Checked Out the Overlook and Then the Progress of the River’s Summer Dams

Tuesday June 14, 2016 Guerneville CA.

Headed to the river’s overlook

The weather guys said it would be a bit windy today, so instead of launching my boat I drove on down to the overlook at the river’s mouth to have a look.

The river’s mouth was open and the wind was up a little. I could see two groups of harbor seals down there resting on the beach.

Lots of harbor seals

This group by the open mouth.

And this group about a hundred yards up from the other group.

There were a couple bunches of birds resting on the sand too. Seagulls and geese mostly.

Didn’t need the boat ramp today

I was still thinking of going kayaking and pulled onto the boat ramp at Jenner.

But I wasn’t in the mood and decided to go back to Guerneville and see how they were doing installing the Lower Russian River dams for the season.

Vacation beach dam installation

My first stop was the Vacation beach road and dam. I pulled into the road that was blocked by some county road guys taking their lunch break which gave me a chance to chat with them for a bit. I asked them if the dam installing crew was down there putting in the dam. They said they had been but they were now back at the county road yard taking their lunch break. So I asked if they’d watch my car as it was parked in front of a no parking sign and they said they would.

I walked the quarter mile down to the dam to get these pictures. The summer road isn’t in yet, but the dam is started.

The guys can’t back any water up until the 16th of June, so they do it all except the center boards that back the river up which they will start installing around the 16th.

Here’s what the dam looks like so far. Still lots to do on this one.

This was the up river view that is going to be dammed up about six feet deep.

I went back to my car and shoot the bull with the county guys until it was time for them to go back to work, so I headed to the Guerneville dam to see how that one was coming along.

Guerneville River access sucks

I found the beach still closed with gates. I’m rather ashamed that Guerneville which is one of the main towns on the Russian River has such poor river access.