Second Packraft based survey trip - Saturday 30/01/2021
This was the second of our packraft base survey trips.
Started from Tyenna Road and made it all the way to the national park bridge at mt field national park.
River level at 0.3m
Dave and Vicky came along. The river is quite navigable up to the newbury road bridge, quite fun paddling, but very low.
Two or three low logs that could potentially be a hazard at higher water but easily managed at this level. I think at 0.5m would be great.
It looks like another paddler has come through here somewhat recently with a small handsaw and cut off a number of willow branches between sharpes 'road' and newbury road. They just dropped them all in the river where they cut them off and they are already starting to drop roots and form little islands of willows in the middle of the river. Might be worth putting a small education sign at some of the carparks near the bridges to advise people to not drop willow cuttings anywhere near water.
After newbury road its a whole different ball game. multiple log jams, solid willows on both banks that at times touch in the middle. Large complex log jams with little whirl pools sucking all the river under them. Not much fun. Also a large infestation of black berries along the right bank which make avoiding the log jams a bit risky in the pack rafts.
The high density mess clears up in the deeper part of the river behind the weir on weir road. The area next to left of field camp ground has relatively lower density of willows compared to the jungle of mess just up stream.
Between the weir and the national park bridge there are very few willows, just a couple of small examples that could probably be cleaned up in a day.
It might be the case that the national park is doing something to keep them under control. Possible they should be notified that they have a small incursion starting again along the river right bank.
overall, a fun day out.
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