Old browser warning

Site look funky?  Your browser is so old standards compliant layouts and styling confuse it.  Consider updating.  One excellent option is Mozilla Firefox, versions of which are available for Linux, Mac and Windows.

Content

Welcome!

Introduction

The calendars below describe the "high flow events" tentatively scheduled for the Cheoah River below Santeetlah Dam in 2014.  Note that by passing your cursor over the colored calendar cells the release information will appear in a pop-up text window.

American Whitewater negotiated these releases;  you are a member, right?

Gage Information

Although any release of 300cfs or above is considered "high water" under the terms of the FERC license (see pages 49-53 for release details), most boaters agree that 850cfs is the minimum boatable release if running the entire river.  The amount of water in the streambed is frequently greater than the release, especially after heavy rain.  Boatable releases except (February's)are supposed to last 8 hours and are supposed to start at either 8am or 9am, depending on the month, with the water reaching the USFS put-in about a half-hour after it is released and the O'Henry's put-in a half-hour later (i.e., about an hour after the release).  The water drops faster than it rises -- within about 15 minutes in the case of the USGS put-in.  Note, however, that the releases have not always begun on time and sometimes end early.

Watch for unscheduled boatable flows on the boatingbeta flow page.

Notes

Each year's releases are determined a year in advance based on negotiations conducted within the context of the FERC license.  After agreement is reached Smoky Mountain Hydropower posts both the current and following year's schedules on their website with the dates but neither the release times nor flows.  Here are links to Smoky Mountain Hydro's Cheoah release page and to my 2015 Cheoah River release page.   Because Smoky Mountain Hydro does not publish the release times or release amounts, the data in my calendars reflect best guesses based on the FERC license.

2014 Santeetlah Dam High Flow Events Release Schedule

Release Legend:

< 850 cfs850 cfs from 8am to 4pm850 cfs from 9am to 5pm1000 cfs from 8am to 4pm1000 cfs from 9am to 5pm1000 cfs from 11am to 3pm

Release Calendars

February 2014
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
            1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28  
March 2014
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
            1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31          
April 2014
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
    1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30      
May 2014
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
        1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
June 2014
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30          
November 2014
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
            1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30            

Release Legend:

< 850 cfs850 cfs from 8am to 4pm850 cfs from 9am to 5pm1000 cfs from 8am to 4pm1000 cfs from 9am to 5pm1000 cfs from 11am to 3pm