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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaverdam Creek (Backbone Rock Park to Laurel Creek) | II-III | 108 cfs (SF Holston) 10/01/2023 05:45 EDT  |
USGS: SF Holston (Damascus) | Fair. Gage well downstream of PI. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 1500, medium = 2000 - 3000, too high = 5000. |
| Big Cedar Creek (Route 727 to Clinch River) | II-III | 82.7 cfs (Clinch) 10/01/2023 05:45 EDT |
USGS: Clinch (Cleveland) | Fair. Gage well downstream of PI. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 1400, medium = 2000 - 3000, too high = 6000. |
| Cataloochee Creek | II-III (IV) | 31.2 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 EDT |
USGS: Cataloochee | Fair. Gage mid-run. Insufficient information: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 200, medium = 300 - 500, too high = 700. |
| Catawba, North Fork, Sevier to Lake James (Lower) | II+ | 42.9 cfs (Watauga) 10/01/2023 05:30 EDT |
USGS: Watauga | Speculative. Railroad trestle PI visual gage: min = 0. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 700, medium = 900 - 1200, too high = 1500. |
| Clinch Gorge (Puckett Hole to Nash Ford) | II-III | 82.7 cfs 10/01/2023 05:45 EDT |
USGS: Clinch (Cleveland) | Very Good. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 1500, medium = 2000 - 3500, too high = 5000. |
| French Broad, Alexander Wave | (II) Park and Play | 532 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 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, Bent Creek to Hominy Creek (Biltmore) | I-II | 532 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 EDT |
USGS: FB (Asheville) | Excellent. Color codes: minimum = 500, medium = 750 - 1200, too high = 1600. |
| French Broad, Ledges | (II) Park and Play | 532 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 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 | 532 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 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 | 270 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 EDT |
USGS: FB (Blantyre) | Very Good. Color codes: minimum = 250, medium = 350 - 600, too high = 1100. |
| French Broad, Woodfin to Alexander (Section 6) | II | 532 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 EDT |
USGS: FB (Asheville) | Very Good. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 500, medium = 750 - 1200, too high = 1600. |
| Green Release | NA NA  |
Northbrook PM: Water Levels | Sometimes Funky. This is the most recent schedule as posted by Northbrook Power Management These schedules can (and do!) change from day to day and over the course of the day (as the old recording used to say, "Operational schedules are determined daily"), so don't take them as gospel. Keep in mind that it takes time for the release to reach the various put-ins and to recede from them. The individual release schedules below are adjusted to account for this. Historical data on releases and lake levels going back to March 2, 2003 – plus the current Green River Access parking lot weather forecast – is available on the Green River Flows Page. | |
| Lake Summit Level: 99.44 Target: 97.50 NA |
Northbrook PM: Water Levels | Excellent. Information comes directly from Northbrook Power Management. Lake levels above the target auger well for longer releases, higher releases, and if combined with heavy rainfall, spills that put the Dries into play. | ||
| Green, Upper | II-III- (2@III+) | Upper Green PI 08/05: Release flows past the put-in at 100% capacity from 12:15am to 12:14am tomorrow. 08/05/2020 23:50 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: Green River Below Tuxedo Hydro VG | Sometimes Funky. See note on issues with schedules above. This schedule takes into account the 15 minute delay between the start of the release and arrival of water at the put-in. If you put-on close to the time the release ends, paddle fast: the water drops faster than it rises. Note that the capacity is stated as a percent of a 1 Unit release. Each partial unit adds 60%, each full unit adds 100%, and water spilling over the dam adds additional flow measured as a % that depends on the height of Lake Summit above the dam. |
| 100 % 08/05/2020 23:50 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: Green River Below Tuxedo Hydro VG | Sometimes Funky. See note on issues with schedules above. The timing and volume of the flow estimated in the second cell to the left takes into account the 15 minute delay discussed above. Color codes: minimum = 80, medium = 100 - 200, too high = 300. | ||
| Green, Lower | I-II | Lower Green PI 08/05: Release flows past the put-in at 100% capacity from 4:30am to 4:29am tomorrow. 08/05/2020 23:50 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: Green River at Fishtop Falls Access VG | Sometimes Funky. See note on issues with schedules above. This schedule takes into account the 4.5 hour delay between the start of the release and arrival of water at the put-in. If you put-on close to the time the release ends, paddle fast: the water drops faster than it rises. Note that the capacity is stated as a percent of a 1 Unit release. Each partial unit adds 60%, each full unit adds 100%, and water spilling over the dam adds additional flow measured as a % that depends on the height of Lake Summit above the dam. |
| 100 % 08/05/2020 23:50 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: Green River at Fishtop Falls Access VG | Sometimes Funky. See note on issues with schedules above. The timing and volume of the flow estimated in the second cell to the left takes into account the 4.5 hour delay discussed above. Color codes: minimum = 60, medium = 100 - 160, too high = 200. | ||
| Ivy, Forks of Ivy to Eller Cove Road | I-II (II+) | 37.4 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 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 (AL), Powell Trail to Mouth | II | 4.32 cfs 10/01/2023 05:00 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 (TN), Elkmont to Metcalf Bottoms | II-III | 2.06 feet 01/21/2021 14:09 EST |
AFWS: Little River (Townsend) SG | Good.The online gage is eleven miles downstream of the put-in and 0.25 miles downstream of a major tributary -- check the visual gage on the river left side of the bridge inside the Elkmont Campground for confirmation before putting on. The minimum to put on at the parking area downstream of the intersection of Little River Road and Elkmont Road is 0" (water just to the top of the footer); the minimum to put on at the campground 4". These levels will be boney -- 1'-2' is optimum, over 2.5' is too high. Note: AFWS gages can report sporadically. Here are links to the Little River (Townsend) hydrograph and Little River (Townsend) streamflow archive. Color codes: minimum = 3, medium = 4 - 6, too high = 7. |
| 221 cfs (estimated) 01/21/2021 14:09 EST |
BoatingBeta.com: Little River Above Townsend VG | Good. Based on USGS data on the relationship between stages and flows January 2001-August 2003. The flow color coding differs slightly from the stage color coding to make the critical flow points more memorable. The online gage is eleven miles downstream of the put-in and 0.25 miles downstream of a major tributary so the actual flow will be significantly less that the flow reported here. Color codes: minimum = 660, medium = 1400 - 3600, too high = 5100. | ||
| Little Pigeon, Middle Prong, Porters Creek to Highway 73 (Greenbrier) | II-III | 944 cfs 04/17/2020 09:00 EDT |
TVA: Little Pigeon (Sevierville) | Poor. Route 321 bridge visual gage: min = 1.75'. Runs when W. Prong on high side. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 2500, medium = 3000 - 4000, too high = 4500. |
| Little Tennessee, Iotla to Lost Bridge | I-II | 282 cfs 10/01/2023 06:15 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+ | 282 cfs 10/01/2023 06:15 EDT |
USGS: Little Tennessee (Needmore) | Excellent. Gage near PI. Color codes: minimum = 350, medium = 500 - 2000, too high = 2500. |
| Mills, South Fork (Pink Beds to South Mills River Road) | II (IV, portage) | 41.7 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 EDT |
USGS: Mills | Fair. Gage located below confluence of NF and SF. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 450, medium = 550 - 1000, too high = 1500. |
| Nantahala, Gorge (Beechertown to Wesser) | II+ (III) | Nantahala PH 10/01: Release from 10am to 3pm. 10/02: Release from 10am to 3pm. 10/03: Release from 10am to 3pm. 10/01/2023 06:40 EDT |
Duke Energy: Nantahala RS | Sometimes Funky. This is the most recent schedule as posted by Duke Energy. Sometimes the Duke Power Employee who enters/updates these schedules does so incorrectly (entering 12am instead of 12pm, or entering the same values twice. This leads to weird schedules that won't display right on this page and will require judgment on your part. In addition, these schedules can (and do!) change from day to day and over the course of the day (as the old recording used to say, "Operational schedules are determined daily"), so don't take them as gospel. That said, an annual calendar of scheduled releases is available at Duke Power's Nantahala Recreation Calendar (select Nantahala Area on the dropdown menu; the link will be on the right side of the page you are taken to). |
| 67.4 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 EDT |
USGS: Nantahala at Hewett | Excellent. The water takes approximately 3 hours to reach Lesser Wesser Falls and the NOC. Color codes: minimum = 500, medium = 750 - 1000, too high = 1600. | ||
| Nolichucky, Big Rock | (II+) Park and Play | 489 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 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 | 489 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 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, 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. |
| Obed, Devil's Breakfast Table to Nemo | II-III (IV+) | 55.6 cfs (Emory) 10/01/2023 06:00 EDT |
USGS: Emory | Fair. Run well upstream of gage. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 1500, medium = 2500 - 3500, too high = 5000. |
| 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, Whirly Bird (Staging Eddy) | (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 = 2000, medium = 2400 - 3600, too high = 3800. |
| Oconaluftee | II-III | 154 cfs 10/01/2023 06:00 EDT |
USGS: Oconaluftee | Poor. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 360, medium = 500 - 800, too high = 1500. |
| Raven Fork, Straight Fork to Job Corps Center Bridge | II-III | 154 cfs (Oconaluftee) 10/01/2023 06:00 EDT |
USGS: Oconaluftee | Very Good. Gage located several miles downstream of usual takeout. Currently closed to paddling! Color codes: minimum = 650, medium = 1000 - 1500, too high = 2000. |
| Russell Fork of the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy, Upper | II-III (IV-) | 81.6 cfs (estimated) 10/01/2023 05:30 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 | 722 cfs 10/01/2023 06:00 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 | 38.1 cfs 10/01/2023 06:00 EDT |
USGS: Swannanoa | Speculative. Color coding inspired guesswork. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 100, medium = 150 - 300, too high = 400. |
| Tennessee Laurel Creek (Highway 91 to Whitetop Laurel Creek) | III | 108 cfs (SF Holston) 10/01/2023 05:45 EDT |
USGS: SF Holston (Damascus) | Fair. Gage well downstream of PI. Insufficient observations: Report your runs! Color codes: minimum = 1500, medium = 2000 - 3000, too high = 5000. |
| Toe River Gorge, Toecane to Red Hill Bridge | II-III | 489 cfs (Nolichucky) 10/01/2023 05:30 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 | 38.6 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 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) | 38.6 cfs 10/01/2023 05:30 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 | 489 cfs 10/01/2023 06:15 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 | 196 cfs 10/01/2023 05:15 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 (Slab Hole) | (II) Park and Play | Cedar Cliff PH 10/01: Release from 12m to 8am. 10/02: Will be shut down. 10/03: Will be shut down. 10/01/2023 06:40 EDT |
Duke Energy: EF Tuck RS | Sometimes Funky. This is the most recent schedule as posted by Duke Energy. Sometimes the Duke Power Employee who enters/updates these schedules does so incorrectly (entering 12am instead of 12pm, or entering the same values twice. This leads to weird schedules that won't display right on this page and will require judgment on your part. In addition, these schedules can (and do!) change from day to day and over the course of the day (as the old recording used to say, "Operational schedules are determined daily"), so don't take them as gospel. |
| 500 cfs 10/01/2023 06:40 EDT |
BoatingBeta.com: Tuckasegee River at Slab Hole VG | Sometimes Funky. See note on issues with schedules above. Only runs when Cedar Cliff PH is generating. Cedar Cliff is about 1/2 mile above the hole and it takes about 15 minutes after the release starts for the water to reach it. The timing and volume of the flow estimated in the second cell to the left takes this 15 minute delay into account. The standard release is 500 cfs. 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, from late May to early September are generally on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Color codes: minimum = 350, medium = 450 - 550, too high = 650. | ||
| Tuckaseegee, Ela to Bryson City | II | 489 cfs 10/01/2023 06:15 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+) | 489 cfs 10/01/2023 06:15 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. |
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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. |
