DeBoville Slough Row

DeBoville Slough Row title page-001DeBoville Slough is in the city of Coquitlam.  It is North and West up river from where the Alouette enters the Pitt.

GPS track of the row.
GPS track of the row.

 The rowing plan is to row at the high tide up the slough.  It is expected to only drop 30 cm (about a foot) between the high tide around 11:00am to the low tide about 4:00pm.  

Pitt River water level at the Fenton Gauge, Alouette River level at the Alouette Gauge
Pitt River water level at the Fenton Gauge, Alouette River level at the Alouette Gauge

  The weather report says that the showers may hold off until the afternoon.  

DeBoville Slough RowRigging Gwragedd Annwn for the row in the Marina parking lot.  

 

DeBoville Slough RowLeaving the Pitt Meadows Marina behind.  There is no wind and the river is calm.

 

DeBoville Slough RowThe view upriver.  

 

DeBoville Slough RowDown river.  A flock of geese fly east past the river.  Looks to be lightening up!

 

DeBoville Slough RowPump station/drainage canal on the Port Coquitlam side, foot of Laurier Ave.

 

DeBoville Slough RowThe Traboulay PoCo Trail runs along the dyke.

 

DeBoville Slough RowI row close up to the flood-control gate.  It is not open at high tide.  There are many people walking dogs along the dyke.  

 

DeBoville Slough RowThe banks at the high tide line are covered with reeds and drift.

 

DeBoville Slough RowRowing along the West shore towards DeBoville Slough.

 

DeBoville Slough RowA powerboat leaves the Slough heading up river.

 

DeBoville Slough RowA piece of an oar drifts downstream. 

 

DeBoville Slough RowEntering the Slough.  The enterance is marked by two white floats. This is the North float.

 

DeBoville Slough RowSouth entrance float.

 

DeBoville Slough RowLooking West up DeBoville Slough.  The Pitt River Boat Club is in the distance.

 DeBoville Slough Row I will be careful not to speed here!

 

DeBoville Slough RowLooks like a beaver hole in the bank.  There are signs of beaver activity on the bank.

 

DeBoville Slough RowPassing the boat club floats.

DeBoville Slough RowThe clubhouse.  The sign on the dock says “PRESS BUZZER FOR GASOLENE SERVICE”.

DeBoville Slough RowThe gas float.

 

DeBoville Slough RowAs I row up the slough, leaving the boat club behind, the rain begins.

 

DeBoville Slough RowThe water is quite high, up to the reeds.  I can see bottom, but the water is over 6′ deep.

 

DeBoville Slough RowThe channel winds its way West into Coquitlam.

 

DeBoville Slough RowYou can almost believe that you are in the wilderness with a view like this.

 

DeBoville Slough RowThe dyke on the South side of the slough.  It is the Trans Canada/ Traboulay PoCo walking trail.

 

DeBoville Slough RowThere are many bird houses on the banks.

 

DeBoville Slough RowThe weather is closing in.  Rats!

 

DeBoville Slough RowLooks like another beaver hole in the bank.

 

DeBoville Slough RowAround a bend I am surprized by a moored trimaran.

 

DeBoville Slough RowShe is BC2733457.  The owner must row over to the trail on the North side of the slough.  It is a very sheltered spot to anchor.

 

DeBoville Slough RowIn the distance to the West, I can see the end of the slough at Cedar Drive.

 

DeBoville Slough RowI have to be careful and stay in the channel here and up to the culverts and flood control gate.

 

DeBoville Slough RowThese two culverts go under Cedar Drive.  There is a drainage ditch/channel that goes South-West between Cedar Drive and Huber Drive.  If the water was higher, I could row into the culvert and down the channel.  One day when the water levels are higher!

 

DeBoville Slough RowThis culvert goes to a drainage ditch/channel that goes North-East along Cedar Drive.  It may be Partington Creek.

 

DeBoville Slough RowShould have brought the hedge clippers!  The water level is too low and the tide is falling.  Too shallow for Gwragedd Annwn.  

 

DeBoville Slough RowThe pump station is gated off.  It is not pumping now.  

 

DeBoville Slough RowLooking East down DeBoville Slough from Cedar Drive.  

DeBoville Slough RowThe scum line on the bank suggests that the water level is as much as 2′ higher at times.  Nasty piece of rebar sticking up here.  

 

DeBoville Slough RowThe current in the slough is almost one mile per hour here.  

 

DeBoville Slough RowScum line showing the highest water level.

 

DeBoville Slough RowA crow keeps watch as the sun tries to break through the clouds.  

 

DeBoville Slough RowA Blue Heron fishes from the bank, bird houses in the background.

 

DeBoville Slough RowComming up to the Pitt River Boat Club.  I have found two doggie balls and a soft ball for Cleo, a friend’s German Shepard.  

 

DeBoville Slough RowNice to seee that they must row their boats onto their trailers.

 

DeBoville Slough RowBeaver sign.

 

DeBoville Slough RowLooking East out of the Slough.  The two dark dots are the channel marker bouys.

 

DeBoville Slough RowLooking up Pitt River.  Even though the rain is light, I wish it would stop.

 

DeBoville Slough RowA seal follows me hoping that I am fishing.  No luck for the seal today.

 

DeBoville Slough RowLucky me! the rain has almost stopped.

 

DeBoville Slough RowLooking to the Pitt River Bridge.  The rain has stopped now.

 

DeBoville Slough RowA pair of shackles on a dolphin await a log boom.

 

DeBoville Slough RowThe houseboat at the mouth of the Alouette.  The rain has started again.  Sigh.

 

DeBoville Slough RowI row up the Alouette, past a derelict I call “Old Red”.  I have see photos of her afloat in the recent past.

 

DeBoville Slough RowAnother derelict boat.  I have seen photos of her afloat in 2012.

 

DeBoville Slough RowThis is a wreck.  At high water her cabin top is covered.

 

DeBoville Slough RowA clinker boat up on the hard at the Pitt Meadows Paddling club.  I can  not tell if she has an inboard or not.  One day I will have to go to the club and have a better look.

DeBoville Slough RowHeading downstream, I pass by the derelict again.

 

DeBoville Slough RowA photo of “Old Red”.

 

Another one.  It is almost the end of the Row.  Time to pack up and go home to dry.

 

The Urban Oarsman first Row of 2015

Good Rowing,

Mike

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1 Response to DeBoville Slough Row

  1. Gary says:

    Thanks so much for this entry, Mike! I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. My son-in-law and I are planning a bass fishing expedition (our first together) very soon and I was looking for a great place to paddle my kayaks and fish…this looks like just the spot!!

    Awesome photos and narrative. I’m going to keep an eye on your page here because I think it will be very helpful to my future travels.

    Thanks again, Mike! Cheers. Gary.

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