The Bayou Didn't Beckon

by Sherri Blifford

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The annual Regatta, sponsored by the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, has been advertised as "the Bayou Beckons" recently. But this year it didn't. The rain started Friday night, pounding the waiting canoes until dawn. At what should have been the start of registration, the annual regatta was postponed to Sunday. By mid-afternoon a second round of thunderstorms had swollen the bayou to a whopping 4500 cfs.

On Sunday, the race had to be cancelled altogether. Yes, the rain finally stopped but it still was not safe for a whole fleet of paddlers to go rushing down the bayou. The safety boats had no time for a pre-run.

Experienced paddlers understood and agreed that the race should not be run. The less knowledgeable grumbled that it didn’t look that bad. They didn’t know the power of water with that kind of velocity.

All the pictures shown here were taken late Saturday afternoon.

Buffalo Bayou, dissecting Houston, is fed by a series of tributaries. To some extent the flow can be controlled by releases from Addicks-Barker Dam to avoid flooding. After the rains subside, the gates are opened at certain levels to alleviate the situation before the next round of showers. Even with the gates closed, the tributaries are still flowing, adding water to the bayou.

At Allen's Landing, White Oak Bayou converges with Buffalo Bayou with incredible force.

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