RaftInfo.com Blog

The Gauley River is restrained by Summersville Dam, the largest earth dam east of the Mississippi. Summersville Dam, located in Nicholas County, West Virginia was dedicated in 1965. The dam was built for three purposes, none of which were whitewater rafting. Flood control is the number one priority. Each fall Summersville Lake is lowered 72 feet to absorb the winter rain and snow events minimizing flooding on the Kanawha River as it flows through Charleston and cities further downstream. The second priority of Summersville Dam is low water augmentation. During dry years, the lake is lowered to supplement the New River’s flows with clean and highly oxygenated water. Lowering the lake in the summer disrupts the third project purpose, lake recreation. This also jeopardizes the fall Gauley River drawdown.

What does 1983, 1988, and 1999 all have in common? Due to a lack of rain, the Corps used the lake to augment the New River’s flows. The Gauley River fall drawdown was in question as the lake dropped further and further. In each case, the lake was more than ten feet below summer pool elevation (1,652). In the run up to the Gauley whitewater season, it was rumored that flows would be cancelled; many enthusiasts called the outfitters to inquiry about the flows. To the credit of the Corps of Engineers, compromises between the different users guaranteed flows each season. To follow the lake levels and track the Gauley River releases during the year, bookmark this URL; http://www.class-vi.com/summersville-lake.cfm. Fortunately, environmental conditions have improved and up-to-date monitoring tools have been installed reducing the likelihood the season would be cancelled.

California snowpack is building as the ski resorts are opening this week. Whitewater rafting will begin in a few short months and all commercial outfitters are scrambling to prepare for the upcoming 2007 rafting season!

For those of you who are rafting enthusiasts, we highly recommend that you contact the California rafting company of your choice and purchase gift certificates for your favorite paddler. This holiday season give a river rafting trip or just purchase gift certificates in your chosen denomination. Imagine getting that gift this holiday. Your gift will be the most memorable!

Best bets for White Water Holiday Gifts in California will be the American River, Tuolumne, Kern and Klamath River.

This past weeked brought the "Pineapple Express" to Northern Oregon and Southern Washington. The Pineapple Express is a storm system that brings a warm moist storm to the west coast. Some parts of northern oregon saw between 28-20 inches of rain in three days. So the rivers here have been flooding.

Here in Hood River we watched the Hood River and White Salmon turn dark brown carrying trees and debris downstream. It was awesome! The storms paused this week which allowed boaters to paddle the local runs. Now that we're recovering, another storm just like the last one is on its way.