Content
Request and receive flows on your mobile device via text message! Learn how at boatingbeta.com/tflows.
This page is available in WAP format. Check flows using your PDA or mobile phone using the url boatingbeta.com/wflows.
The following release schedules are available as Google calendars: Cheoah, Coosa, Gauley, Middle Ocoee, Upper Ocoee, Nantahala, Pigeon, Russell Fork, Tallulah, Tuckasegee, Upper Yough and The Full Monty (all eleven schedules). Visit boatingbeta Google Calendars to learn how to add release schedules to your personal Google calendar.
Runs and Levels
| Run | Class | Current Level | Reference Gage | Gage Quality & Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Laurel Creek | III-IV- | 214 cfs (Ivy) 08/23/2019 13:30 EDT  |
USGS: Ivy | Fair. Confirm boatability using PI visual gage before putting on: min = -1' opt = .5-2.5' max = 3.5'. Alt: Look for .75" of rain in 24 hours on the Little Laurel Creek gage. Insufficient information: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 150, medium = 300 - 600, too high = 1000. |
| 50 cfs (estimated) 08/23/2019 13:15 EDT  |
BoatingBeta.com: Big Laurel at US 25/70 Bridge VG | Speculative. Confirm boatability using PI visual gage before putting on: min = -1' opt = .5-2.5' max = 3.5'. This gage is a guestimate based on the difference between the French Broad at Marshall and the French Broad at Hot Springs. It is set to read 50 cfs when the flow at Marshall is greater than the flow at Hot Springs. This happens in the period after the flow from heavy rain in the French Broad headwaters has reached Marshall but not Hot Springs. Under these conditions this VG is meaningless. Color codes: minimum = 250, medium = 350 - 550, too high = 800. | ||
| 0 (rain, 24 hr) 08/23/2019 14:20 EDT  |
AFWS: Little Laurel Creek RG | No Data. Located on a tributary to the Big Laurel. Use this rain gauge to determine when and how much rain has fallen in the Big Laurel watershed. Here's a link to the Little Laurel Creek rainfall archive. | ||
| Chattooga, Section 4 | IV-IV+ | 1.42 feet 08/23/2019 14:00 EDT |
USGS: Chattooga | Excellent. Gage short distance downstream from put-in. Color codes: minimum = 1.4, medium = 1.8 - 2.05, too high = 2.2. |
| French Broad, Alexander Wave | (II) Park and Play | 3260 cfs 08/23/2019 13:45 EDT |
USGS: FB (Asheville) | Very Good. Gage several miles upstream. Above 3,000 cfs the wave gets bigger and bigger but it becomes difficult to impossible to get back to the staging eddy. Insufficient observations: Report your sessions! Color codes: minimum = 1800, medium = 2100 - 2700, too high = 3000. |
| French Broad, Barnard to Hot Springs (Section 9) | III (IV-) | 3730 cfs 08/23/2019 14:00 EDT  |
USGS: FB (Marshall) | Excellent. Color codes: minimum = 700, medium = 1900 - 4000, too high = 10000. |
| French Broad, Bent Creek to Hominy Creek (Biltmore) | I-II | 3260 cfs 08/23/2019 13:45 EDT |
USGS: FB (Asheville) | Excellent. Color codes: minimum = 500, medium = 750 - 1200, too high = 1600. |
| French Broad, Ledges | (II) Park and Play | 3260 cfs 08/23/2019 13:45 EDT |
USGS: FB (Asheville) | Very Good. Gage several miles upstream. Insufficient observations: Report your sessions! Color codes: minimum = 1000, medium = 2500 - 4000, too high = 5000. |
| French Broad, Marshall to Barnard (Section 8) | I-II | 3260 cfs 08/23/2019 13:45 EDT |
USGS: FB (Asheville) | Very Good. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 500, medium = 750 - 1200, too high = 1600. |
| French Broad, North Fork | IV-IV+ | 383 cfs (FB@Rosman) 08/23/2019 14:15 EDT |
USGS: FB (Rosman) | Fair. 64 bridge visual gage: min = 0', opt = 6"-1', max = 3'. Run well upstream of gage. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 350, medium = 500 - 1700, too high = 2500. |
| French Broad, Rosman to Bent Creek (multiple sections) | I | 1940 cfs 08/23/2019 13:30 EDT |
USGS: FB (Blantyre) | Very Good. Color codes: minimum = 250, medium = 350 - 600, too high = 1100. |
| French Broad, Barnard to Hot Springs (Section 9) | III (IV-) | 3730 cfs 08/23/2019 14:00 EDT |
USGS: FB (Marshall) | Very Good. Major tributary enters river below PI (Big Laurel). Color codes: minimum = 1200, medium = 1900 - 4000, too high = 10000. |
| French Broad, Woodfin to Alexander (Section 6) | II | 3260 cfs 08/23/2019 13:45 EDT |
USGS: FB (Asheville) | Very Good. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 500, medium = 750 - 1200, too high = 1600. |
| Ivy, Forks of Ivy to Eller Cove Road | I-II (II+) | 214 cfs 08/23/2019 13:30 EDT |
USGS: Ivy | Poor. Run well upstream of gage. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 200, medium = 250 - 350, too high = 400. |
| Little Pigeon, Lower West Prong (Picnic Area to Campbell Overlook) | V | 1.08 inches (rain, 24 hours) 08/23/2019 14:20 EDT |
AFWS: Newfound Gap RG | Speculative. Warning! The relationship between the Picnic area bridge visual gage and safely boatable flows has changed several time in the last couple years. The following values are at best hints . . . observe the flow independently of the gage and use your judgement! Picnic area bridge visual gage: min = 1', opt = 1.3-1.5', max = 1.7'. If water table up, look for widespread 1+" of rain, esp. at Newfound Gap; in summer look for 1.5+": AFWS: Sevier County. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 1, medium = 1.5 - 2, too high = 2.5. |
| 0.6 feet (estimated) 08/23/2019 11:24 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: West Prong at Picnic Area VG | Speculative. Based on the AFWS: Chimney Pic SG; as of December 2008 it appears the online gage reads about .7 feet above the visual gage. Help dial this gage in, both the relationship to the visual gage and the color coding (the relationship between the Picnic Area visual reading and boatabilty changes more frequently than any other gage I know): Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 1, medium = 1.3 - 1.5, too high = 1.7. | ||
| 1.28 feet 08/23/2019 11:24 EDT |
AFWS: Chimney Pic SG | Speculative. Gage has been offline more than offline for years. As of December 2008 it appears the online gage reads about .7 feet above the visual gage. Help dial this gage in, both the relationship to the visual gage and the color coding (which frequently changes): Report your runs! Note: AFWS gages can report sporadically. Here are links to the Chimney Picnic Area (West Prong) hydrograph and Chimney Picnic Area (West Prong) streamflow archive. Color codes: minimum = 1.7, medium = 2 - 2.2, too high = 2.4. | ||
| Little Pigeon, Road Prong of the West Prong | V-V+ | 1.08 inches (rain, 24 hours) 08/23/2019 14:20 EDT |
AFWS: Newfound Gap RG | Speculative. Footbridge visual gage: 12 painted stripes down (-12") = min; if -7" can run Upper Road Prong. Runs when everything else too high. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 1, medium = 1.5 - 2, too high = 2.5. |
| Little Pigeon, Upper West Prong (Trailhead to Picnic Area) | V-V+ | 1.08 inches (rain, 24 hours) 08/23/2019 14:20 EDT |
AFWS: Newfound Gap RG | Speculative. Warning! The relationship between the Picnic area bridge visual gage and safely boatable flows has changed several time in the last couple years. The following values are at best hints . . . observe the flow independently of the gage and use your judgement! Picnic area bridge visual gage: min = 1', opt = 1.3-1.5', max = 1.7'. If water table up, look for widespread 1+" of rain, esp. at Newfound Gap; in summer look for 1.5+": AFWS: Sevier County. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 1, medium = 1.5 - 2, too high = 2.5. |
| 0.6 feet (estimated) 08/23/2019 11:24 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: West Prong at Picnic Area VG | Speculative. Based on the AFWS: Chimney Pic SG; as of December 2008 it appears the online gage reads about .7 feet above the visual gage. Help dial this gage in, both the relationship to the visual gage and the color coding (the relationship between the Picnic Area visual reading and boatabilty changes more frequently than any other gage I know): Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 1, medium = 1.3 - 1.5, too high = 1.7. | ||
| 1.28 feet 08/23/2019 11:24 EDT |
AFWS: Chimney Pic SG | Speculative. Gage has been offline more than offline for years. As of December 2008 it appears the online gage reads about .7 feet above the visual gage. Help dial this gage in, both the relationship to the visual gage and the color coding (which frequently changes): Report your runs! Note: AFWS gages can report sporadically. Here are links to the Chimney Picnic Area (West Prong) hydrograph and Chimney Picnic Area (West Prong) streamflow archive. Color codes: minimum = 1.7, medium = 2 - 2.2, too high = 2.4. | ||
| Little Tennessee, Iotla to Lost Bridge | I-II | 1330 cfs 08/23/2019 14:15 EDT |
USGS: Little Tennessee (Needmore) | Excellent. Gage near TO. Color codes: minimum = 230, medium = 500 - 1500, too high = 2500. |
| Little Tennessee, Lost Bridge to Fontana Lake | II+ | 1330 cfs 08/23/2019 14:15 EDT |
USGS: Little Tennessee (Needmore) | Excellent. Gage near PI. Color codes: minimum = 350, medium = 500 - 2000, too high = 2500. |
| New River Gorge | III-IV | 2830 cfs 08/23/2019 13:45 EDT |
USGS: New (Thurmond) | Excellent. Gage moderate distance upstream of PI. Alt: Army Corps of Engineers New at Thurmond Has been run at least as low as 1000 cfs but gets very tight and shallow. Color codes: minimum = 1700, medium = 2440 - 7500, too high = 14000. |
| New River Gorge | III-IV | 0.48 feet (estimated) 08/23/2019 13:45 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: New River at Fayette Station VG | Fair. Based on an old raft company rating table. Has been run as low as -2.3 feet but gets very tight and shallow. Color codes: minimum = -1, medium = 0 - 4, too high = 7. |
| Nolichucky, Big Rock | (II+) Park and Play | 935 cfs 08/23/2019 13:30 EDT |
USGS: Nolichucky | Excellent The gage is located within minutes of the hole. Color codes: minimum = 400, medium = 550 - 650, too high = 900. |
| Nolichucky, Gorge | III-IV | 935 cfs 08/23/2019 13:30 EDT |
USGS: Nolichucky | Fair. The water takes about twelve hours to get from the put-in to the Embreeville gage. Color codes: minimum = 500, medium = 1500 - 2000, too high = 6000. |
| Ocoee, Flipper | (II) Park and Play | 917 cfs (estimated) 08/23/2019 13:00 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: Ocoee River Below Ocoee #2 Dam VG TVA: Ocoee #2 |
Excellent. Scheduled releases occur mid-March - first weekend in November; unscheduled releases sometimes occur after heavy rains. The virtual gage displays both scheduled and unscheduled releases. Call the TVA at 865-632-6065 for information on flume breaks, unscheduled spills, etc. Annual calendar of scheduled Middle Ocoee releases. Color codes: minimum = 450, medium = 1200 - 2200, too high = 3000. |
| Ocoee, Middle (Ocoee #2 Dam to below Ocoee #2 Powerhouse) | III+ | 917 cfs (estimated) 08/23/2019 13:00 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: Ocoee River Below Ocoee #2 Dam VG TVA: Ocoee #2 |
Excellent. Scheduled releases occur mid-March - first weekend in November; unscheduled releases sometimes occur after heavy rains. The virtual gage displays both scheduled and unscheduled releases. Call the TVA at 865-632-6065 for information on flume breaks, unscheduled spills, etc. Annual calendar of scheduled Middle Ocoee releases. Color codes: minimum = 500, medium = 1000 - 2400, too high = 3600. |
| Oconaluftee | II-III | 579 cfs 08/23/2019 14:00 EDT |
USGS: Oconaluftee | Poor. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 360, medium = 500 - 800, too high = 1500. |
| Swannanoa | I-II | 227 cfs 08/23/2019 14:00 EDT |
USGS: Swannanoa | Speculative. Color coding inspired guesswork. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 100, medium = 150 - 300, too high = 400. |
| Toe River Gorge, Toecane to Red Hill Bridge | II-III | 935 cfs (Nolichucky) 08/23/2019 13:30 EDT |
USGS: Nolichucky | Fair. Red Hill bridge visual gage: min = 0, opt = 1-2'. Generally runs when the Nolichucky runs; Noli gage 40 miles downstream. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 800, medium = 1500 - 2000, too high = 6000. |
| Tuckaseegee, Devil's Dip | (II) Park and Play | 2110 cfs 08/23/2019 13:15 EDT |
USGS: Tuckasegee (Bryson City) | Excellent. Duke Energy provides 3 day generation schedules every morning. Water arrives about 13 hours after release. A release on either Fork provides water to Devil's Dip. Alt: Call 866-332-5253 (toll free) or 828-369-4559 for release information. When the water is too low Devil's Dip is sticky and shallow, with the potential to break paddles in the player's right side of the hole. From 700-2000 cfs it is a sticky hole, from 2,500-2,800 (the optimum) an excellent wave/hole, from 2,800-3,000 it is tricky to get to, and over 3,000 it is gone. Color codes: minimum = 700, medium = 2000 - 2800, too high = 3000. |
| Tuckaseegee, Dillsboro to Barker's Creek | II | 1060 cfs 08/23/2019 13:15 EDT |
USGS: Tuckasegee (Barker's Creek) | Excellent. Gage a quarter mile or so above the take-out. An annual calendar of scheduled releases is available at Duke Power's Tuckasegee Recreation Flow Calendar (select Nantahala Area on the dropdown menu; the link will be on the right side of the page you are taken to). The calendar is color coded: Releases on the East Fork of the Tuckasegee are colored purple, come from the Cedar Cliff PH, and are generally 500 cfs; releases on the West Fork of the Tuckasegee are colored red, come from the Thorpe PH, and are generally 250 cfs. You will note that from late May to early September, the higher East Fork releases are frequently Wed, Thu and Sat, while the lower West Fork releases are frequently Tu, Fri, and Sun. Color codes: minimum = 250, medium = 500 - 750, too high = 1500. |
| Tuckaseegee, East Fork, Granny Burrel Falls to Rock Bridge (Upper Upper EF Tuckaseegee) | IV-V | 4.29 feet 08/23/2019 13:40 EDT |
AFWS: Rock Bridge SG | Fair. Thanks to Kirk Eddlemon for tracking this gage and working out the levels. Some of the color coding is still speculative, however, and it is always good to have more data: Report your runs! Note: AFWS gages can report sporadically. Here are links to the Rock Bridge hydrograph and Rock Bridge streamflow archive. Color codes: minimum = 2, medium = 2.3 - 3, too high = 4. |
| NA inches (rain,12 hrs) 08/23/2019 14:20 EDT |
AFWS: Hogback RG | Speculative. Thanks to Kirk Eddlemon for tracking this gage and working out the levels. Except for the minimum the color coding is speculative, so Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 1.5, medium = 2 - 2.25, too high = 3. | ||
| 0 inches (rain, 24 hrs) 08/23/2019 14:20 EDT |
AFWS: Hogback RG | Speculative. Thanks to Kirk Eddlemon for tracking this gage and working out the levels. Except for the minimum the color coding is speculative, so Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 2, medium = 3 - 4, too high = 5. | ||
| Tuckaseegee, Ela to Bryson City | II | 2110 cfs 08/23/2019 13:15 EDT |
USGS: Tuckasegee | Excellent. Gage at TO. Alt: Call 866-332-5253 (toll free) or 828-369-4559 for release information. Color codes: minimum = 750, medium = 1250 - 3000, too high = 6000. |
| Tuckaseegee, Whittier to Ela | II (II+) | 2110 cfs 08/23/2019 13:15 EDT |
USGS: Tuckasegee | Fair. Gage well downstream of PI. Alt: Call 866-332-5253 (toll free) or 828-369-4559 for release information. Color codes: minimum = 750, medium = 1250 - 3000, too high = 6000. |
| Wilson Creek, Gorge (flows) | IV | 1066.1 inches (estimated) 08/23/2019 14:10 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: Wilson Creek at Adako Bridge VG | Re-estimation Needed. Based on flows measured at the Edgemont AFWS gage and 91 Adako Bridge visual observations reported between 11/19/09 and 3/13/2010. 86% of the predicted values were within +/- 1" of the actual values; 99% were within +/- 2". Because the Edgemont gage is located on Wilson Creek, this gage should be good year round. At high flows it takes approximately four hours for water to flow the 11.6 miles from the Edgemont gage to Adako bridge. The virtual gage takes this lag into account: the predicted flow at the bridge at any point in time is based on the flow at Edgemont four hours earlier. Note: The Edgemont gage appears to update only when the river level changes. To be safe, check the alternate gages when the timestamp is stale. Virtual gages require frequent re-estimation: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = -6, medium = 0 - 6, too high = 12. |
| 92.07 feet 08/23/2019 14:10 EDT |
AFWS: Edgemont SG | Very Good. Located on Wilson Creek above the confluence with Gragg Prong/Lost Cove Creek -- eight miles upstream of the Gorge and 11.6 miles upstream of the Adako Bridge visual gage. At high flows it takes approximately four hours for water to flow from the Edgemont gage to the Adako bridge. The timestamp associated with this gage does not take this lag into account: what you see is the level at the Edgemont gage at the time reported in the timestamp. Note: The Edgemont gage appears to update only when the river level changes. To be safe, check the alternate gages when the timestamp is stale. Help maintain this gage: Report your runs! Note: AFWS gages can report sporadically. Here are links to the Edgemont (Wilson Creek) hydrograph and Edgemont streamflow archive. Color codes: minimum = 2, medium = 2.5 - 3, too high = 3.5. | ||
| 511 cfs 08/23/2019 14:15 EDT |
USGS: Johns River | Fair. It is best to look at sets of gages to determine if Wilson Creek is running. WC is a tributary to the Johns River; the Johns River USGS gage is located 7.5 miles downstream of the WC visual gage so flows on the Johns Creek gage are serveral hours behind flows on WC. If both the Watauga and Johns River gages indicate that WC is running it most likely is, and at a level close to that on the WC virtual gage. If, on the other hand, the Watauga is running at a healthy level and Johns River hasn't budged the rain may have fallen on the west side of the mountains and WC is dry. Color codes: minimum = 300, medium = 500 - 1600, too high = 2000. | ||
| 81.6 cfs 08/23/2019 13:30 EDT |
USGS: Watauga | Fair. When rainfall is widespread the Watauga is an amazingly good predictor of the level on Wilson Creek. Widespread rainfall occurs frequently in the Winter and Spring, less often in the Summer. Look at the WC rain gauges (is the rainfall widespread?) and the Johns River gage (is it rising?). If the answers to these questions are "no," go run the Watauga instead! Color codes: minimum = 170, medium = 280 - 370, too high = 600. | ||
| 92.1 cfs 08/23/2019 13:45 EDT |
USGS: Yadkin (Patterson) | Fair. The Yadkin is the next watershed north of Johns Creek. If rainfall is widespread and the Upper Yadkin is over 50 cfs WC is generally running; If, on the other hand, the Yadkin is indicating a good WC flow and Johns Creek is indicating a marginal flow there is a good chance the rain fell north of the WC watershed and WC is not running. Color codes: minimum = 50, medium = 150 - 250, too high = 350. |
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Flow Color Coding Key
| Color | Interpretation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
Note: assigning flow codes is highly subjective -- one person's "way too high" is another's "yahoo!" I have attempted to assign the codes relative to the typical person likely to boat the run at normal levels. "Too high" in this context means "the typical person found on this run at the levels it is most often paddled would find this run at this level very challenging." In general, runs are harder at higher levels. Use your discretion regarding the suitability of the run to your skill level and experience after seeing the level in person. |
||
| Too High | Beyond the envelope for the typical person likely to boat this run. | |
| High | Frequently run this high, but a stretch for the typical person likely to boat this run. | |
| Medium | Very enjoyable for the typical person likely to boat this run. | |
| Low | Frequently run this low. Worth a look but probably not a long drive. | |
| Too Low | Seldom run lower by anyone who isn't desperate and/or lives by the put-in. | |
| Don't Know | What's your opinion of this level? Email The River Gages Project. | |
Gage Quality Key
| Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Excellent | Gage located on the reach near the run. Significant number of observations. |
| Very good | Gage located on the reach but a significant number of tributaries upstream or downsteam from the run, or gage based on rainfall or located on a proxy reach. Significant number of observations and strong correlation. |
| Fair | Gage located on the reach near the run but very limited number of observations; gage located on the reach but a significant number of tributaries upstream or downsteam from the run, or gage based on rainfall or located on a proxy reach. Limited number of observations and/or modest correlation. |
| Poor | Gage is based on rainfall or located on a proxy reach. Significant number of observations but weak correlation. |
| Speculative | Gage is based on rainfall or located on a proxy reach. Very limited number of observations or very weak correlation. |
