Log jam

[idcut]

I was fishing a few months back on Dworshak Reservoir for small mouths and we ran into this, up the North Fork of the Clearwater river. We were camped at Grandad, which is where the Little North Fork flows into the North Fork. I wondered at the time if the Corp of Engineers would clear the jam somehow with a tug boat of some kind, blow it with dynamite or some type of explosive, or just let nature take it's course. I think the picture paints a decent picture of the size of the jam......any thoughts?

 

I think I may have placed this under the wrong topic heading. If it needs to be moved Brad, please do so.....thanks

[Reeba]

Reminds me of old photos from the lumbering era here.  Some incredible jams.  It was risky business un jamming them as you would expect.

[idcut]

They ran log drives here in N ID as well and if not mistaken one of the last major swift water drives in the USA took place on the Clearwater river. The jam in the photo is a natural jam caused by the spring runoff. Lots of good firewood in that jam!

 

https://americanelephant.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/extinct-occupations-the-clearwater-river-log-drives/

[drummer's stump]

The best fishing of my life has been on the North fork. When I lived in Lenore, I spent a lot of time chasing feathers and fur around the reservoir. The last few years there has been some fires that have burned up stream, I assume that is the source of the debris. I bet a good portion of it will sink this winter. There is still a splash dam up by the cedar grove. 

[idcut]

Cool! Never really hunted much around the reservoir! However,  I've fished Dworshak and the N Fork for a number of years.

 

There's a few splash dams visible on the St Joe and Clearwater forests from logging days gone by. There used to be the remnants of a few flumes, as well, in the area where I grew up. I think most of those have rotted out and collapsed, though. Kind of cool to see both.

[GSPpurist]

I have been fishing Dworshak for past couple years.  Although it seems a bit crazy,  I push through that log jam to the moving water and it has the most amazing cutthroat fishing.  It takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to get through but worth it.  

 

I usually camp at Camp 49.1 and make a couple trips through the log jam.   Looking at your pic, it doesn't look too deep.   The best time to avoid the log jam is early morning, the logs move away then coalesce midday then thin out again in the evening.  In the early summer it is passable without having to push logs out of the way.