Neither man was wearing a life jacket,”Reminds of this post from one of the Mountain Khakis ambassadors:
Droves of tourists are flocking to the Eastern Sierra as an economical alternative to far off destinations. With southern California tourists come Southern California issues. Self-reliance is not a virtue shared by all. The hustle and bustle of urban life seems to create human beings incapable or unwilling to deal with crisis in any fashion that doesn’t involve a Mocha Chino and pharmaceutical escape.
I fish a tail water fishery often and always look for rising water. We have a problem with water hyacinth, and the first sign that the levels are rising, is that the hyacinth starts coming down stream in huge rafts as if gets dislodged upstream.
We don’t have any schedules on water release, not any alarms…
I don’t fish with a life jacket, but have been contemplating getting a safety pack.
Luckily the river I fish doesn’t have steep banks, and even if the water gets up quickly, there is almost always an escape route.
In the 20 odd years I have fished it, I have only had one close call… We were in a relatively deep section and suddenly the rocks were covered and then the hyacinth came down… in 5 minutes the water was up 2 feet, luckily we got out before the big water really came down.
My thoughts are with the family’s.
the release could have waited until Monday based on their release patterns over the previous several months.
And if someone that was ill prepared to deal with high water had been on the river Monday, COE could have waited until Tuesday, or Wednesday or forever right. It would be nearly impossible for the corp to insure that all of the irresponsible/foolish people are off the many miles of river prior to a release. Lets not forget those intrepid fishermen that never check a release schedule, ever! The point is that neither of these two men thought it was worth while for them to spend the money for appropriate equipment (life jackets and cold water clothing) nor did they take appropriate action to learn how the river reacts as water comes up. IMHO, the corp has no responsibility in this what so ever.
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