Denton Greenbelt Corridor Question

[texasflycaster]

I had a shuttle customer (husband and wife - very experienced kayakers) who recently did the entire stretch of the Greenbelt from the Ray Roberts Dam to 380, and he reported back with a fairly detailed description of conditions there (http://kayakshuttleservice.com/july-27- ... greenbelt/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). He followed up on it by contacting the TPWD about obstructions he considered to be generally "dangerous" there, and the TPWD response (http://kayakshuttleservice.com/tpwd-res ... tructions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) is just about exactly what I was expecting - namely that the policy is to let nature take its course, and not clear passages through obstructions. I have come across guys talking chainsaws out there in the past, but wondering what the TKF (DFW) kayak nation thinks about this? It would be hard for me to recommend the Greenbelt for anyone lacking a high amount of kayak experience, and this seems to be an ongoing "situation."

[preacher]

Most of the guys I know that do rivers drag over the debris. You might post this up on boat builders forum, probably get a lot of response there.

[texasflycaster]

Boat builders? I was think the question is kind of about whether or not a waterway like this needs to be passable? Maybe the questions need to be asked a different way? This debris is not in rapids or shallows. These are large, and sometimes huge trees across deep water.

[Mojo227]

In my opinion its just part of floating rivers. Expect the unexpected!

[texasflycaster]

Makes sense. It is the wild.

[preacher]

Boat builders? I was think the question is kind of about whether or not a waterway like this needs to be passable? Maybe the questions need to be asked a different way? This debris is not in rapids or shallows. These are large, and sometimes huge trees across deep water.

That is what I thought you meant, I suggested the BB forum because most of the guys I know that fish and travel (even race) the rivers seem to paddle the wooded yaks. The host, Gerald, of Brazos boats has a few decades on Texas rivers.

[Shaun]

Didn't the TPWD add some kayak trails last year? Is the greenbelt not on their list of kayak trails?

[texasflycaster]

No, I don't think it is. If it is, it shouldn't be because of their priorities on this particular stretch.

[rodloos]

I paddled the greenbelt area in May or June, put in at FM 428 I think, and there were pretty large log jams both upstream and downstream of the park there, couldn't go too far. Would have required a chain saw to cut the large trees that had fallen across the river. We have gone there other times and were able to go much farther upstream, until we were dragging more than paddling. All along the banks there are trees that are leaning out over the water, and whenever we do get enough rain that they have to let a lot more water out of Ray Roberts (remember we did have a pretty wet Spring) it builds enough current to undercut the trees more and some fall. I can see how TPWD just wouldn't have the manpower to patrol the river all of the time to cut trees that had fallen.

I sometimes take a machete with me on the river, but these trees were larger in diameter than what I could have easily cut with a machete, other than taking of some limbs to ease sliding over the fallen tree.