Mile 78.0 — English Turn Bend

John Ruskey

26 Apr 2026 � 1 min read

English Turn Bend and makes a tight turn in excess of 90 degrees around Shingle Point, which means another blind corner. In addition to the usual unknowns coming around a blind corner, the currents are powerful here even at low water, and a giant eddy forms around Shingle Point, extending halfway across the channel. This eddy forces all of the fast water into a single concentrated flow, a giant tongue to use whitewater paddler’s language. This giant tongue sticks out a miles down into the bend, curving southward as it goes. Upstream freighters (and other traffic) tend to stay in the slower water closer to Shingle Point. Downstream traffic meanwhile will remain solidly in the middle of the channel and follow the faster water as much as possible. For the freighters, fast water usually means deeper water, which is their ultimate concern, as result of their 45 foot draft full loaded.

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