Water Conditions for River Runners

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STREAM INDEX:


Try the new Quantitative Precipitation Forecast on the Weather Conditions Page


Nationwide Water Conditions - USGS gauges

AWA - River Info, Gauges, & Conditions

PHATEYE.COM - River Info, Gauges, & Conditions - try this neat color coded flow rating system


Kansas Rivers:

Kansas Real-time Streamflow Table (by Watershed)  - the new GIS system from USGS Real Time Gauging Data (best gauging data to use with the Kansas Paddler's Guide, Volumes 1 & 2)

Kansas Whitewater Association - Real Time Stream Data (by level)


Kansas Daily Lake Levels: 

HINT:  Under each lake, look for the "Daily Lake Information" links that tell you each lake's pool elevation and outflow in cfs.

Kansas/Oklahoma - through the Tulsa, OK District - US Army Corps of Engineers gauging system

Kansas - through the Kansas City District - US Army Corps of Engineers gauging system


A FEW FAVORITE RIVER TRIPS IN OTHER STATES (w/ most requested gauges and popular sites with Midwestern paddlers: 


Alabama Rivers:

USGS - Real Time Alabama Stream Flow

TVA Stream Flows

Alabama WW Club

Alabama WW Club -  River Gauging Page


Arkansas Rivers:

Arkansas Water Conditions - All Rivers

Billy's Slick Ozark River Gauge Page - hi-tech river levels by color!! Cool!!!
Mulberry River - from the Turner Bend gauge (reads differently from the USGS gauge at Mulberry, AR.  It is also located much farther upstream in the Mulberry River watershed.)
Mulberry River - Area Map / Mulberry River - Turner's Bend Outfitters

Buffalo Outdoor Center & Ponca LW Bridge Air Space report

Cossatot River - Weather

NOTE: For Novice Boaters to Arkansas Rivers/Creeks, here are some suggestions, provided by members of the Ozark Whitewater Page (OWP) listserv, for determining rough overall International Class Ratings (skill level ratings) of various rivers/creeks before loading boats and heading out for the river. You can use the Ozark Whitewater Page and Billy's Slick Ozark River Gauge Page for more detailed descriptions and maps:

Normal Water Levels /  High Water Levels

[General rating given 1st w/  ( ) = high maximum rapid]

Buffalo River 1 (2)     /    2+ (2+)

Mulberry River 2 (2)    /     3 (3)

Big Piney Creek 2+ (3)     /     3 (3)

Jack Creek 2+ (3)    /     3+ (3+)

Hailstone Creek, aka Upper Buffalo River 3 (3)    /    4 (4)

Falling Water Creek 3 (3+)    /     4 (4)

Spirits Creek 3 (3+)    /     3+ (4)

Cossatot River 3+ (4)    /    4+ (5)

Richland Creek 4 (4)     /    5 (5)

Baker Creek 4 (4)    /    5 (5)

Osage Creek 4 (4)     /   5 (5)

Beech Creek 4+ (4+)    /    (Not Recommended)


Arizona Rivers:

Arizona River Levels - general list of rivers and creeks


Grand Canyon, AZ (permit section):

Grand Canyon - today's weather


Salt River, AZ (permit section):

Salt River near Roosevelt, AZ (take-out for the 60 mile Wild & Scenic permit trip)

Salt River near Chrysotile, AZ (put-in for the 60 mile Wild & Scenic permit trip)

Weather Conditions for the Salt River area  -  (by National Weather Service - North Central, AZ)

Weather & Moon Phase Conditions for Globe, AZ - (by Weather Underground)

Snowpack Conditions for the Salt River area  -  (look for the Salt River basin)


Colorado Rivers:

Colorado - USGS Current Streamflow Conditions

Mountainbuzz.com Flows

Colorado Dept. of Water Resources (DWR)  -  Streamflow & Lake Data 

Westwater Canyon (permit section)


Yampa River, CO (permit section)

River Flow (at Deerlodge Park) - (put-in for the 72 mile Wild & Scenic permit trip)

Weather Conditions (Craig, CO) - (by National Weather Service - Western Colorado)

Weather & Moon Phase (Craig, CO) - (by Weather Underground)

Topo Map - for Dinosaur National Monument (DNM)

Dinosaur National Monument (DNM) - the official NPS Website 


Idaho Rivers:

Current Idaho River Flows


Middle Fork of the Salmon River - Links:

Salmon-Challis National Forest

Middle Fork at MF Lodge (cfs)

Hydrograph for MF Lodge (translate cfs to gauge feet)

Current Weather in Stanley, ID

RaftSiberia

Gorp

Billy's Photos


Selway River - Lin

USGS flows for the Selway River at Lowell, ID - Flow on the upper river will be roughly 1/5 to 1/3 what it is at the lower gauge. The reason:  Multiple side creeks and tributaries add water to the river as you move downriver.

The following translation from the flows at the take-out to the foot gauge at the put-in is approximate:

37,800 cfs at Lowell  = 10' at Paradise.
30,900 cfs at Lowell  = 9' at Paradise.
26,400 cfs at Lowell  = 8' at Paradise.
22,000 cfs at Lowell  = 7' at Paradise.
20,000 cfs at Lowell  = 6' at Paradise.
16,300 cfs.at Lowell = 5' at Paradise
12,500 cfs at Lowell = 4' at Paradise
8,750 cfs at Lowell = 3' at Paradise
7,500 cfs at Lowell = 2.5' at Paradise
5,000 cfs at Lowell = 2' at Paradise
3,000 cfs at Lowell = 1.5' at Paradise
1,600 cfs at Lowell= 1.0' at Paradise
900 cfs at Lowell = 0.5' at Paradise

Current Weather in Hamilton, MT (close to the Selway River)

AW Page for the Selway River, ID

http://www.whitewatercampsites.com/Selway/index.php - has lots of campsite photos
http://www.cascadeoutfitters.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=feature.display&feature_ID=59 - good river description w/photos
http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/maps/ - Official USFS website
http://www.northcentralidaho.info/cgi/TPL05.php?ID=05_999_306 - Official Visitor Center website & has regional map
http://www.rivershuttles.com/ - a shuttle company

http://wwwfs.org/1989-2000/selway98/index.html#HOME - good campsite & rapids pictures
http://www.pbase.com/miket/selway_2004_river_trip - low water 2004 Selway River trip pictures

Selway YouTube videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOWoJx8ibsg - nice low water Selway video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxP-1Ke1KAM - fly fishing trip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9bNSo8qpsQ&feature=related - offset holes in Ham Rapids
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUnzKdb2hYo&feature=related - running Ladle at high water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zJ6_NBc_t4 - Wolf Rapids
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy_A2-_tTeE - Medium water run through Ladle Rapids


Kentucky Rivers:

Kentucky Real-time streamflow gauges

South Fork of the Cumberland River - at Stearns, KY


Missouri Rivers:

Missouri Real-time streamflow gauges

Missouri Whitewater Association - best source of info on "The Saint" and the Missouri Whitewater Championship Races, held annually in the  Spring, usually mid-late March. Saint Map

Missouri Creekin' - a great Missouri rivers & creeks site developed by - Chris Amelung

The USGS - St Francis River Gauge (at Roselle, MO)

OK, Here is the formula:  D=(R-3)15 , D=approximate river level in inches at Hwy D, low water bridge), R=Roselle gauge reading
Ex. Roselle=3.0, therefore D=0, which is low but boatable.  Remember this is approximate. ;-)

Montana Rivers:


New Mexico Rivers:


North Carolina Rivers:

Chris Bell's Asheville Beta - newly revised link


Oklahoma Rivers:

Oklahoma Real time river gauges

TULSA WAVE - GAUGE LINK - from the outflow of Keystone Lake, near Tulsa, OK

[Go to the gauge above, Tulsa Wave (TW) is all about the release from Keystone Dam. There is no good way to predict releases or times. Normally, on the Keystone Lake gauge, the level has to be above 723 feet for regular releases. Most often, if it gets around 728 to 730 - they will release a lot and for an extended period. But, you never know. Some times no releases for months, then suddenly releases every day.  The new hole comes alive a little below 12,000 cfs.  There are no specs yet like they had for the old Tulsa Wave/hole, but time will give them.  The action starts around 6k and gets better the more flow until it washes out at high flows.]


Tennessee Rivers:

USGS Tennessee Current Streamflow Conditions
TVA River System flows and other information
Emory River at Oakdale - standard gauge for the Obed-Emory watershed
TSRA - the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association
Ocoee River - New Recreation Release Schedule
Tellico River Realtime flows - Tellico Plains, TN

Here is the conversion from feet to cfs levels for the Tellico River:

1.9 = 305

2.0 = 330

2.2 = 403

2.5 = 526

2.7 = 618

3.0 = 770

3.5 = 998

4.0 = 1250

4.5 = 1515

5.0 = 1800

6.0 = 2400

7.0 = 3150


Utah Rivers: 

San Juan Permit information
San Juan  River flows
San Juan Weather

West Virginia Rivers: 

USGS Real-time Streamflow (by major watersheds)

General Information on Paddling Events in West Virginia


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