Leopard Street to NB Avenue

4. Leopard St-NB Ave Main Segment Photo- TEMPORARY

Class at average July flow: 2
Length: 1.8 miles
Average drop/mile: 6.7ft/mile
Average CFS in July: ~140 CFS
Float time at average CFS: 20 minutes
Drive distance between launch and land: 0.9 miles
Straight line distance between launch and land: 0.81 miles

About This Float Segment:

Within seconds of getting on the water, you will lose sight of the gap in the vegetation that is the launch. This section is very closed in with overhanging trees that become strainers with rising water levels, becoming impassable during high water. Here, you will see the agricultural landscape transition to the backyards of the city of Sheridan. You will pass under one vehicle bridge as you wind your way to the landing at NB Ave.

Quick and Dirty:

Known hazards: Overhanging trees and tight bends make sweepers and strainers common.
Wildlife: Hawks, falcons, buzzards, ducks, geese, box turtles, and minks.
Vegetation: Cottonwood (Populus spp.), Willow (Salix spp.), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), Wild Rose (Rosa spp.), Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)

Access Sites 4-5:

Download Tongue River Water Trail Map

Launch

GPS Location: 44.78631, -106.98664
Side of waterway: River right
Flow description at site: Swift moving straight, deeper
Ease of access: Gentle slope launch/landing area, gentle slope to staging area
Staging area: Grassy right of way leading up to the water with direct access to parking
Parking: Dead end right of way, minimal space
Amenities: None

Landing

GPS Location: 44.79123, -106.97223
Side of waterway: River right
Flow description at site: Slower moving outside corner, deeper
Ease of access: Moderate slope concreted large stone launch/land area, moderate slope to staging area
Staging area: Large grassy area next to pump station building about 20ft from the water, parking separate
Parking: Very minimal, on shoulder of Leopard St, not on NB Ave.
Amenities: None.

History

Just three miles west of Sheridan, along Big Goose Creek, was a farm called K.N. Garden. The owners of the farm were Japanese immigrants who were Kasaburo Okazaki [later Kimura], Jiro Kaii[zumi], George [Gengoro] Nishi[zaki], and J. Yamashita. The estimated timeframe for the operation of the K.N. Gardens was from the early 1900s to 1919. K.N. Garden was known for vegetables and in 1917, at the Wyoming State Fair in Douglas, it won first prize for its red onions, table squash, and turnips. From Sheridan Enterprise publications in February of 1919, K.N. Garden owners announced they decided to quit farming and were having a public sale of livestock, farm equipment, and household goods. The four partners went their own ways and onto subsequent business ventures. A couple of the men stayed in Sheridan. Kasaburo (Kay) Kimura, purchased the Hotel Rex in downtown Sheridan, George Nishizaki opened the Star Grocery under new management in the Sheridan Inn, and Jiro Kaiizumi moved to Colorado to establish a photography studio.