Willow

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.