In Febuary 2015, on the 4th, I rowed Gwragedd Annwn in the Pitt Marsh.  It was a good row and now I want to explore the marsh when everything is growing.  I know that the Fraser and Pitt Rivers are running high and expect the marsh to be full.

 

I am mistaken.  The marsh is low.  There is probably two feet or more less water here than on Febuary 4th.

 

The reeds are green but the water level is low.  This is the view North towards Grant Narrows.

 

 There are a lot of Bull Frogs in the marsh.

 

 Looking South down the ditch along Rannie Road.

 

 The trailer is covered with weed.  I will have to scrape it off before I leave.

 

 This photo shows my new extended lights so that the trailer is legal with Gwragedd Annwn on it.  The back of a boat is only allowed so far past the lights and I had to extend the lights so Gwragedd Annwn and Snowdrop will be legal.

It is strange… The only time the trailer got rear-ended was when there was no boat on it.  The driver did not notice the lights at the time.  

 

 Well here I am, at the end of the row.  A beaver dam has blocked my way.  It is too shallow for me to cross.  The dam is too wide for me to slide Gwragedd Annwn over.  This is Catbird Slough.  Rats.

I try a few other channels but the results are the same… too weedy and shallow to row in.  

 

 There are a lot of Bull Frogs.  Can you spot this one?

 

Here it is.  There were thousands of the invasive frogs.

 

I caught one to have a closer look

 

There is the big eardrum.  I am packing it in.  There is so much weed that it is not fun to row.  I return to the launch point and take Gwragedd Annwn out.  Not even an hour and a half at the thwart.

 

More weed on the trailer.  I remove all of it.

I cannot believe that the water level is so low, so I drive to Grant Narrows to have a look at the Pitt River.

 

The water level is high.  There is an ebb tide.

 

This is about as high as I have ever seen it here.

The water level in the Marsh does not seem to have any correlation to the water level in the River.

 

Yep, she is high.  I should go explore Widgeon Creek!

The River should be highest about 9am, at 2.1 meters, and lowest at 6pm, at 1.3 meters.

A GPS track of the row.  Not much rowing done, but lessons learned.

A nice try, but not a successful row.

Good Rowing, hopefully in deeper water…

Mike