Water Level For Lower Wilderness

[hoglaw]

It's been two years since I've floated from Rush down. A couple of my co-workers (including the managing partner of my firm) and I are trying to put together a two nighter somewhere. Last year we had good high water on crooked, so we went from Payatt to the slab in two days. The lower wilderness would be an awesome place for me to take these guys who aren't huge fishermen or floaters, but I can't take them on a 28 mile trip where we'd have to paddle our butts off. Ideal situation would be to camp out somewhere near the big bend - I believe it's called horseshoe bend - on the first night, and around elephant rock on night 2. I just can't remember what the water level needs to be to make this a good float.

We will be going October 14. I know this rain event ought to give the river a decent bump, but I don't know what else we'll get between now and then. The last two times I've done this stretch, the guage farthest down (can't remember which one) was around 6', and that water was awesome for cruising. I could have done the float in a single day both times if I really wanted to.

So, for you guys who spend more time down there than I do, what is the bare minimum level (and which guage) that you would consider do-able for running from Rush to Shipp's in two and a half days of floating? We would float full days on day 1 and 2, and would like to be off the river by early afternoon on day 3. It can get pretty breezy down there, and if these guys are having to paddle their butts off and walk over every shoal, I'm not going to be a popular guy.

[grizwilson]

I try not go if it is below 3.5 at St. Joe, if it is 4.5 I can take my river boat and go in comfort. It appears it did not get a bump. We are hoping to go 10/8 but will need more water. Check this site for some base line recommendations:

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/state-summary/state/AR/

or

http://ar.water.usgs.gov/buffaloriver/

g

[Ham]

I don't know where you are driving from to start your trip, but the Current river near Van Buren is a great float camp river. Better rivers for fishing, but GREAT river for a float/camp.

[Wayne SW/MO]

We went a few years ago when it was below 3, and I wouldn't do it again. I believe the fella at Riley's Station said something similar to what grizwilson said. He does the river and I would call him. I would also use his services.

Riley's worked great for us. He rode with us to Rush for about $60 then, and returned our vehicle to his resort where it sat safe and sound while we were gone. The take out is across the river, behind the island, at the mouth of the Buffalo. We paddled up the White about 200 yards or less and then it was a straight shot to his ramp.

[hoglaw]

The White has been running big fairly consistently. I've never tried paddling up to Riley's but have always opted for the downstream take-out instead. If the lakes weren't so high I'd consider it, but they've been hammering water and it's my understanding that they will continue to do so for another month or so.

[gotmuddy]

You can float the buffalo at any level. The only time I have done Rush down in a canoe it was mid august, and the gauge was at 2.5' at Harriet(lowest gauge). We didnt do hardly any dragging. There is a small cut in the island that you can take which will help you get to Riley's easily. BTW, they do not shuttle anymore, but the place across the road from the rush turnoff does for $60.

[hoglaw]

I've used the guy across from Rush before. So you're saying that going across to Riley's isn't a problem even if they're jamming 6-8 units?

You were right Griz, the buffalo hardly got a bump at all from this rain. I probably had two to three inches in my yard. Seems like it just posted up on top of me and never moved. Sure would like it to come up a hair before I go, but then again it would be pretty cool if it wasn't high enough for river boats to have free reign over the place while we're there.

Not that I have anything against river boats since I'm about to buy one for the buffalo and all, but I sure like it down there when I feel like I have it to myself.

[gotmuddy]

it should be possible but if the water is that high it will only take an hour to get to shipps ferry or less to get to cartney.

[Al Agnew]

Guess it's time for my little river gauge lesson again...

If you're unfamiliar with the gauge readings on any Ozark rivers, you do NOT look at the level in feet, you look at the flow in cubic feet per second. The following holds true for any Ozark stream, but keep in mind that the wider the stream, the more flow you need. On a small, narrow stream like the upper Jacks Fork, for instance, a flow of 75 cfs might entail a lot of scraping bottom but not too much walking, while on a bigger, wider river like the lower Buffalo, 75 cfs will entail more scraping bottom and more walking. But in general:

under 50 cfs--you'll be walking a lot.

50-75 cfs--you'll be doing a lot of scraping bottom and some walking, especially in wider streams like the lower Buffalo.

75-125 cfs--should be floatable with scraping bottom in some riffles and a few very short stretches where you walk and drag the canoe.

125-300 cfs--good floating with just about any watercraft, but running it with any kind of motor is still going to be very iffy.

300-600 cfs--experienced guys can run it in a jetboat, inexperienced may get into trouble (except the horsepower limits on the Buffalo mean it's not a jetboat river, thankfully).

over 600 cfs--usually jetboat runnable.

The lower Buffalo is flowing 84 cfs right now, which means that you'll be doing quite a bit of scraping bottom and the water will be pretty slow, but you'll probably not have to walk any riffles except perhaps a few very wide, shallow ones. The few big shoals like Clabber Creek will be serious rock dodgers that won't be dangerous but might require walking. I've floated the lower river several times at flows between 75-100 cfs and that's pretty much what I found, anyway. You might actually consider floating from Gilbert to Buffalo Point at this level, however. The flow in that section is very little less than the flow downstream (no major tributaries enter the river between Bear Creek and Rush) but the riffles tend to be narrower above Buffalo Point, so the flow is more constricted and the riffles are deeper.

[hoglaw]

No need for a lesson. Discharge and guage height are equally irrelevant unless you have a known point or concept to compare them to. I get what you're saying...I fully understand the concept of volume and discharge, but as you pointed out, 1,000 cfs means something entirely different on crane creek, the mulberry river, the elk, and the Mississippi. That's why I asked the folks who travel this section of the river regularly what the ideal guage height is. It's easier for me to remember, tells me how tall the wave at clabber creek is, and is easier for most folks to relate to. It not only depends on the width of the stream, but the depth as well.

Few folks can say off the top of their head what discharge level is ideal for whitewater on the Mulberry. I'm sure I've looked at it before but I don't care. If you tell me it's 3.5 at Turner Bend, we're going to have a good weekend.