Gauge Description:

There's a visual gage at the takeout bridge on Brush Creek. Some people will boat it at under 1. Sierra South says that 1.5 is a minimum, while 5 is high, and above 5 is "very high."

There is no online gauge for Brush Creek, but there are two USGS gauges for the SF Tule which is somewhat similar in size and not too far away.  The gauge prominently displayed is for the SF Tule at Cholollo Campground.    There is also a gauge below the reservation boundary.  There seems to be a fairly dependable relationship between these online gauges and with actual flows in Brush Creek.   The relationship is not at all exact and could vary a lot with temperature and rain differences.

Table Comparing visual reports with gauge reports

(Historical records for the SF Tule gauges are only daily averages rather than hourly.    The daily average can be very different from the actual flow at the time of a visual reading.  The daily average should be in the general ballpark.)

Based on two reported dates in the fall of 2007,  the lowest boatable flow in Brush Creek may correlate with about 10 cfs at the Cholollo gauge and about 30 cfs at the Boundary gauge..   This flow is below 1 on the Brush Creek visual gauge. 

Geno from Kernville reported a visual gauge level of 2 at 10:00 AM on January 5, 2007.   The Cholollo gauge reported 50 cfs at 10 AM, while a peak of 330 cfs ocurred during the night.  Geno reported signs that the visual gauge peaked at 8.  The Boundary gauge peaked at 900 cfs but was at 200 cfs by 10 AM. 

A Scott Ostram photo lists a level of 2.5 on 04/20/2001.   The Cholollo gauge daily average reading was 28 cfs and the boundary daily average reading was 67 cfs on 04/20/2001.
Tim Perry's 2005 Brush Creek Race video shows the creek at 4 on the Bridge gauge on April 16, 2005.   The Cholollo gauge daily average was 51 cfs and the Boundary gauge daily average was 107 cfs.
A Tyson Hazard photo gives a gauge level of 5 on May 2, 2006.  The Cholollo gauge read 109 cfs and the Boundary gauge read 189 cfs.   

The SF Tule has a similar drainage area and elevation as Brush Creek, plus it is very close by to the east.   Thus the two creeks might have a similar flow patterns.   There are two different USGS gauges on the SF Tule and one Army Corp gauge. The upper gauge is at Cholollo campground, while the lower one is near the reservation boundary. Cholollo gauge, Boundary gauge.   Success Dam; Army Corp page includes flow information for the SF Tule just above Success Lake.  The three gauges are presented here in the hopes that Brush Creek regulars may see a relationship and inform the rest of us.   To see if there is a dependable relationship between Brush and SF Tule, please document as often as possible, the level on Brush at specific dates and times.   That information can then be compared to the level on the SF Tule for the exact same date and time.   Post Brush Creek flow information in the comments section of this page, and/or at Dreamflows bulletin board, and at Boof.com.    If you take pictures please post a few with the date and visual gauge reading.