Carver Trestle

[ec30_06]

It would be a good place for the fire Dept. to start a fire and do some training.

[Gordie]

or tnt practice

[hanson]

Why isn't there something posted at the Thompson Ferry landing warning people of this hazzard!

Just last month I had planned to canoe that stretch and pull out at Riverside park.I'm extremely lucky that after I had driven ahead to check out the parking situation . I happened to climb up the berm at the viaduct(ignoring the "No Tresspassing sign") to see if the old tressle was still there.It was pretty shocking to discover a death trap we wouldn't have had a chance of negotiating.I very much doubt I could have paddled out of that jam with the current roaring as it was.

Hey man... glad you could relay your experience with us. I'm not sure who would be the best party to contact but I think correspondence from yourself to the City, DNR, or whoever might have been mentioned earlier in this topic may go A LONG way! Seams like those of us who have boats and motors don't seam to have any influence but I think some of these agencies with jurisdiction fail to realize that other people, such as canoes and kayakers, recreate on the river as well. The guys in this topic like Darren and John who have been on the City's case about this are waving the red flag that a disaster is going to happen when someone comes downriver in a canoe.

I remember a few years ago when some drunk guys were floating down river in a jonboat at midnight in a thick fog and ran aground on the carver rapids. If they made it past the rapids, their next obstruction was going to be piling into the carver trestle. Would not have been pretty.

[river rat316]

Anyone got any pics of this mess?

[Blue Kayak]

Mark Themig of Carver spoke at the BPCL meeting and mentioned a letter writing campaign. If I remember correctly, he wanted us to hold off for a bit while some other approaches were tried. Perhaps we should contact him and see if this is not a good time to start contacting officials. I'd hate to see someone get killed over this.

[DTro]

Here's a few I quickly snapped a while back from the downstream side:

[Scott K]

I am thinking there might be a catfish hiding in them there logs

[Gordie]

just out of curitousity how deep is under the trestle?

someone should send a canoe down with a mana-kin in it weighted like a average man and video what happens to the mana-kin and the canoe. then send that with the letters so may they could get an idea of the death trap that is awaiting someone

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I am thinking there might be a catfish hiding in them there logs

That's what I thought when I saw those pics. Now THAT is a snag!

[DTro]

On the front side of the trestle there are a several VERY deep scour holes that may or may not hold some fish It is one of those spots that if fished properly can be a good one, however good luck fishing it properly without your bait washing right back underneath you and or getting hung up in the rocks.

Directly under the snag, there is very little water and in fact the majority of it (since that picture) has silted in and kind of turned into snag island.

[wastewaterguru]

I don't think there are any fish anywhere near there.....

Under the logs on the south half of the bridge is pretty deep (15 feet). The south side used to be the side that was always navigable.

Last year the north side was the only spot you could get a boat through...sort of.

Now there is simply no way to safely remove those logs without a big crane.

It could be a while.

[Gordie]

WWG know I know there is fish there when you say there is none. wanna play texas hold em

[river rat316]

That looks dangerous as he!! Dynamite is in order, or the more civlized version mentioned above (crane) and they need to get rid of that bridge, they could make some fish holding rubble piles out of it.

[KMR85]

Maybe Obama can send out a little more stimulus money to the state to take it out. 5 Million more wouldn't even be noticable to the 700+ Billion they're already handing out!

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

Oh lord someone finally went there. lol I have to agree at least this money would go to something worth while.

[JimBuck]

Geesh. Politics always seem to find a way to rear it's ugly head in these posts. There's a forum for this kind of discussion Outdoor Discussion, Clean-Ups and Agendas- Keep it Civil

[BuckKiller]

That looks dangerous as he!! Dynamite is in order, or the more civlized version mentioned above (crane) and they need to get rid of that bridge, they could make some fish holding rubble piles out of it.

its only dangerous if you get too close, stay away and you'll be fine

[DTro]

stay away and you'll be fine

Explain that to all the uninformed canoeists and pleasure boaters expecting to be able to travel downstream through that snag. There is a very likely scenario in which a larger craft will get trapped down there due to a natural rock formation.

[BuckKiller]

Originally Posted By: BuckKiller

stay away and you'll be fine

Explain that to all the uninformed canoeists and pleasure boaters expecting to be able to travel downstream through that snag. There is a very likely scenario in which a larger craft will get trapped down there due to a natural rock formation.

Well people should know what they're getting into before hand, the river is always changing. Driving a boat or canoe on it is a risk in itself, you never know where the next log will pop up.

I don't wanna start anything but Im just saying, know your water, or be prepared.

[DTro]

As a river “traveler” you expect various hazards (floating logs, sandbars, etc). You don’t expect to get trapped between a natural rapids and a manmade mess with no way out.

This is a manmade structure that currently serves no purpose and has created not only am impassable waterway, but a dangerous environment. It cannot be ignored…plain and simple.

I took a ride over there a few nights ago with Aanderud to take a few pictures. All I can say is that you will not believe how big this snag has grown.

Each time another log comes floating down and hangs up there you can hear the **ching—ching** of dollars for cleaning the mess adding up. These are dollars that, more than likely, is coming out of our pockets.

[ec30_06]

It will probably topple itself before anyone cleans it up.

[Scott K]

I would think with all of the logs that are there now, if the river came up and was flowing fast it would have a good chance at being a structure down stream of the landing.

[DTro]

If this isn't the biggest mess on the entire Minnesota River system, I don't know what is:

Brian gives a little scale to the snag.

A very rough 3 picture panoramic of the backside:

[Gordie]

you know if beavers did that they would blow it out as soon as they could and try and relocate the beavers and etc. that goes with it. maybe if someone would live trap a family of beavers and lets say let them go in a certain area the authoritys may do something abotu it.

[aanderud]

Quotes from the Carver city council meeting minutes (publicly available on the city of carver website:)

April 6:

Quote:

Public Works – March Monthly Report – Paul Schultz

...

Paul does not foresee any flood threat for Carver this year. Councilmember Webb asked about the logs by the bridge. Paul said they do not seem to be causing a problem right now but will see what the pile is like when the water goes down.

OK. let's see what they had to say a month and a half later when the water went down a bit...May 20:

Quote:

ITEM #12 OTHER BUSINESS

...

Councilmember Webb asked if there were any updates on the logs by the railroad bridge. Mr. Schultz said that it didn’t look too bad last time he looked. City Administrator Elmquist said the logs were still a concern.

[KMR85]

Apperently these city council members haven't heard of preventing a disaster, not waiting for one to happen before something gets done. I guess they don't care about people trying to navigate upstream around those parts.

[Gordie]

when was the last time Mr. Schultz looked at those logs should be the next question?

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

I say we just get like well all the RP's and kyle and eddie's boats out there with ropes and start pulling the thing down. I would be willing to video tape stuck a thing

[goblueM]

that thing looks twice as bad as last year... i think beavers with TNT would do the trick

[hanson]

Beavers... eh? What would 'Friend of Beaver' do?