They removed Little Falls dam on the Willow River last year which means for a few years the Willow River will flow free through what has been Little Falls Lake. I really wanted to see what the river is like so today I went to check it out.
I started at the site of the old dam. The absence of a Lake hasn't driven away the masses. There were people everywhere at the park.
Dam Son.
People swimming.
People swimming and fishing.
People looking.
Babes in the lower right corner. I almost worked up the courage to talk to them before I remembered that I was in full fly fishing regalia. They would probably think I was a dork.
Once there was a wall of steel and concrete that held the waters back.
I started upstream.
A rock wall on the bank,
A river.
Water.
An ancient can of SHASTA.
A little wide here. It was really mucky too when I tried to walk on the banks but the middle of the river was solid.
A spring flowed in.
A lot of spring seepage on the opposite bank as well.
A river.
Some other dudes came down to check it out.
A view up to the beach area.
An old tire and a stump.
If I walked way up on the banks there was a certain type of plant that was 5 feet tall as far as the eye could see.
Looking back at the dang. I mean dam.
A river.
The Willow River.
A nice riffle.
A closer look.
Sandy Beach.
Looking back.
A cool plant.
Another shot.
A nice stretch.
The swallows are already nesting in the mud banks.
Water flowing over rocks.
It was a nice day for a walk.
This tree was once on the shore of a lake. Now it is close to a river.
I actually caught a Rainbow.
I was so happy.
Beautiful place.
I could hear the falls from here.
And a Creek Chub.
Closer to the falls.
Flip flops.
Closer to the falls.
The falls. There were many people swimming at the base of the falls.
A deer I spotted on the way back. She had about seven friends with her.
Another nice view. This had been underwater for a long time until last year.
Usually you would be looking out on a lake from this vantage point. Just a grassland now with a river running through it.
The old boat landing.
Signs.
Can't launch here.
A map.
This picnic table used to be on the shore of a lake.
Children used to swim at this beach.
Here is the view now.
Whenever I think about dams I think about the verse from, "The Highwaymen" where he sings about being a dam builder.
"I was a dam builder Across the river deep and wide Where steel and water did collide A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound But I am still around"
It's one of my favorite songs. Have a listen.
It was a good day to take a walk along the Willow.
