Anyone out there on the net paddled the Marias River from Lake Elwell(Tiber Reservoir) to Loma on the Upper Missouri. Particularly interested in the volume of water being released in second half of May and general speed of the flow to the conflux with the Missouri. I have done the Upper Missouri from Ft Benton to Judith River in two and a half days during early June. Suspect I could complete the Marias in approximately the same time if the river flow is substantial.
Plan to paddle from below Lake Elwell to the pull out at the bridge on Route 191 above Ft Peck Lake on the Missouri. Have no trouble paddling 35+ miles per day on rivers flowing 4+ mph. Don’t plan to paddle that fast unless the weather is particularly bad.
It looks as if there is a USGS gauge
below the dam for which there is a historical record of flows. Did you try this, and were there problems? Below is a link showing the location, and you can use the pull bar at the top to dig for historical data.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/nwismap/?site_no=06101500&agency_cd=USGS
You may have to pick up the entire link if it is too long for pnet’s editor to color it for clicking.
Marias River Flow Records
g2d:
Thanks for the Marias River flow source. Appears that there should be plenty of water to carry me downriver without running into sand or gravel bars. Looks like 3 to 5 mph would be a good average for river speed under normal conditions during the end of May. I am planning on 3.5 days for the Marias. That should give me time to explore the canyon area and be off the river by 1pm to avoid the winds in the afternoon. Hope I don’t run into the lightning, rain, and wind I did last time out on the Upper Missouri. Take Care !
And Blackfoot braves. Avoid them.
marias
Do a seach on this site…last year i posted a whole bunch of info and stream flows on this section for another paddler.
hard to say this year…not much snow…so they be be holding water in the dam. however may is a good time too since that when the snows will be melting a lot.
not much help sorry