Fall River - Reports
Fall River 05/01/2004
Otter Creek gage: (used for reference)
1/3 inch of rain the day before.
99 CFS
3.24 feet
There was plenty of water to navigate the first riffle just downstream from 99 bridge. The water was low enough that this riffle was still very obvious but not high enough to hide the riffle. There were nice waves under 99 bridge and this turned out to be the best play spot we found. I would guess the river was up 4 - 6 inches above normal Springtime low level.
Today, this river was a lot of fun. With an eddy on both sides the play spot under the 99 bridge was a great spot to train ferrying, eddy turns and do a little surfing. As far as difficulty, this river is a definite step up from the Arkansas and Kansas rivers. Compared to the North Fork of the White River, the riffles were smaller and most of the time the current was slower. It is the closest thing to white water I have found in KS so far except the spillway in Wichita. We put-in at the 99 bridge and took out at Rice bridge. This is approximately a 6 mile float trip.
I would rate this river on this day as Class I-II. The reason for Class II is the numerous strainers, some of which require maneuvering to navigate. The water itself
is definitely Class I. Even the surfable waves were not enough to swamp a canoe. I would compare this river’s difficulty with the Illinois River at about 3.5 feet.
Due to the risks involved with the swift current and numerous strainers, I recommend some paddling experience and a minimum of 3 boaters with at least 2 throw ropes in the party. We did it with two boaters and one throw rope. I learned that was not a real good decision. I would expect this river to be much riskier at higher water levels and less risky at lower Summertime levels. I can only report on today’s levels.
- Chris Collins
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