Lower Fraser River, Strait of Georgia hazardous to navigate due to wood debris

I haven't been out recently but did have my boat in the north arm a few years back and you really have to be alert at all times when boating in that river. I had a few close calls and know of a couple of guys who weren't as lucky.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know who is actually responsible for the logs floating in the river? Or the deadheads stuck in the mud?

It seems to me that the logging companies/tugs working in that river protect 'their' logs with their life up until a boat runs into one and then they claim to have never seen that one before :). Given the safety/financial risk I would think there would be some sort of gov't/industry partnered group that is responsible for removing deadheads and other dangerous logs but I don't think that is the case.

I understand there used to be several log scavengers who made OK money back in the day by corralling these loose logs but now the price they get is way down and there are only 1-2 guys who still do it... mainly just for fun.

Appreciate any other insight more knowledgeable people have on this. thx
 
I haven't been out recently but did have my boat in the north arm a few years back and you really have to be alert at all times when boating in that river. I had a few close calls and know of a couple of guys who weren't as lucky.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know who is actually responsible for the logs floating in the river? Or the deadheads stuck in the mud?

It seems to me that the logging companies/tugs working in that river protect 'their' logs with their life up until a boat runs into one and then they claim to have never seen that one before :). Given the safety/financial risk I would think there would be some sort of gov't/industry partnered group that is responsible for removing deadheads and other dangerous logs but I don't think that is the case.

I understand there used to be several log scavengers who made OK money back in the day by corralling these loose logs but now the price they get is way down and there are only 1-2 guys who still do it... mainly just for fun.

Appreciate any other insight more knowledgeable people have on this. thx

Looks like it has been MUCH worse. Old report on Fraser log debris from 2007 https://www.fraserbasin.bc.ca/_Library/Water/report_debris_trap_2006.pdf
 
Log salvage was made sexy by “Relic” in the Beachcombers. guy i know that does it says it ain’t worth the gas in his boat anymore. probably why there is so many nastys floating around
 
Drove the north arm yesterday with the boat, not sure what everybody is talking about no more logs than normal. Keep you eyes open scanning the water ahead of you and you will find. Put the beers down for a few minutes while navigating the river.....
 
Was shore fishing on the north arm in Burnaby a few days ago. The river is big, but not much more debris than normal this time of year. I did see a boat capsize though. Looked like a 16-18 foot bowrider. They were ripping downriver, and slowed for a tugboat wake. They didn't navigate the wake successfuly and the boat was capsized within seconds. The tug retrieved the boaters, dragged the boat over to a log boom and tied it up, and dropped the four of them off at the peir I was at. They were surprisingly calm for what had happened, and left shirtless, shoeless, and phoneless.
Screenshot_20180518-130045.png Screenshot_20180518-131113.png
 
Remember the days when CKNW and Al Davidson used to give out red flags so you could mark deadheads out on the water? Whatever happened to good socially responsible caring everyday useful **** like that for us normal people?
 
Remember the days when CKNW and Al Davidson used to give out red flags so you could mark deadheads out on the water? Whatever happened to good socially responsible caring everyday useful **** like that for us normal people?
There was either a gas station or marina near Gibsons did the same-a flag on a sharp spike.
 
I’ve seen some doozies in the harbour.

24” diameter logs floating vertically with only 12” above the waterline.

A bit of chop and they are easy to miss.
 
Was shore fishing on the north arm in Burnaby a few days ago. The river is big, but not much more debris than normal this time of year. I did see a boat capsize though. Looked like a 16-18 foot bowrider. They were ripping downriver, and slowed for a tugboat wake. They didn't navigate the wake successfuly and the boat was capsized within seconds. The tug retrieved the boaters, dragged the boat over to a log boom and tied it up, and dropped the four of them off at the peir I was at. They were surprisingly calm for what had happened, and left shirtless, shoeless, and phoneless.
View attachment 37905 View attachment 37906

and lifejacketless?
 
Remember the days when CKNW and Al Davidson used to give out red flags so you could mark deadheads out on the water? Whatever happened to good socially responsible caring everyday useful **** like that for us normal people?

People still listen to AM radio?

Nothing's preventing anyone from making up some deadhead flags themselves. Having marked a few nasty dead heads in my time, I can say it wasn't the easiest thing to do.
 
Went out and came back in the N arm yesterday and really the river was maybe the clearest I've seen it in many years .. the odd small log but really not bad .... BUT AS WE ALL KNOW THIS CAN CHANGE , SO BEWARE !. Last week Tuesday I went in and out of the S Arm and it was a
BOATER BEWARE all the way; trees, parts of docks, logs and lots of junk !
 
Went out and came back in the N arm yesterday and really the river was maybe the clearest I've seen it in many years .. the odd small log but really not bad .... BUT AS WE ALL KNOW THIS CAN CHANGE , SO BEWARE !


Agreed its pretty clean in the North Arm, but, there is a ton of stuff out in the straight floating in groupings. South Bowen was a mess yesterday. Hard to fish. Not a lot of big stuff, just nuisance small particles floating and weed just below the surface.
 
Remember the days when CKNW and Al Davidson used to give out red flags so you could mark deadheads out on the water? Whatever happened to good socially responsible caring everyday useful **** like that for us normal people?


We can grab the painted pins in Alberni canal at the fuel dock.. maybe the fuel barges have them over there... Alberni is a nightmare year around with the deadheads. Used 4 in one day last year...
 
Its been good on the high tide in the morning and then goes to absolute **** with the low tide in late afternoon. Had to pull the leg up after going through a nasty junk line. This is south Bowen, QA, ect..

If you go out the north arm on the south side of the river near the log booms their is some real nasty dead heads sticking straight up, if you go to far to the north side of the river i have seen people beach their boat on that huge section of eel grass where its flat. This is in the North Arm Fraser

If you go out on a high tide that a flood the river is pretty good but all the tugs start pulling the log boom up the river. I have had it before last year where the tugs completely blocked the river and had to wait for them to open up a hole for a few of us to get out. If you go out on an ebb tide the river is more full of crap, their is not tugs pulling log booms but their can been nasty waves pumping at the mouth. This is in the North Arm Fraser
 
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