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Content

Welcome!

Introduction

The calendars below describe the "high flow events" tentatively scheduled for the Cheoah River below Santeetlah Dam in 2009.  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.

Notes

Under the terms their licence to divert the Cheoah's waters, Alcoa is required to give 12 months notice of the "high flow events" they propose for the coming year.  Historically they have done this at the end of January.  Here's a link to next year's proposed high flow events:  2010 Cheoah River proposed high flow events.

2009 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 2009
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 2009
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 2009
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 2009
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 2009
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 2009
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