Do any of the local paddlers know what the gauge height in Hawley should read for a good trip on the Lackawaxen River, downstream of Kimble’s bridge?? thanks
The American Whitewater page on
that river does not give information in the form you want it. They do provide info on releases and when they can be expected. Let me know if you think that would be useful.
paddled that river
– Last Updated: Dec-03-08 9:40 PM EST –
several times with some friends from the HRCKC. Not my home river by any stretch; all I know is we always paddle it during a release. Good soaking rain would probably bring it up to snuff. I'd check the gages during a release, and realize that's a good level.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?01431500
Nice river. I'm guessing the 740cfs I see was a decent level, and ramped up like a release. Gotta get down that way again...several good rivers down there :-).
Pix of the river during release here. Nothing exciting but a pleasant paddle and great scenery.Couple solid cl.2 stretches with unlimited lines.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/559960248LVALSe
I do remember seeing river bottom at the confluence with the Delaware prior to release, making even poling an impossibility.
700 cfs
700 cfs on the Hawley gauge is a suggested minimum for a not too scratchy run.
1200 is a nice ride. Above 3500 or 4000 most of the features get washed out and its just a bunch of wave trains.
That’s my backyard, when you going?
Want company? Give me a call at work 570 253 6279 Dennis
Thanks !
Hey, thanks guys. I did check out that “whitewater” sight and found nothing so I figured i’d utilize the community here. I also found a PP&L sight regarding releases. Springtime will most likely be the time i’ll go. I’m just planning now. Hoping to pick up a solo or kayak before then. Efforts to get one last spring and summer were thwarted by some more pressing financial issues. My only craft right now is a michi-craft tandem bomber. Anyway, thanks alot!
Also !
Today I spent some time checking out the Lackawaxen upstream of Hawley. Went to prompton dam and after climbing all the way around it and seeing that there was a road that led to it on the other side, found it to be way too shallow. So I scouted downstream from there. It’s too shallow all the way to seeleyville - where there’s a dam anyway. Just up rt.6 from the hospital on the left, in the plaza parking lot, looks like a decent place to launch and if the water level was a bit higher I think it could be done from there to Hawley. Hey Weekday - you ever done that run before? Someday I’ll have to walk the railroad tracks from Hawley to Kimbles and check that section out. Though,I hear it’s impassible. Any thoughts on that?
finally…
I was finally able to get on the Lackawaxen today. A difficult schedule and the power plant’s crazy usage made it difficult for me to find a flow that was high enough but not too high that I would’ve gotten into trouble. Being an amateur I tend to lean towards the cautious side. The gauge at Rowland was the gauge that I would use on my recon missions since that gauge was downstream from the power plant’s output, although The Hawley gauge is always taken into account. This morning the plant’s output was 700 cfs, then an hour later it was at 900, then the next hour it was at 800, then the next hour it was 1300! So I decided to scout one last time and it visually looked good - not too high ,not too low. Went to my “shuttle driver’s” house(dear ol dad) and checked the output and it was 190. With this low number I decided to launch 10 miles upstream from the Delaware confluence, about a mile downstream of the power plants output, below Kimble’s. I didn’t want to launch from Hawley or White mills to find the river being too low downstream since the “natural flow” wasn’t that high. During the trip - from 2pm to 4pm the levels at Rowland were 6.1 ft 2200cfs at start and 5.5 ft 1500cfs at finish. Then levels went up. Point being, this river fluctuates from too low to too high to just right sometimes daily! The gauge went up after my trip. Go figure? Either way, the trip was very fun, exciting and also challenging. Me and the Michicraft DE-17 came through barely scathed (took on some water and got hung up on a rock) and gained some valuable experience as to my skills and just what a 17 ft aluminium bomber can do. I’ve read that there are class III on this river. All I can say is there is a lot of manuvering required, plenty of dangerous rocks, some big waves and some lengthy rapids. This river doesn’t seem to afford the luxury of sightseeing. Did see two seperate pair of eagles, though.
Again!
I was able to get out on the river yesterday(8/3/09). This time I launched from a site in the village of White Mills, approximately 20 miles upstream from the confluence with the Delaware and took out at the previous post’s launch site(10 miles from confluence). The section between White Mills and Hawley was pretty flat with only two short/small rapids. After Hawley the river really picked up, or should I say dropped down. I don’t mean the water level dropped down (it was 4.2 in Hawley) I mean you could easily see that the river bed’s elevation was sloping downhill. I know all rivers go downhill, but this dropped a lot in a short distance. The water was up and the current kept trying to push me against the bank especially on the left turns which seemed to almost be “off camber”. One of those banks happened to be a manmade wall built to support the railroad tracks. Again there were real big waves, plenty of rocks, strong current and plenty of giant boulders that caused drop offs. Very challenging and exhausting, scary and fun! Saw a couple herons and an eagle and a big snapper that popped it’s head out of a small pool just before the island that is across from the power plant’s output. Only took on a little water from the big waves going under Kimble’s bridge.