Memories of Davis Dam

Early spring can be a fun time to visit Davis Camp in Bullhead City Arizona. The camp is located at the base of Davis Dam. Behind Davis Dam is Lake Mohave, which stretches 67 miles upstream to Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. I’ve visited here in October with little luck in capturing bird images, but in mid-March of 2016 I had a lot of fun here.

Below the dam is a buoy line to prevent boaters from getting too close to the dam and its infrastructure. On weekends it becomes apparent why there is a need for the barrier. Power boaters and jet-skiers abound and like jackasses, race up the river to the absolute limit of the barrier and spin their watercraft to spray giant rooster-tails of water, then race down stream as fast as they can, only to repeat the process time-and-again.

Common and Hooded Mergansers, along with Common Goldeneye Ducks were foraging on crayfish downstream from the buoy line while I was there capturing images. During the lulls between the watercraft assaults, the ducks would drift downstream, capturing crayfish in the shallow rocky bottom of the river. When they heard the roar of motors heading upstream, they would race back to the protected waters behind the barrier. I was able to get a few images captured during these cycles, but I’d have preferred the jackass boat drivers had stayed far away.

I returned the next day, when these weekend warriors were no longer there, and had a more enjoyable visit with the ducks. If anyone reading this wishes to make a spring pilgrimage here, I suggest a weekday visit.