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HomeNL-2021-12 9 Brazos FM520 FM1458


Brazos River, FM 529 to FM 1458
September 12, 2021
by Bruce Bodson

Distance: 14.08 miles


Participants: Bruce Bodson, Tim Brooking, David Barrett, Karen Suggs, Brent Hwang


Water Bodies: Brazos River, main stem

Bruce's Photo Album


Sunday, September 12, a group of five of us, in five boats took a 14.08-mile trip down a less visited section of the Brazos, from FM 529, down to FM 1458. This section is free of any regular hazards and tends to stack water in the last three or four miles, due to the large limestone sill just below San Felipe. The river was right around the median flow of still a bit higher than normal, 1,600 cfs. The gauge height was at roughly 11 feet, versus a median height of around 11 feet, on the Hempstead gauge (US 290).  Pretty much normal conditions.

DSCN1254
The Crew from left, Tim Brooking, Karen Suggs, Brent Hwang, David Barrett. Photo by Bruce Bodson


The normal flows made this a leisurely trip.  The put in at FM 529 was easy to approach, though typically steep.  We had no incidents launching. 

We found the usual half dozen mussel species we find on this part of the river, and we also a fairly typical assortment of bird species for this time of year. Of note, just because they are fun to watch, were a number of recently fledged scissortail flycatchers.


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Karen Suggs, David Barrett, Bruce Bodson, Tim Brooking Discuss Mussels and Fossils. Photo by Brent Hwang

 

This was Karen Suggs first trip with us on the Brazos.  She paddled her roughly 12-foot Eddyline Rio and did just fine.  Her speed was more than adequate for the group and she was still able to pitch in hauling boats and gear and join us all for barbecue and beer on Tim Brooking.  Tim was paddling Brent’s P&H Scorpio and liked enough to where he bought his own after the trip. 


Karen sunscreen
Karen Suggs Wears Sunscreen. Photo by ????

The take out was merely steep with a nice mud hole from the recently falling flows.  We had no slip or trip incidents walking things up the slope!

 

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Bruce in the Mud Hole at Take Out. Photo by Brent Hwang

An interesting and educational, if uneventful run the Brazos.

 




The author, bRUCE bODSON