By Tom Douglas
Kudos to the Big Thicket Association, who organized the 2026 Neches River Rally on September 12. Even before cars reached the parking lot for the Lower Neches Valley Authority Saltwater Barrier Boat Ramp, there were volunteers at the side of the road who were heading off any possible delays at the registration tent by providing copies of the paper waiver forms already mounted on clipboards. Then, at the registration tent, we received bags with a T-shirt and other assorted goodies. Having signed in, we continued on around the parking lot, in a clockwise direction, to the boat ramp. At the ramp, high school Navy JROTC volunteers in yellow shirts were ready to help unload boats and set them gently onto four strips of outdoor carpet that had been laid down over the concrete ramp. Continuing on around the parking lot, we then drove for a short distance back out Bigner Road to find an open parking spot on the grass next to the pavement.
Rolling Up to the Registration Tent
When paddlers signed up online ahead of time, they were offered a choice of launch times between 8:00 and 9:30. This worked very well to even out traffic at the boat ramp, where there was little waiting.
Volunteers in Yellow T-Shirts Made Launching Very Easy
To follow the Cooks Lake to Scatterman Paddling Trail, we began by paddling upstream on the main channel of the Neches and bearing to the left into Pine Island Bayou. The trail is marked with signs attached to trees on the bank, and at each point where a paddler might possibly make a wrong turn, a guide in a kayak was there to point the way.
Our Itinerary Followed the Cooks Lake to Scatterman Paddling Trail
The Trail is Marked by Signs
There were also a couple of TPWD power boats on the watch for any paddlers who might be having trouble.
Power Boats Provided Safety for the Paddlers
A short way upstream, we encountered the first of two monitoring stations that continuously measure the salinity level in the river. The second one is at the confluence of Pine Island Bayou and the main channel of the Neches. These stations are key to the operation of the saltwater barrier because the City of Beaumont relies upon the Neches as a source of drinking water.
Monitoring Stations Measure the River’s Salinity Level
Bearing to the Left into Pine Island Bayou Near the Second Monitoring Station
At the northernmost point of our paddle, we viewed the Madonna Tree, in which some see the outline of a woman holding a small child. Here, a guide used a laser pointer to help paddlers visualize the image. At the current water level of 2.35 feet, it appeared to me that the baby was also getting a bath.
