July 7, 2007 Arkansas River Great Bend, KS to Ellinwood, KS
By: Chris Collins
Pictured from left to right:) Vince Marshall. Chris Collins not shown.
Vince Marshall and I (Chris Collins) decided about 11:30 AM that we would take advantage of the unusual water in the Arkansas River at Great Bend and below. We were not sure what we would find. As it turned out the water was almost too much at Nickerson (about 500 CFS) and just right (121 CFS) at Great Bend. We decided to launch at Great Bend and shuttled a car to Ellinwood.
We met in Maize, KS at about 1:00 PM and then it was 3.5 hours later when we launched from Great Bend. This was a drive that seemed to never end. In my mind this was just on the other side of Hutchinson near Nickerson. I should have studied a map.
There had been no rain since June 13-14 when 2.5 inches fell on the area. MUCH more rain fell earlier in the spring raising the ground water significantly. Ground water was the obvious source of water in the river. The temperature was about 90 F and the wind was south at 15-28 mph.
The Great Bend gage indicated 1.98 ft and 61 CFS when we left town. However, a couple days later these data were modified and the USGS gage website showed it to be the same 1.98 ft but a different 121 CFS at the time of our launch. Gage height is actually the only thing measured with the instrument. A computer then calculates the flow based on gage height, cross section of the river at that gage height and periodic testing of the water speed. The cross section of the river is also periodically checked since it can change as the river bed shifts. It is my judgment that 121 CFS seems much more realistic. It is good to watch both the gage height and the flow, and be aware the readings are not always perfect.
We launched at 4:30 PM from under the US 281 Bridge on the south edge of Great Bend. This bridge is the location of the USGS gage. 3 hours 33 minutes and 13.4 miles later we took in Ellinwood out at 8:03 PM. We saw several people fishing under the US 281 Bridge and one stringer of fish. Since the gage usually reads zero flow at Great Bend, we guessed that there must be remaining pools for the fish to survive. We were surprised with a small riffle right after launching. Already, this was unlike the Arkansas River we know below Wichita. As we floated, we discovered gravel bars as well as sandbars, and several riffles.
In the first 6.8 miles we sighted 10 living deer and one dead deer wrapped around a stump in swiftwater. In one spot, we noticed 8-10 highflying birds with white heads. We were unable to confirm they were bald eagles. They were circling a specific area and I heard what sounded like a wounded creature in the woods as we floated past. In the second half of the trip we spotted 2 more deer and one of them let us drift within about 25 feet before she turned and ran. We spotted a family of raccoons, ducks, several great blue herons, turkey vultures and great egrets. Vince caught a glimpse of a dog like creature with a bushy tail that could have been a fox. There was obviously more wildlife in the first half of our trip than in the second half.
There was plenty of water but we did get stuck a few times because we failed to read the river correctly. We never had to get out because we got stuck. The water was quite swift and in places and you could see it running downhill. The river was narrow like the Little Arkansas north of 18th street but much swifter. We found mid-stream islands of tree stumps and stems. It was obvious that the recent floods had cleaned out trees, willows, cattails, etc that had been growing in the riverbed. Otherwise, it would have been tuff going. Generally, the river was very curvy, included many strainers, shoots of water and several riffles. We came upon one river wide strainer, a large cottonwood tree. We managed to wiggle through without a portage.
This section was a delightful surprise. The river was much cleaner than what we are accustomed to in and south of Wichita. We found a couple of areas where salvage material was used to reinforce an eroding bank and perhaps only a half dozen plastic sacks and a couple chunks of Styrofoam in the entire section. I saw no evidence of 4-wheel activities while kayaking. There was an off-road dirt track at the takeout in Ellinwood but it did not include the riverbed.
Because of the steep gradient, the water is swift even at this low level. Each adventure will present new fallen trees, new center stream growth, etc. Good boat control in swiftwater is needed to negotiate around obstacles (strainers and mid-stream stumps). Maneuvers needed include sharp turns and sharp “S” turns in swiftwater. At higher levels the strainers would pose a much greater risk because the increased flow would drive the boater into many of the strainers. At higher levels, eddy lines could become an issue for those without whitewater skills. Sorry, no real whitewater here. I hope to catch this section again in cooler weather at a level below about 2.5 feet. I thought the 1.98 feet level we did on this trip was perfect for a fun trip.
Because of the abundance of strainers, swiftwater and remoteness of the area, I recommend this section for experienced boaters paddling in groups that include swiftwater rescue skills and equipment.
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