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| Colorado River to Gila River kayak, AZ | | -
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| | Colorado River to Gila River kayak, AZ | | | |
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Colorado River to Gila River kayak, AZ
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| Kayak | 9.39 Miles |
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| | Kayak | 9.39 Miles | 4 Hrs 20 Mns | | 2.36 mph |
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| no partners | | Usually kayaking a river necessitates having a shuttle driver, or two people and two vehicles, or paddling upstream. In the case of the lower Colorado River at Yuma, I find it's possible to paddle upstream, although I won't say it's easy, even with my long slim sea kayak.
I started at Gateway Park, which is next to "the bridges." In Yuma, when you say "the bridges" most people know you mean Yuma Crossing, where I-8 bridge, Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge (1915), the railroad bridge and Winterhaven bridge all cross the river. Gateway is a beautiful park, if you don't mind the I-8 traffic noise directly overhead.
My goal was to reach the confluence of the Colorado with the Gila River, 4 miles up, and see if paddling up the Gila would be an option. I accomplished this, and learned that, at least during this farm irrigation cycle, at this time of year, there is plenty of water in the Gila for paddling a kayak or canoe. Next time I plan to launch at the confluence.
Along much of the lower Colorado there are thickets of Giant Cane Arundo Donax, which is an invasive plant. But along the Gila, there is much less of this, and instead you'll see native arrow weed, plus non-native tamarisk. This seems to be a better habitat for birds. I saw more birds on the Gila than I did along the Colorado.
An area currently being developed by Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area is the East Yuma Wetlands. Non-native plants and trees are being removed, and native ones planted. The same was done for Yuma West Wetlands, which now has a nice forest of cottonwoods, willows, etc. along the banks of the river. There's a bike/hike path, partly paved, partly hard-packed dirt, that travels through and links West Wetlands to Gateway to East Wetlands.
I was easily able to paddle up the Gila half a mile. Hope to go back soon and paddle up further. I am not sure how long it will have so much water in it. Some of the birds I saw during the trip were the sora, great egret, snowy egret, great blue heron, black-crowned night heron, lesser yellowlegs, coot, tree swallow, black phoebe, redwinged blackbird, Brewer's blackbird. |
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Autumn Foliage Observation Light
Cottonwood trees |
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| _____________________
There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life. |
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