The first part of Section 5 was the sight of the Annual Delta Crazy Raft Race which took place from 1985 to 2000.. The participants were required to build a raft, parade down Delta's Main Street, and then float the river from Leon's Pleasure Park at the Smith Fork confluence 6.75 miles downstream to Austin (private property and available only for the race). It was a fun event with cash prizes, trophies, and plenty of partying.
About a mile or two below the start of this run is a boulder dam. Stay left. There is a nice chute on river left about ten feet from the bank. In the raft race the rafts go anywhere over the dam and seem to survive it. About four miles further down the river there is a place the raft racers call the "Trash Collector". There are railroad rails driven vertically in the river at about 10 foot intervals across the river and most of the time they are just below the surface. During low water the farmers plow dirt onto "the trash collector" to build a temporary dam for irrigation. Spring runoff normally blows the dam out and the rafts can get through. Some rafts got impaled on the rails, some get caught just like so much trash (see picture below). Best passage was usually on river right. Skip this run at low water. Minimum flow for making this run is about 1,000 cfs.
Highway 92 twenty miles west of Delta exit south on 39.89 Road. This is the road to the "Pleasure Park" so watch for signs. When you reach the river you will find the Pleasure Park to right and the BLM park to the left. The BLM park is free, the Pleasure Park is not. No camping in BLM park. Toilets are available.
The takeout is at the Hwy 65 bridge. There is a killer dam between Hwy 65 bridge and Delta so you must takeout at Hwy65 bridge..
12.75 miles to Hwy 65 take out.
Class II
