Frio River Floatable?

[D-BULL]

Headed to the Frio Wednesday thru Saturday and was checking if anybody has been there recently? Heard they had a few small rains last couple weeks but doubt it was enough to bring river up.
Wondering if its even worth bringing tubes. Appreciate any info!

[esoct25]

I would say not floatable

[zztex]

No, not at all. Flow is 4.5 right now. To me 100 is a good float. We will be there Friday thru Monday. We’ll make the most of it👍

[S-3 Ranch]

I don’t think it’s floatable @ 13%

[D-BULL]

No, not at all. Flow is 4.5 right now. To me 100 is a good float. We will be there Friday thru Monday. We’ll make the most of it👍

Thanks for info

[esoct25]

Been waiting 3-4 years for the Medina to get nice again

[bowhunterhelm]

We have given up on the Frio, we've been going for 20 years straight. After last year's stagnant cloudy water, we decided not to renew our annual reservation when checking out last year.

[S-3 Ranch]

That water is contaminated with human waste right now
just not enough flow to flush out the pools of water

[bboswell]

We have given up on the Frio, we've been going for 20 years straight. After last year's stagnant cloudy water, we decided not to renew our annual reservation when checking out last year.

we have been in the same 2 spots for years but cancelled this year.

[smokeless]

Sadly I agree with the above. We have been going for over 30 yrs. I don’t think I will ever see the frio back up to a good floatable condition again. It took me awhile to accept it, but it’s true.

[Voodoo]

Sad

[zztex]

Sadly I agree with the above. We have been going for over 30 yrs. I don’t think I will ever see the frio back up to a good floatable condition again. It took me awhile to accept it, but it’s true.

Why do you say that? Please educate me. I’ve been going about 10 years and some are good and some not

[smokeless]

The river flow has been dropping every year. The drought has done a number on the Frio. When we started going in the late 80’s, the flow was 70 to 90. Now it’s barely 6. The river is full of silt. Once you could see the clean rocks, now they are covered in silt. It needs a major flood to clean it up. Sorry to be a downer, but it’s the truth. I love the river and it hurts to see it this way.

[Sackett]

I’ve been going almost yearly for 38 years and the past 10 years have been mostly disappointing for river flow. We’re booked end of this month and we’re praying for some good rains, but I’m not sure it’s going to happen. I’ve spoken to locals who’ve lived their whole life there and there are differing views on what’s going on. Popular consensus is that all the invasive Juniper (What most people call “Cedar”) that has taken over most of the watershed areas isn’t allowing rainfall that does come, to make it to the aquifers. I’d like to see some historical graphs on annual rainfall amounts in the Frio Watershed over the last 40 years because I just can’t buy the “Juniper Overgrowth” as a main contributor.

I will say, if you’re staying South of Garner State Park, you are going to have A LOT more human excrement in the water and “less-clean” water, period. Where we stay now, we have plenty of clean water to at least get in, fish, swim and recreate, even if the river is not “floatable”. It still beats being anywhere near Houston traffic, heat and the city……until the dumbass with a cooler radio thinks everyone up and down the river a 1/4 mile in each direction wants to listen to Jelly Roll Country or Hip-hop or a blaring stereo at all……

[zztex]

I’ve been going almost yearly for 38 years and the past 10 years have been mostly disappointing for river flow. We’re booked end of this month and we’re praying for some good rains, but I’m not sure it’s going to happen. I’ve spoken to locals who’ve lived their whole life there and there are differing views on what’s going on. Popular consensus is that all the invasive Juniper (What most people call “Cedar”) that has taken over most of the watershed areas isn’t allowing rainfall that does come, to make it to the aquifers. I’d like to see some historical graphs on annual rainfall amounts in the Frio Watershed over the last 40 years because I just can’t buy the “Juniper Overgrowth” as a main contributor.

I will say, if you’re staying South of Garner State Park, you are going to have A LOT more human excrement in the water and “less-clean” water, period. Where we stay now, we have plenty of clean water to at least get in, fish, swim and recreate, even if the river is not “floatable”. It still beats being anywhere near Houston traffic, heat and the city……until the dumbass with a cooler radio thinks everyone up and down the river a 1/4 mile in each direction wants to listen to Jelly Roll Country or Hip-hop or a blaring stereo at all……

Thanks for the explanation. First year I went was somewhere around 10 years ago and flow was 600! Too dangerous. We stay at Neal’s so we’ll do the best we can. I know a couple years ago the day after we left, flow was zero! Might be that by the time we get there😳