Rice's Creek in Flood Stage.
On September 21 Janet and I paddled on Rice's Creek near Wilmington, NC. This trip was a few days after a tropical storm had dumped about 13 inches of rain on southeastern NC. The creek water level was about four feet high. The pictures with this post show the bases of the signs in the parking lot being several feet under water. The NC Wildlife Resources Commission dock and boat launch ramp were far enough under the tanin stained opaque water as not to be visible.
Like most creeks in this part of the state, it is surrounded by swamps and wetlands. During floods the water spreads out across many acres of wetlands and does not damage anything. The creek route was only an open space between trees. There was standing water as far as could be seen through the trees and vines. For most of the trip, the creek banks were also under water and not visible. Paddling on this endless flat surface while inland from the ocean was a little bit disorienting.
We had almost no wind so the water surface was as smooth as glass. Some of the pictures show the trees reflected on the water surface in a mirror-like double image.
Another picture shows what appears to be a big rectangle of concrete blocking the stream. That structure is a low-water bridge partially inundated with no passage underneath. Our only problem was that at the bridge the creek narrowed and the flow pushed under the bridge at a faster pace. Where we stopped and turned around down stream from the bridge the concentrated current tried to push us into standing timber. If we had not gotten quickly turned around and away from the bridge then we could have been capsized while squeezed between the current and the trees.
The photos at the end of this article show the boats and equipment drying out in the gear shed.
Everyone returned home safely and had a good time.
