Weird bubbles in Willamette

[bass]

I went to the the Willie with my son yesterday and we launched the kayak around 4pm from Cedaroak. When we got to the ramp I looked at the river and it looked as if it were raining.

Upon closer inspection, it was bubbles coming off the bottom. There were so many sources that it looked like rain drops. Most were small streams of bubbles, but there were a few places where the number and size of the rising bubbles was huge.

It was really strange. Just curious if anyone else has seen this and/or has any idea what the source could be? I know that you can get some decaying material and gas releases near turnover in lakes, but this is August.

 

[wozniasm]

I used to do that in the bath... We called it a poor mans jaccuzzi! :lol:

 

[Modest_Man]

Was it localized in one area or spread out over the whole river?

 

[Gettin' Jiggy Wid It]

I wonder if it's biogas from decaying weed beds. At some point, all of the lush aquatic vegetation starts to deteriorate at the end of the summer and fall leaving the riverbed relatively clean before the vegetation begins to grow again in the spring.

 

[bass]

Hey MM, it was over a huge area but not the entire river. It seemed concentrated in the area from the Cedaroak island lagoon well out past the ramp and maybe halfway across the river. I think this is all soft bottom which is why I wondered if it might have to day with clams or mollusks.

 

[waco]

Sturgeon!! here in the tillamook if you see bubbles there is sturgeon around!!!

 

[bass]

I wonder if it's biogas from decaying weed beds. At some point, all of the lush aquatic vegetation starts to deteriorate at the end of the summer and fall leaving the riverbed relatively clean before the vegetation begins to grow again in the spring.

I have seen the gas given off as vegetation dies but never this concentrated. Plus it seems too early to be having that happen unless there was a massive weed killer spill.

 

[bass]

Sturgeon!! here in the tillamook if you see bubbles there is sturgeon around!!!

Good idea. I thought about that but I think for the most part the size of the bubbles would have been too small. Plus the uniform coverage over such a massive area makes it seem less likely.

 

[troutdude]

Scrubbing bubbles?

 

[troutdude]

I used to do that in the bath... We called it a poor mans jaccuzzi! :lol:

TMI Woz, TMI! LOL

 

[Modest_Man]

Hey MM, it was over a huge area but not the entire river. It seemed concentrated in the area from the Cedaroak island lagoon well out past the ramp and maybe halfway across the river. I think this is all soft bottom which is why I wondered if it might have to day with clams or mollusks.

I have no idea. I was thinking water treatment effluent - which is bubbles but over a pretty small area (it's amazing how many towns dump their waste water in the Willamette). If it was decomposing organic matter you'd know it by the smell. It would smell like hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs). The only time we see bubbles of hydrogen sulfide are when we're disturbing the bottom - and only in sloughs. We're also constrained by temperature though, so it could have something to do with the warmer water. I'll ask my boss today about it.

 

[Casting Call]

Ok Guys! All you all got it right. When plant decomposes it's micro food for clams. Clams open up to feed and give off some sort of gas. When clams poop sturgon know it and start crushing and feeding, hence soft bottom,clams, equal a sturgon hole! Just say"n. CC

 

[Casting Call]

Forgot to mention!

Forgot to mention!

Use local clams for bait. Crabs and dino's both have crushers. Claws&Jaws. CC

 

[Casting Call]

forgot to mention AGAIN!

forgot to mention AGAIN!

Ever see bubble holes in the soft mud/sand? guess what's there. Just say'n. CC

Use local clams for bait. Crabs and dino's both have crushers. Claws&Jaws. CC

 

[bass]

I thought clams at first but while most of the bubbles were small "trickling" bubbles, a few of the bubble spots were almost like a continuous rolling boil (that powerful). Also, the bubbles seemed continuous and closely spaced. Not spurts of bubbles, but rather continuous streams. On another forum someone had suggested that perhaps small seismic activity could have caused the event. I am starting to think that this is likely.

 

[troutmasta]

fish farts...its a good thing

 

[MadDog]

Saturday was my daughter's 6th birthday and we took her on the Willamette Queen. We witnessed a lot of bubbles as well. When I told her the fish were farting I was rewarded with a "Daddy that's gross!". The paddle boat was stirring up a lot of vegetation and the water smelled fairly musty. Wasn't sure if this was normal for the sternwheeler as it was my first trip on it.

 

[Casting Call]

Hi John! I concur, I will go with Shakey-Quakie. CC

 

[HootYeah]

fish farts...its a good thing

Haha! My GF believed me for years that I was a good fishermen because I could smell the fish farts!