Stream signs rant

skyriver

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
I recently made a trip through the Columbia Gorge. The real gorge down between Washougal and John Day dam area, not that concert place kids.

Most of the signs on HWY 14 for rivers and creeks are gone. Hamilton, Hardy, Duncan, Dog, etc No signs. I've also noticed here in King county less & less signage for streams over the years.

Is it just a $$ thing? Or are the authorities afraid if people know the stream name they'll actually fish it? Or they'll demand that someone actually patrols it? Don't get me started on that one. :mad:

Maybe I'm alone here, but I see this as one more example of the dumbing down of America. Place names, including streams and lakes are part of history. So kids probably don't give a shit, but then they don't know where the hell that creek that's named after their great-grandpa is...even if it's just 10 miles down the road.

Google maps is not great about stream names, but they are better than our DOT now. Google actually improved that recently.

Rant over. FWI, I used to see steelhead in some of these little trickles.
 
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ianpadron

Steelhead
You aren't alone at all my man!

Nothing better than a trip through the rural US learning creek names, what kind of crops are in a field, and stopping to read historical marker signs etc. Lot of kids these days spend a road trip glued to their phones/ipads and are completely detached from the incredible world they're passing through. Sad stuff tbh

And before I get called a boomer, I'm 29 haha
 
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dirty dog

Steelhead
IMHO If Google or who ever is making a map should name all the creeks/lakes.
My rant is ODFW trout plants report gives me little walk in lakes that get planted, but don't tell me how to get to them/trail heads, etc.
But again part of the fun of finding places to fish is getting there.
Little blue lines, little blue dots on the map.
 

DerekWhipple

Steelhead
Forum Supporter
You aren't alone at all my man!

Nothing better than a trip through the rural US learning creek names, what kind of crops are in a field, and stopping to read historical marker signs etc. Lot of kids these days spend a road trip glued to their phones/ipads and are completely detached from the incredible world their passing through. Sad stuff tbh

And before I get called a boomer, I'm 29 haha
Some kids are just raised to be more curious about the world, and some really aren't. I know I was interested in that stuff growing up, but I'm sure it was because my family was. Knowing facts like that can also come in handy, like being able to spot the difference between a copperhead and a hog nose.

Anyway, I'm sure the lack of signage is a money thing.
 

skyriver

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
IMHO If Google or who ever is making a map should name all the creeks/lakes.
My rant is ODFW trout plants report gives me little walk in lakes that get planted, but don't tell me how to get to them/trail heads, etc.
But again part of the fun of finding places to fish is getting there.
Little blue lines, little blue dots on the map.
You literally have to reference old maps to find most creeks and small lakes now. Definitely not throwing out my old topo maps or the ever faithful Gazetteer.
 
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Long_Rod_Silvers

Elder Millennial
Forum Supporter
I wouldn't be mad if we (Washington) spent some money on crop signs and river/stream/creek signs. I think there's something there - where you get a connection with a body of water after learning it's name. Couldn't hurt to have more people learning names of places and looking out for them - stewardship is a good thing IMO.
 

Mike Cline

Life of the Party
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Creek Names - Topo Map Solution

1). Find a Wikipedia article on the major river in the watershed you are interested in.
2). In the article there should be links to the geo coordinates for both the mouth and the source.
3). Click on one of the coordinates.
4). You should arrive at this screen
Screenshot 2022-06-30 185407.jpg
5). Select one of the TOPO options. (ACME Mapper is pretty good)
6). You should get a high res Topo Map based on the coordinates you selected. You can explore creek names from there.
 
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skyriver

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
Creek Names - Topo Map Solution

1). Find a Wikipedia article on the major river in the watershed you are interested in.
2). In the article there should be links to the geo coordinates for both the mouth and the source.
3). Click on one of the coordinates.
4). You should arrive at this screen
View attachment 20667
5). Select one of the TOPO options. (ACME Mapper is pretty good)
6). You should get a high res Topo Map based on the coordinates you selected. You can explore creek names from there.
Thanks Mike. These are cool. ACME mapper is very nice.

However, this doesn't solve my rant. :sneaky: See, I know the names and I also know how to find the names. My concern is there is no signs and the fact that it's now acceptable for our state government to not put up the signs. I see it as a decline in....whatever you want to call it. Not a big deal, just mostly sad.
 
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Zak

Legend
Forum Supporter
You literally have to reference old maps to find most creeks and small lakes now. Definitely not throwing out my old topo maps or the ever faithful Gazetteer.
I'm a big Google Earth fan. You can download datasets of all kinds. The National Hydrography Dataset has most every stream name and lets you highlight the upstream watershed etc.
 

Mike Cline

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
Thanks Mike. These are cool. ACME mapper is very nice.

However, this doesn't solve my rant. :sneaky: See, I know the names and I also know how to find the names. My concern is there is no signs and the fact that it's now acceptable for our state government to not put up the signs. I see it as a decline in....whatever you want to call it. Not a big deal, just mostly sad.
I would think, and I am just speculating here as to what it might be in WA? that the jurisdiction and thus the authority to post signage falls with the political unit or agency responsible for the road crossing the creek. Thus for any given creek it might be city, county, state or federal agency. There is a 30 mile paved and gravel road that runs from Alder, MT along the Ruby River to its headwaters at Centennial divide. Every creek that transects that road plus all the creeks across the river are signed with nice, carved wooden signs that were erected by the US Forest Service and Madison County. I think for any given creek, if you want it signed, you have to look into the patchwork of authority that might exist.
 

Old Man

Just a useless Old Man.
Forum Legend
I usually know where I'm fishing at. I plan ahead so I don't fuck anything up. I've seen some signs here in Montana that are up one year and gone the next year. But like Mike says. There are signs for damn near every piece of Skinny water here in Montana. But I'm a big user of maps. Be there an Atlas or a topo map available, I'll know where to go. And not to hell.

When I lived in Washington, I have the Natgeo disk set of the US. all 52 states. I try to stay prepared when I get out and about.
 

skyriver

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
Could it be that there is little to no water left in some of these creeks?
Plenty of water. In fact, Rock Creek (in Stevenson) and Hamilton Creek were a bit high for this time of year.

I'm sure WA DOT will tell you it's a cost issue. Shit, we can't even keep most state parks open.
And my rant example is HWY 14 on the Washington side so def Washington DOT.

And @Old Man, my rant is not that I can't find streams or know where they are. I know. And if I don't, the phone in my pocket knows. :sneaky:

It's for the people driving over them. I don't care if parents don't know the damn names, but as a kid that grew up waiting to see the next body of water I find it sad they are no longer signed. Sure, little Johnny and Suzie (sorry, probably more like Jackson & Willow) also have a phone that might know, but that's still not the point. There should be "signs for damn near every piece of Skinny water here in" Washington just like in Montana.

Maybe @SurfnFish keeps taking them. :ROFLMAO:
 

Guy Gregory

Semi-retired
Forum Supporter
Most of the crop signs are wrong, as the crop rotated and nobody changed the sign. I love driving by the ones in the Quincy basin. They're right every 4th year or so.

Most of the creek names at crossings and place name signs are now in someone's garage, or shot to hell, or both.

That's why. DOT folks in most state and local areas need funds for roads and such, and choose not to replacing signs every 4 months.
 

SilverFly

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
I recently made a trip through the Columbia Gorge. The real gorge down between Washougal and John Day dam area, not that concert place kids.

Most of the signs on HWY 14 for rivers and creeks are gone. Hamilton, Hardy, Duncan, Dog, etc No signs. I've also noticed here in King county less & less signage for streams over the years.

Is it just a $$ thing? Or are the authorities afraid if people know the stream name they'll actually fish it? Or they'll demand that someone actually patrols it? Don't get me started on that one. :mad:

Maybe I'm alone here, but I see this as one more example of the dumbing down of America. Place names, including streams and lakes are part of history. So kids probably don't give a shit, but then they don't know where the hell that creek that's named after their great-grandpa is...even if it's just 10 miles down the road.

Google maps is not great about stream names, but they are better than our DOT now. Google actually improved that recently.

Rant over. FWI, I used to see steelhead in some of these little trickles.

Any time my son and I fished Drano on a hot day, he'd always insist we'd stop at one of those Gorge creeks for a refreshing fully-clothed shower in the falls. Water is the perfect temp in August. Cool but not cold. We were always dry by the time we got home. Love the Gorge. Hope it stays un-signed.
 
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