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) 06/01/2020 01:00 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. |
| 410 cfs (estimated) 06/01/2020 01:00 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) 05/29/2020 12:10 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. | ||
| Big South Fork of the Cumberland, Burnt Mill Bridge to Leatherwood Ford | III-III+ | 726 cfs 06/01/2020 00:15 EDT |
USGS: SF Cumberland | Excellent. Gage at TO. Color codes: minimum = 400, medium = 2400 - 4800, too high = 10000. |
| Caney Fork (Rock Island) | (IV) Park and Play | 6329 cfs 04/17/2020 10:00 CDT  |
BoatingBeta.com: Rock Island VG TVA: Great Falls Dam |
Excellent. Hole under water when Center Hill Lake is over 650 feet. Call 1-800-238-2264, 4, 36 for Great Falls Dam release. Click Great Falls Dam for predicted releases (need 2 or more units). Color codes: minimum = 2000, medium = 2400 - 3200, too high = 7500. |
| 647.53 feet 04/17/2020 10:00 CDT |
TVA: Center Hill Lake | Excellent. Call 1-800-238-2264, 1, 37 for Center Hill Lake level. Color codes: minimum = 0, medium = 1 - 649.9, too high = 650. | ||
| Chattooga, Section 3 | III (IV+) | 2.23 feet 06/01/2020 01:00 EDT |
USGS: Chattooga | Excellent. Gage short distance downstream from take-out. Color codes: minimum = 1.5, medium = 1.9 - 2.4, too high = 3. |
| Chattooga, Section 3 | III (IV+) | 2.23 feet (estimated) 06/01/2020 01:00 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: Chattooga River at 76 Bridge VG | Excellent. Converts USGS stage readings to stage readings on the Route 76 bridge paddler's gage a short distance downstream from the take-out. At 1.2 feet on the USGS gage the 76 Bridge Gage reads 0.9 feet; the discrepancy gets smaller as levels rise, with no discrepancy at levels above 2.2 feet. Color codes: minimum = 1.3, medium = 1.8 - 2.4, too high = 3. |
| Chattooga, Section 4 | IV-IV+ | 2.23 feet 06/01/2020 01:00 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. |
| Chattooga, Section 4 | IV-IV+ | 2.23 feet (estimated) 06/01/2020 01:00 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: Chattooga River at 76 Bridge VG | Excellent. Converts USGS stage readings to stage readings on the Route 76 bridge paddler's gage a short distance downstream from the put-in. At 1.2 feet on the USGS gage the 76 Bridge Gage reads 0.9 feet; the discrepancy gets smaller as levels rise, with no discrepancy at levels above 2.2 feet. Color codes: minimum = 1.2, medium = 1.7 - 2, too high = 2.2. |
| Chauga Gorge | IV | 2.23 feet (Chattooga) 06/01/2020 01:00 EDT |
USGS: Chattooga | Speculative. Cassidy Bridge PI visual gage: min = -3" opt = +3"-1' max = 2'. Poor correlation with online gage. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 2.2, medium = 2.6 - 3.4, too high = 4. |
| Doe Gorge | IV | 435 cfs 04/17/2020 09:00 EDT |
TVA: Doe | Excellent. TVA : Doe. Color codes: minimum = 300, medium = 450 - 700, too high = 1200. |
| French Broad, Alexander Wave | (II) Park and Play | 2990 cfs 06/01/2020 00:45 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-) | 3670 cfs 06/01/2020 01:00 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 | 2990 cfs 06/01/2020 00:45 EDT |
USGS: FB (Asheville) | Excellent. Color codes: minimum = 500, medium = 750 - 1200, too high = 1600. |
| French Broad, Ledges | (II) Park and Play | 2990 cfs 06/01/2020 00:45 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 | 2990 cfs 06/01/2020 00:45 EDT |
USGS: FB (Asheville) | Very Good. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 500, medium = 750 - 1200, too high = 1600. |
| French Broad, Rosman to Bent Creek (multiple sections) | I | 1420 cfs 06/01/2020 00:30 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-) | 3670 cfs 06/01/2020 01:00 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 | 2990 cfs 06/01/2020 00:45 EDT |
USGS: FB (Asheville) | Very Good. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 500, medium = 750 - 1200, too high = 1600. |
| Gauley, Upper | IV-V-- | 1316 cfs (estimated) 06/01/2020 00:45 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: Gauley River Below Summersville Dam VG | Very Good. Based on the rating table the USGS used as of 10/01/03 and stage readings from USGS gage at the put in. Alt: Army Corps of Engineers Summersville Lake Outflow. Scheduled releases occur in September and early October; unscheduled releases occur year round. Water takes no time to reach put-in. Annual calendar of scheduled Gauley releases. Color codes: minimum = 600, medium = 1100 - 3500, too high = 5000. |
| Gauley, Lower | III-IV+ | 2340 cfs 06/01/2020 01:00 EDT |
USGS: Gauley Above Belva | Very Good. This gage measures the flow approximately four miles downstream of the take-out at Swiss. Scheduled releases occur in September and early October; unscheduled releases occur year round. Water takes approximately 4.5 hours to reach put-in. Annual calendar of scheduled Gauley releases. Color codes: minimum = 1000, medium = 1500 - 3500, too high = 5000. |
| Ivy, Forks of Ivy to Eller Cove Road | I-II (II+) | 214 cfs 06/01/2020 01:00 EDT |
USGS: Ivy | Poor. Run well upstream of gage. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 200, medium = 250 - 350, too high = 400. |
| Linville Gorge (Linville Falls to Lake James) | IV-V+ | 1.99 feet 06/01/2020 00:45 EDT |
USGS: Linville | Good. Gage at TO; record of PI flow six hours earlier. Readings on this gage and boatable flows appear to have reverted back to their pre-floods of 2004 relationship. The color coding was been updated 2008-11-15 to reflect this but more input is always appreciated: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 1.7, medium = 2 - 2.4, too high = 2.7. |
| Little (AL), Powell Trail to Mouth | II | 835 cfs 06/01/2020 00:00 CDT |
USGS: Little (near Blue Pond) | Excellent. Gage is located at the take-out. An alternate gage is located about 13 miles upstream of the put-in (on one of the 3 forks of the little river) and can be used an early indicator to see if and how quickly the water level is rising or falling: USGS: WF Little at DeSoto Park. Color codes: minimum = 400, medium = 800 - 3000, too high = 4000. |
| Little (AL), Rt 35 to Upper Two (Suicide) | IV-V | 835 cfs 06/01/2020 00:00 CDT |
USGS: Little (near Blue Pond) | Very Good. Gage is located 11 miles dowstream of the put-in, so if the river is on the rise, the Suicide section can become runnable before it is reflected on the online gauge. The opposite can occur when the level is dropping unusually fast, such as after a summer thunderstom. An alternate gage is located about 6 miles upstream of the put-in (on one of the 3 forks of the little river) and can be used an early indicator to see if and how quickly the water level is rising or falling: USGS: WF Little at DeSoto Park. Color codes: minimum = 250, medium = 600 - 1500, too high = 3500. |
| Little (AL), Upper Two to Powell Trail | III-IV(IV+) | 835 cfs 06/01/2020 00:00 CDT |
USGS: Little (near Blue Pond) | Excellent. Gage is located 8 miles downstream of the take-out. An alternate gage is located about 9 miles upstream of the put-in (on one of the 3 forks of the little river) and can be used an early indicator to see if and how quickly the water level is rising or falling: USGS: WF Little at DeSoto Park. Color codes: minimum = 200, medium = 400 - 1500, too high = 3500. |
| Little Tennessee, Iotla to Lost Bridge | I-II | 1570 cfs 06/01/2020 01:15 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+ | 1570 cfs 06/01/2020 01:15 EDT |
USGS: Little Tennessee (Needmore) | Excellent. Gage near PI. Color codes: minimum = 350, medium = 500 - 2000, too high = 2500. |
| New River Gorge | III-IV | 39700 cfs 06/01/2020 00:45 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 | 14.78 feet (estimated) 06/01/2020 00:45 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 | 2410 cfs 06/01/2020 01:30 EDT |
USGS: Nolichucky | Excellent The gage is located within minutes of the hole. Color codes: minimum = 400, medium = 550 - 650, too high = 900. |
| Nolichucky, Cowbell | (II) Mystery moves | 2410 cfs 06/01/2020 01:30 EDT |
USGS: Nolichucky | Poor. The Embreeville reading is an historical record of the flow at Cowbell eight hours earlier. Cowbell washed away in floods of 2004 but is coming back.%nbsp; Help dial it back in: Report your sinks! Color codes: minimum = 1000, medium = 1600 - 2800, too high = 4000. |
| Nolichucky, Gorge | III-IV | 2410 cfs 06/01/2020 01:30 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. |
| Nolichucky, Secret Spot | (II+) Park and Play | 4751 cfs 04/17/2020 09:00 EDT |
TVA: Below Nolichucky Dam | Excellent. Gage below dam, near park 'n play spot. Recently added to set of gages TVA reports. Color codes: minimum = 1200, medium = 2200 - 3300, too high = 4500. |
| Ocoee, Flipper | (II) Park and Play | 1133 cfs (estimated) 04/17/2020 11:00 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, Hellhole | (III) Park and Play | 1133 cfs (estimated) 04/17/2020 11:00 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 = 1000, medium = 1500 - 2200, too high = 2400. |
| Ocoee, Middle (Ocoee #2 Dam to below Ocoee #2 Powerhouse) | III+ | 1133 cfs (estimated) 04/17/2020 11:00 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 | 558 cfs 06/01/2020 01:00 EDT |
USGS: Oconaluftee | Poor. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 360, medium = 500 - 800, too high = 1500. |
| Rocky Broad, Lower | IV-V- | 3.74 feet 06/01/2020 00:24 EDT |
AFWS: Bat Cave SG | Fair. Gage at the put-in but online readings can be flaky; as of 12/1/2010 the online and US 64 Bridge visual gage readings are very close (we'll see how long this lasts!). Based on your reports (Report your runs!) I periodically update the online gage color coding so that it corresponds to the following visual gage interpretations: min = 3.6' opt = 3.9-4.1' max = 4.3'. Note: AFWS gages can report sporadically. Here are links to the Bat Cave (Rocky Broad) hydrograph and Bat Cave streamflow archive. Color codes: minimum = 3.6, medium = 3.9 - 4.1, too high = 4.3. |
| Russell Fork of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy, Gorge | IV-V | 510 cfs (estimated) 06/01/2020 00:30 EDT |
USGS: Russell Fork + USGS: Pound | Excellent. The gages that are combined to create this virtual gage are located approximately five (Pound) and seven (Russell Fork) miles upstream of the Garden Hole put-in. Alt: Army Corps of Engineers Russell Fork at Bartlick. This gage combines the Russell Fork and Pound River flows. It is located approximately three miles upstream of the Garden Hole put-in. Scheduled releases occur in October; unscheduled releases occur year round. Water takes approximately 2.5 hours to reach put-in. Annual calendar of scheduled Russell Fork releases. Color codes: minimum = 150, medium = 400 - 800, too high = 1500. |
| Russell Fork of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy, Upper | II-III (IV-) | 510 cfs (estimated) 06/01/2020 00:30 EDT |
USGS: Russell Fork + USGS: Pound | Excellent. The gages that are combined to create this virtual gage are located approximately two (Pound) and four (Russell Fork) miles upstream of the Bartlick Bridge put-in. Alt: Army Corps of Engineers Russell Fork at Bartlick. This gage combines the Russell Fork and Pound River flows. It is located at the Bartlick Bridge put-in. Scheduled releases occur in October; unscheduled releases occur year round. Water takes approximately one hour to reach put-in. Annual calendar of scheduled Russell Fork releases. Color codes: minimum = 400, medium = 800 - 1200, too high = 3000. |
| Saluda (Mosh Pit / Pop Up Hole) | (II) Park and Play | 5970 cfs 06/01/2020 01:15 EDT |
USGS: Saluda near Columbia | Excellent. Gage located a short distance upstream of the hole. Alt #1: Call 1-800-830-5253 for the daily release forecast. If SCE&G is releasing the hole will be playable; two turbines are good and all five can be ideal. Alt #2: the USGS gages the Saluda below Lake Murray Dam; this flow reaches the Mosh Pit a little over two hours later. Note: the color coding is for the Mosh Pit, but this hole is part of a series of rapids with plenty of opportunities for paddling and play at levels as high as 20,000 cfs! Color codes: minimum = 1000, medium = 3300 - 4500, too high = 5000. |
| Swannanoa | I-II | 323 cfs 05/31/2020 22:00 EDT |
USGS: Swannanoa | Speculative. Color coding inspired guesswork. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 100, medium = 150 - 300, too high = 400. |
| Tellico, Middle (Bridge below Jerrods Knee to Oosterneck parking area) | III+ | 1.48 feet 06/01/2020 01:15 EDT |
USGS: Tellico | Very Good. Gage downstream of run. The Middle Tellico can be run lower than 1.4 feet, but if it is running that low there is almost certainly something less boney to run closer to Asheville. Color codes: minimum = 1.4, medium = 1.7 - 3.7, too high = 6.4. |
| 249 cfs 06/01/2020 01:15 EDT |
USGS: Tellico | Very Good. Note that as a general rule it is better to rely on USGS flow readings than stage readings as flow readings are adjusted for streambed changes. Gage downstream of run. The Middle Tellico can be run lower than 200 cfs, but if it is running that low there is almost certainly something less boney to run closer to Asheville. Color codes: minimum = 200, medium = 300 - 1200, too high = 3200. | ||
| Toe River Gorge, Toecane to Red Hill Bridge | II-III | 2410 cfs (Nolichucky) 06/01/2020 01:30 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. |
| Toe River, South Fork, Carolina Hemlocks to Patience Mullindore Park | I-II | 274 cfs 06/01/2020 01:00 EDT |
USGS: South Toe | Fair. When over 700 cfs top half becomes Ocoee-like in nature. Watch for low water bridges that must be portaged. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 250, medium = 400 - 1000, too high = 1800. |
| Toe River, South Fork, Patience Mullindore Park to NC 80 Bridge | II (III) | 274 cfs 06/01/2020 01:00 EDT |
USGS: South Toe | Fair. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 150, medium = 300 - 800, too high = 1800. |
| Tuckaseegee, Devil's Dip | (II) Park and Play | 2310 cfs 06/01/2020 01:15 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 | 1490 cfs 06/01/2020 01:15 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 | 6.19 feet 06/01/2020 00:40 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. |
| 0 inches (rain,12 hrs) 06/01/2020 01:45 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) 06/01/2020 01:45 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 | 2310 cfs 06/01/2020 01:15 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, West Fork | III-IV+ (V) | 803 cfs 06/01/2020 01:15 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: West Fork Tuckaseegeee VG | Speculative. Calculated by subtracting the Thorpe and Cedar Cliff PH releases from the Tuck at Cullowhee flow. When flows appear high enough to boat, Duke Power is spilling water out of either/or Cedar Cliff and Glenville Lakes. Water spilled from Cedar Cliff can lead to a skunking; water spilled from Glenville for reasons other than recreation can lead to dangerous conditions. Duke Power posts information regarding spills from Cedar Cliff Lake on their Cedar Cliff Lake Message Page and from Lake Glenville on their Lake Glenville Message Page. They also post updated information on their recreational WF releases, including when those scheduled releases are cancelled, at the same link. An annual calendar of scheduled releases is available at Duke Power's West Fork Tuckasegee River Bypass Releases (select Nantahala Area on the dropdown menu; the link will be on the right side of the page you are taken to). Color codes: minimum = 250, medium = 300 - 350, too high = 400. |
| Tuckaseegee, Whittier to Ela | II (II+) | 2310 cfs 06/01/2020 01:15 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. |
| Watauga Gorge | IV-V- | 257 cfs 06/01/2020 00:30 EDT |
USGS: Watauga | Very Good. Gage 2 miles upstream of PI. Color codes: minimum = 160, medium = 250 - 500, too high = 1200. |
| Wilson Creek, Gorge (flows) | IV | 1055 inches (estimated) 06/01/2020 01:10 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. |
| 91.14 feet 06/01/2020 01:10 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. | ||
| 804 cfs 06/01/2020 01:15 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. | ||
| 257 cfs 06/01/2020 00:30 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. | ||
| 96.6 cfs 06/01/2020 00:45 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. |
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| 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. |
