Little River 3-26-18

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03-27-2018 09:59 PM
IowaCaveDiver

Little River 3-26-18

water level is down to the normal level.. just to the edge of the concrete ramp where most people leave tanks/scooters. Viz was lower than my dive a month ago.. probably 50' viz all the way to the well casing. I jumped off the main line at 1500' and checked out the couple of deep section "t"s... water was very clear (until I went through a few restrictions) and the line running shallower and further in the system was very hazy/milky water with viz around 30-40'. As I traveled this line percolation and my presence stirred up a lot of crappy fine silt. I'd never been in this area... I'm guessing I went around 300-400 ft. from the gold line and it wasn't very enjoyable but had me curious if it would get better if I went further.

I forgot all about the gate closing and exited the water a little late (7pm). I was warned by the gate keeper that the code had been changed and cave divers can't come/go as they please anymore. I'm thankful he waited for me to surface or I'd been stuck at little river!

Nice dive, great weather and met a couple of nice Norwegians (I think that's where they're from).
03-28-2018 05:23 AM
FW

Quote:

Originally Posted by IowaCaveDiver

water level is down to the normal level.. just to the edge of the concrete ramp where most people leave tanks/scooters. Viz was lower than my dive a month ago.. probably 50' viz all the way to the well casing. I jumped off the main line at 1500' and checked out the couple of deep section "t"s... water was very clear (until I went through a few restrictions) and the line running shallower and further in the system was very hazy/milky water with viz around 30-40'. As I traveled this line percolation and my presence stirred up a lot of crappy fine silt. I'd never been in this area... I'm guessing I went around 300-400 ft. from the gold line and it wasn't very enjoyable but had me curious if it would get better if I went further.

I forgot all about the gate closing and exited the water a little late (7pm). I was warned by the gate keeper that the code had been changed and cave divers can't come/go as they please anymore. I'm thankful he waited for me to surface or I'd been stuck at little river!

Nice dive, great weather and met a couple of nice Norwegians (I think that's where they're from).

Good to know, thanks!
03-28-2018 07:57 AM
patpicos

Quote:

Originally Posted by IowaCaveDiver

water level is down to the normal level.. just to the edge of the concrete ramp where most people leave tanks/scooters. Viz was lower than my dive a month ago.. probably 50' viz all the way to the well casing. I jumped off the main line at 1500' and checked out the couple of deep section "t"s... water was very clear (until I went through a few restrictions) and the line running shallower and further in the system was very hazy/milky water with viz around 30-40'. As I traveled this line percolation and my presence stirred up a lot of crappy fine silt. I'd never been in this area... I'm guessing I went around 300-400 ft. from the gold line and it wasn't very enjoyable but had me curious if it would get better if I went further.

I forgot all about the gate closing and exited the water a little late (7pm). I was warned by the gate keeper that the code had been changed and cave divers can't come/go as they please anymore. I'm thankful he waited for me to surface or I'd been stuck at little river!

Nice dive, great weather and met a couple of nice Norwegians (I think that's where they're from).

You started going into Small Creek Tributary when the water got colder and hazy. The deep sections are on the left (old is first, new is 2nd). Old is tighter and SM
03-28-2018 08:26 AM
IowaCaveDiver

I'm glad i didn't go too far in the old deep section... the "new" deep section was tight enough for me! The small creek tributary stuff had some nasty nasty nasty silt bottom and the exit out of here was 3-5' viz. yuck.
03-28-2018 11:30 AM
jdobbertien

the small creek is not a place really anyone should go, don't believe me go check it out for yourself. Fair warning its a very advanced cave dive that you will be in zero vis the whole time and likely blow out the whole cave. My thought is during the initial exploration they thought it went somewhere, it does not. Pretty risky dive, not worth looking at a silt cloud.
03-30-2018 02:44 PM
WEPIV

Yes, this is the one place I had to take my doubles off one time in zero vis to get through a tight area where the line ran through while coming back out behind a sidemount diver. Even though I knew I could fit through about ten feet or so to my left, I did not want to let go of that line in disappearing vis....
03-30-2018 03:06 PM
patpicos

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdobbertien

the small creek is not a place really anyone should go, don't believe me go check it out for yourself. Fair warning its a very advanced cave dive that you will be in zero vis the whole time and likely blow out the whole cave. My thought is during the initial exploration they thought it went somewhere, it does not. Pretty risky dive, not worth looking at a silt cloud.

Nice meeting you at Ginnie yesterday. That echoes what friends have told me of the place. Its even labelled as such on the artistic map of LR
04-01-2018 05:21 PM
alcornl

The entrance to small creek is sidemount and low, but look to the right side as you go in. There is a bacterial formation that is light gray and looks like it flows down the silt. Very cool. Once past the entrance, it opens up nicely for the next 1000 feet. Up and down tunnel.