Lower Gunnison 141 Bridge

We took four rafts and a canoe out there on Sunday. We scouted it on Friday at 7500 and there was still some beach under the bridge but it was under by Sunday at 10,000. Still had four to five feet of clearance under the bridge and a big enough eddy above to get all the boats tied up and carry out. We left the shuttle car at Whitewater and sent a ducky in to run it down. The eddy at whitewater would have been too small for our group to park in while running shuttle and we would have been in the way if another group showed up. The bridge was definitely a better takeout, and we could have easily passed under it, but lots of mosquitoes.

Thanks Gremlin. Do you know who manages this takeout? My guess is that this is state highway department land.

Grand Junction BLM said it is private land but I think you are correct that the pullout area and the bridge are state highway department. The guardrail and fence looked like they were recently redone and the sign just said "close gate". The adjacent property is clearly fenced and posted as private but the access to the river appears to be public and we saw others using it. We weren't sure if it would be okay to leave vehicles on the shoulder over two nights so we left one shuttle car at the Whitewater boat ramp.

conditions?

Not to hijack, but what was run like this level? Was the diversion dam below Escalante an issue or washed out? Anything to be aware of? I've never seen the Gunny about 5k - usually have to think more about dragging over rocks! Thanks!

Also not to hijack... What camping spots are accessible at high water? Is it pretty much just Dominguez?

Di said:

Not to hijack, but what was run like this level? Was the diversion dam below Escalante an issue or washed out? Anything to be aware of? I've never seen the Gunny about 5k - usually have to think more about dragging over rocks! Thanks!

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Escalante to Dominguez in 2.5 hrs. A little longer to Whitewater but also had more W. The diversion dam was hardly there at 7000 cfs and the class II rapid was just some splashes. Only things to be aware of are flotsam and jetsam and poison ivy.

QuietHunter said:

Also not to hijack... What camping spots are accessible at high water? Is it pretty much just Dominguez?

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I only saw a couple other viable campsites besides the bench at Dominguez, mostly below Bridgeport. The others just had marker posts in the water. Dominguez creek is navigable with rafts up to the waterfall (dam).

Gremlin- thanks for the beta!

Dominguez Landing and Redlands Dam Takeout

Gremlin said:

I only saw a couple other viable campsites besides the bench at Dominguez, mostly below Bridgeport. The others just had marker posts in the water. Dominguez creek is navigable with rafts up to the waterfall (dam).

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Gremlin, how were the landings at Dominguez campgrounds, and the others along the way that were not underwater?

I scouted the Redlands Dam takeout today and I believe that it is significantly underwater. I'm sure that I was at the dam, for it was cranking! I just could never see the takeout! The road leading above the dam went underwater quite a ways before I could even see the river from that angle. I certainly don't think that it is a feasible take out at these levels. It's either the bridge at 141, if the water level allows, or the normal Whitewater takeout. My guess is that the Whitewater takeout will actually improve as the water level continues upward. That's a plus!

Barney Fife said:

Gremlin, how were the landings at Dominguez campgrounds, and the others along the way that were not underwater?

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All the sites at the mouth of the canyon were accessible and full on Friday. Further down the bench a small group with one or two rafts managed to get into a small eddy and camp. I think the big cottonwood camp further down was past the swiftest current and accessible. I don't recall any camps above that looked good but I could have missed them. I do remember seeing a couple posts that were out of the water but didn't see any good landings.

As far as the Whitewater takeout, the eddy can fit one boat and you could probably lash others to it while derigging but I felt I would be in the way with four rafts if another group needed to take out while we shuttled back up to Escalante. I don't think it will get much better until a new takeout is built.