Kayaking on the Santa Fe

Back to the Santa Fe Saturday for some kayaking with friends. It was a gorgeous day and when I jumped into the crisp water at Poe Springs my insides lit up with happiness. There's something to be said for feeling like there's nowhere in the world you'd rather be than where you are.

Springs not located directly in a river follow the path of least resistance to the nearest river -- this is called a spring run. The Poe Springs spring run is short but treacherous with slimy, sharp limestone. Waders must tread carefully. The water is still really low from the current drought. I've been in this spring run when it was a good two feet deeper than it is now.


The Santa Fe River is considered a blackwater river for its high tannin content. (Blackwater rivers also tend to be high in acidity and suspended organic matter.) Poe Springs is a 2nd magnitude spring, spewing over 44 million gallons per day -- 2nd magnitude springs flow at a rate of 10 to 100 cubic feet per second. The water flows forcefully out of the spring, down the spring run, and into the river. The mingling of the two waters can be clearly seen in the below photo.


Pure happiness.