Thornton

Only one easy to see and get around strainer about a quarter mile from the put in. The strainers mentioned in the earlier alert are now gone. As always things can change....

below the 1st bridge there are 2 trees completely blocking the river. 1st one you can see fairly well from the river but the 2nd is harder to see and you can get pushed into it before you know it. This would be a real hazard in higher water levels.

From Alf Cooley:

Today (4/20/2019) our group of 4 paddlers came across a downed tree totally blocking the Thornton at about Mile 6 in the 9-mile stretch between Fletchers Mill and Rock Mills. The tree is 18 inches in diameter in a blind angle of the river clearing the surface by a mere 6 inches; - swift current. Take out on a gravelly beach right and carry 75 feet to an equally easy relaunch point. The location has a hill on the left.

There's a strainer about a half mile above the Rock Mills/Rte 626 take out as of April 14, 2011. It's where the river makes a right turn and a large boulder splits the flow into two channels. The right channel is clearly visible to the bottom, but the boulder prevents a good look at the left channel. There a long tree trunk stretches from the left bank to the boulder, about a foot above the water. At the take out a local asked about our trip, and we told him about the strainer. He said he lives nearby and would go in and remove it, so maybe this problem won't be there much longer. But I'd advise caution until you're sure.