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Author Topic: Changes in C/V since December ARE?  (Read 839 times)

clarki

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Changes in C/V since December ARE?
« on: January 31, 2026, 11:19:14 PM »
This YouTube channel has some very good drone footage of the C/V (in three different videos) providing coverage from Tamihi Bridge down to Fisherman's Corner in Yarrow. https://www.youtube.com/@Rufous_V.   All videos were shot post the Dec 2025 atmospheric river event (ARE)

I haven't been on the river since the December ARE so I've watched the videos with interest to see what has changed. Tonight I took it one step further and watched the videos on Youtube with Google Earth on a split screen on my laptop. The Google Earth images are pre Dec 2025 so it was interesting to follow the drone flight and compare to earlier satellite imagery.

I note a number of locations where the river has shifted across the floodplain, most notably at Lickman Road. Previously the main stem of the river ran along the Vedder River Campground and a side channel at Lickman; now it's reversed with the main channel at Lickman and a side channel at the campground. This avulsion is not surprising or unexpected with such a dynamic river but it's still interesting to watch it happen.

I note a lot more woody debris piled up on the sand/gravel bars. There used to be a very substantial log jam in the lower river on the right bank opposite Community Road in Yarrow...completely gone. 

And I mourn "my" little log jam that provided a nice hidey hole for coho, but from the drone footage the hydrology appears to have changed and I think my glory days there are over  :(

In spots it's a whole new river. For those anglers who converge on the same, predictable meat holes, the changes may be unsettling. But if you like to explore and can adapt then it can be a whole lot of fun.

I'm curious what you have noticed has changed in the river since the December ARE?   
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RalphH

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Re: Changes in C/V since December ARE?
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2026, 08:53:30 AM »
if I can adapt from Heraciltus; Clarki, you can never fish the same river twice. Nothing stays the same. Both the river changes and so do you.

I just want to mention I had a spot or 2 I fished that disappeared during the ARE in 2021. On another river I have fished for close to 60 years I have seen good spots disappear and sometime re-appear over the years. With higher rainfalls and increased sediment loads the best fishing water has gradually moved downstream requiring longer walks to reach where fish hold. A good effect of that is not many people know about it and or are willing to put in an extra couple of clicks down the path.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2026, 08:47:00 PM by RalphH »
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clarki

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Re: Changes in C/V since December ARE?
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2026, 03:46:12 PM »
Yesterday, a buddy and I walked a lot, and fished a little, in a favourite section of river. Our first time on the water since late November.

What was most interesting was how much the river downcut into the floodplain. In this section that we are familiar with, it appears to have cut ~3-4 ft deeper.

A staggering amount of material got moved during the high water. Always awe inspiring to see the force of water at work.
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