Kimberly Wagner

The 24th Annual Neches River Rendezvous, which was scheduled to be held on May 18, 2024, has been cancelled due to unsafe river conditions. The Neches River Rendezvous is a family-friendly 10-mile paddling adventure down the Neches River.

This is the first year that the Angelina & Neches River Authority was scheduled to host the event. It was previously hosted by the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce. Held for the first time in 1997, it quickly became a popular annual event, with up to 300 people participating, however, due to Covid-19, weather conditions, and supply chain issues, the event had not been held since 2018.

“With unpredictable weather patterns in East Texas, it’s tricky trying to schedule a date for an event of this nature. There’s a short window of opportunity to host this event between weather extremes, flooding events and high heat indexes, so timing this event has proven to be challenging. By the time river conditions improve to a safe level, it will likely be too hot to hold the event, especially since most participants are novice paddlers,” Kelley Holcomb, the Authority’s general manager said. “While we are disappointed that we have to cancel the event in our first year, safety is our first priority.”

At the time of this release, the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services indicated that it could be weeks before river depth and discharge velocities decrease to safe enough levels for recreational activity. Both the event launch area, the Neches River at Anderson Crossing, between Houston and Cherokee counties, and the takeout area, the Neches River at Highway 7, in Angelina County are experiencing discharges of 20,200 cfs (cubic feet per second).

To put that into perspective, between the launch and takeout areas, the river is flowing at about 151,096 gallons per second. While there is not a river gauge at Anderson Crossing, the gauge at the Neches River at Highway 7, shows a depth of about 27 feet. While this location has limited historical data since it is a new gauge, the upstream gauge near Alto and the downstream gauge near Diboll, indicate major and minor flooding. The Alto gauge indicates a depth of 20.2 feet and rising. The record crest for this location is 28 feet in 1884. The Diboll gauge indicates 16.4 feet and rising. The record crest for this location is 21 feet.

The river is more than ½ mile out of its banks in some areas and has washed out the county roads leading to Anderson Crossing. In addition to high water levels and fast-moving currents, even getting to the river may prove to be difficult for quite some time until county officials can make repairs.

The Authority would like to thank all of the event sponsors, supporters, volunteers, and participants. First, Platinum Sponsor, Stella-Jones, Gold Sponsors; Kyncey Developments, LLC, Lufkin Gears, and Soil Therapy Compost; Silver Sponsor, Texas Conservation Alliance; Bronze Sponsors, Cadence Bank and Hackberry Bunkhouse and Kayak Rentals; Rendezvous Crew Sponsors, Sarabella’s Jewelry, Texas Conservation Alliance, River Bottom Cap Company, and the Law Office of Maira F. Carrillo, PLLC; and in-kind sponsors, Brookshire Brothers, Millenia Water & Ice, Mudbelly Outdoor Supply, Railblaza, and Visit Lufkin. Additional support is appreciated from Classic Country Willy 103.3, Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce, Texas Master Naturalist – Longleaf Ridge Chapter, Dos Amigos Taco Truck, I’ve Got Your Dog, Heaven’s Rita, B&T Vans and Shuttles, Real Graphics, Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful, and Angelina Beautiful/Clean.

The Authority would also like to thank the more than 140 volunteers that signed up to help with the event. “The eagerness we have seen from individuals in the community to help bring this event back has been absolutely astonishing and we cannot thank our volunteers enough for all the work they have put into the Rendezvous already, as well as the time and effort they were willing to give to make the Rendezvous happen on Saturday. It would’ve been an amazing event because of their volunteer spirit and I’m optimistic that next year will be the best Rendezvous yet,” Kimberly Wagner, the Authority’s communications director, said. Special appreciation goes out to the following local entities and volunteer organizations: International Paper’s North Boggy Slough, Deep East Texas Amateur Radio Club, Houston County EMS, Hudson Fire Department Search & Rescue Team, Five Rivers District – Boy Scouts of America, and Trail Life USA, Troop 1807.

Event registration maxed out with a total of 151 individual paddlers expected to launch in more than 100 kayaks and canoes on the river. “The enthusiasm for the comeback of this event was clear and while we are severely disappointed to have to cancel the event, we’re already making big plans for next year, so we encourage the public to stay tuned and follow us on social media,” Wagner said.

Registration fees and rental fees will be refunded to participants within the next 30 days. Participants and volunteers are also encouraged to come by the Authority’s office, located at 2901 N John Redditt Drive, in Lufkin, to pick up their t-shirts and goody bags – filled with great items from Rendezvous sponsors. Those that live out of town can contact the Authority if they would like to have their goody bag mailed to them. The Authority’s office is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

“All is not lost, even in cancelling the event. We’ve still been able to bring a lot of recreational and conservation awareness to the public’s attention and that’s the mission of the Rendezvous – awareness of what we have to lose if we don’t take care of our most important and beautiful natural resource – our rivers,” Wagner said. Once river conditions improve, for those who still want to enjoy a day on the river, contact one of the following East Texas area outfitters: Hackberry Bunkhouse and Kayak Rentals, Lake Livingston Kayak Adventures, and Tack-a-Paw Expeditions.

For more information, call the Authority’s Central Office Facility at (936) 632-7795, email recreation@anra.org, visit https://www.anra.org/conservatio…/neches-river-rendezvous/ , or find both the Authority and the Rendezvous’ event pages on Facebook.

Registration for the 24th Annual Neches River Rendezvous is now live!

To register, please use the following link: https://www.anra.org/conservation-recreation/neches-river-rendezvous/participant-information/

Registration for the 24^th Annual Neches River Rendezvous will open on Monday, March 18^th.  The Neches River Rendezvous is a fun and family-friendly 10-mile paddling adventure down the Neches River and will be held on May 18, 2024. 

This is the first year that the Angelina & Neches River Authority will host the event.  It was previously hosted by the Lufkin/Angelina County Chamber of Commerce beginning in 1997, and it quickly became a popular annual event, with up to 300 people participating, however, due to Covid-19, weather conditions, and supply chain issues, the event has not been held the past five years.

The Rendezvous will be limited to 100 paddlers for the first year that the Authority hosts the event in 2024, but depending on the available supply of vans, trailers, kayaks, and canoe rentals needed for the event to be successful, the Authority hopes to increase the number of participants back to 300 paddlers within the next few years.

On the day of the event, paddlers will park at International Paper’s North Boggy Slough Conservation Area and will then be shuttled upriver, where volunteers will assist them in launching their kayaks and canoes in the river.  There will be four staggered launch times to avoid overcrowding. 

After a leisurely 3-4 hours paddling the river, paddlers will end their journey at the Highway 7 bridge, next to Hackberry Bunkhouse & Kayak Rentals, where they will be assisted out of the river and then shuttled back to North Boggy Slough, where they can purchase a meal from one of several food trucks that will be on-site. 

No experience is needed to participate in the event, however, anyone under the age of 18, must have a legal guardian present.  Since safety is the top priority of the event, life jackets must be worn by all paddlers.  Paddlers must provide their own life jackets.   A multitude of local organizations will assist with logistics and safety during the event, including the Deep East Texas Amateur Radio Club, Hudson Search & Rescue, Houston County EMS, Boy Scouts of America, and Trail Life USA.

The Authority is still seeking volunteers and sponsors for the event.  A volunteer guide and a sponsor information packet can both be found on the Authority’s website.

Early bird registration begins Monday, March 18^th and ends Friday, April 19^th.  Late registration begins on Saturday, April 19 and ends on Friday, May 3^rd.  Registration is based on a first-come, first-served basis.  Paddlers are highly encouraged to register online, but paper registration forms can be downloaded from ANRA’s website or picked up at ANRA’s office at 2901 N John Redditt Drive, in Lufkin, Texas.  Forms and registration fees can be submitted via mail or at ANRA’s office.

For more information, call the Authority’s Central Office Facility at (936) 632-7795, email recreation@anra.org, visit https://www.anra.org/conservation-recreation/neches-river-rendezvous/ , or find both the Authority and the Rendezvous’ event pages on Facebook.