It has been some time since I have been down the San Juan. And since then the level of the river/Glen Canyon has gone way up and way way down. We used to end our trips at Clay Hills. I understand there is now a waterfall there. Does anyone who has done the trip recently have any pictures or know where I can get some to see what it now looks like?
Hal
well
had some friends do it last year. The waterfall has always been below clay hills crossing as evident by the sign at the takeout. But with low water levels i was told the falls is non existant.
You may want to call the BLM in Bluff or Blanding Utah who issues the permits for better info.
Ran it in '99 when Lake Powell was on
the way down. Based on my topos showing full pool and on what I saw in '99, I am sure there is no possibility that the downstream falls would migrate upstream to Clay Hills Crossing. Although flows have usually been low, by now the river should have cut back down through some of the silt deposited when the lake was full. So maybe your group would have a slightly easier time picking your way around the barely-covered mudflats.
Clay Hills falls
I ran the river 5 consecutive years from about 1984 to 1988 (Coleman canoes and our stuff in green garbage bags). The first 3 times the river had a mellow flow into Lake Powell. We camped on the south shore of the river and took out on the north side at Clay Hills. The 4th time we again took out at Clay Hills but had to contend with waist deep mud and it was no fun. The last trip we did still had the river flowing directly (little current) into Lake Powell but we paddled over to a marina across the bay. I did find an aerial photograph from Ameriacn White Water. http://www.americanwhitewater.org/photos/?photoid=7331
I wish it was a wider field.
Saw a Photo
I saw a photo of the falls last summer. They can’t be seen from the river and you will eat it if you go over them.
But the point is, the falls, IF they
still exist, are well below the usual take out at Clay Hills Crossing. AND, photos notwithstanding, the falls are like sand waves. They are (were) a temporary phenomenon. As is Glen Canyon Dam.
So the original poster has no problem. He can take out at Clay Hills Crossing, and not worry about falls, if any.