Coe Park features a variety of water resources including lakes, ponds, creeks and springs.
Recreational uses include swimming, fishing and nature observation. No diving is allowed.
On long hikes, be sure to take plenty of water and food. On
warm days, take more water than you think you'll need. Coe Park
is a huge wilderness. It's not that difficult to take a wrong turn
and get lost. Maps are available in the Visitor Center.
Before you set out, you might want to ask someone in the Visitor Center
about the latest water conditions for the areas you will be
traveling. After heavy rains many creeks are uncrossable. In contrast, by
early summer many of the smaller ponds can already be dry. The
flow from springs varies throughout the year.
Water observations are collected by park visitors and volunteers.
You can download the most recent Backcountry
Water Report as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. A photo
album is under construction. Check with park staff for the latest
information.
Interpreting the Backcountry Water Report:
Available water could be a flowing
spring oasis, a mud hole, or a stagnant pool. Don't rely on a
single observation about water availability; consider alternate water sources as a backup. Take into
consideration the timeliness of the observation. Consider recent weather
conditions. Would water conditions be improving (due to rainfall) or getting worse (during hot
weather) since the last reported observation? Water conditions can change quickly.
Ponds and Lakes: Many of the smaller ponds can dry up quickly.
Water level is the relative percentage of being full, measured
to the spillway. A water level of 1% generally indicates mud only. A
water level of 0% indicates the site is completely dry.
Springs: Not all springs shown on the park map are developed.
Some springs have flow cutoff valves so water may not flow continuously.
Many springs have troughs to make access easier for horses. On
the report, water level indicates the trough's relative percentage
of being full. A water level of 0 or a blank water level indicates that
either no trough is available or that the source is dry. The flow rate
is the rate of water produced by the spring (in liters per minute) measured
at the time of observation. Some springs may flow only during the night.
Thus, the combination of flow rate and water level can give you a better
understanding of the conditions.
Creeks: Water levels above knee-high are considered non-crossable.
Use extreme care when crossing creeks. Consider weather conditions. .
You may not be able to return if the creek rises. By late spring
most of the creeks are reduced to isolated pools. In such cases,
the report designates that the creek is not flowing but that
water is available.
GPS: UTM-East and UTM-North are the approximate
GPS coordinates using the UTM UPS grid and the WGS 84 map datum to locate
the water resource. Ponds and lakes are measured at the mid-point
of the dam. Springs are generally measured at the water trough
or output pipe. Creeks are generally measured at an intersection
or crossing.
Purify all backcountry water that you intend to consume. Bury
human waste and wash dishes at least 100 feet from streams, lakes, and
springs. There is a lot of information regarding water purification
on the internet. You may want to search on backpacking water purification, for example.
The Backpacking at Coe Park page
has additional information, including backpacking rules and recommendations.
