Mile 453.5 — Milliken Bend

Below Willow the mile-wide channel flows south past Chotard, Eagle Lake, Tara and then starts curving eastward into Milliken Bend.  Tara Island is LBD 455 with possible low or medium water camping, but you might want to camp elsewhere.  The noisy Madison Parish Port is right across the channel.  The river feels sluggish here at low water (maybe two or three mph) but picks up spirit in high water and clips right along downstream at five to seven miles per hour -- or faster in higher water levels.  You’ll want to stay with the best flow along the right bank descending, several hundred yards out.  Find the “boil-line” and keep with it as the miles slide by.  The foam tends to collect along this line, and during a river rise so does the driftwood.   You’ll find your best river current in this vicinity.  Follow the foam.  Upstream tows tend to cross channel out of Paw Paw and stay with the slower water LBD left bank descending along Forest Home Towhead, which is built up along a six-mile long chain of dikes extending outwards.  Twelve dikes total over six miles!  In normal conditions there will be a red “nun” buoy placed at the end of each and every dike.