Deckers Creek,
|
|
2. Preston Co. line 5.8 mi to WV 7
| Usual Difficulty |
I-IV+(V+) (may vary with level) |
| Length |
5.8 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient |
80 fpm |
| Max Gradient |
250 fpm |
Deckers Creek
Deckers CreekPhoto of JB Seay leading Dave Woten by Craig Wood
Gauge Information
| Name |
Range |
Difficulty |
Updated |
Level |
|
DECKERS CREEK AT MORGANTOWN, WV
|
|
usgs-03062500 |
150 - 1000 cfs
|
I-IV+(V+) |
01h18m |
802
cfs
(rc= 0.8 ) |
Flow range for best boatability uncertain. Please help your fellow boaters with a comment or report. |
River Description
Latitude, Longitude data are approximate.
Don't be fooled by the average gradient listed here. The gradient goes, mile by mile: 40, 30, 60,
250, and 90 in the last 0.8 mile. Therefore, it averages 190 ft/mi over the last 1.8 miles. Since
you can put in at various points along the road, the paddler looking for gradient probably doesn't
need the first two or three miles.
Here's what
Bobby Miller has to say about Decker's after one run:
"Here is my personal opinion on Deckers. I think that run is very hard and very scary. My
impressions were that you could die about 5 ways in every rapid. I was scared on it (which doesn't
happen a lot). Granted, I ran everything so that makes it a lot scarier but still it is very scary.
I think that the
Upper Blackwater
is not even in the same class as Deckers. Deckers has harder rapids and more and bigger sieves. The
creeks in Canaan are way more user-friendly (
Otter,
North Fork) with not so many undercuts to
catch you if mess up. My opinion of Deckers is that it is a run for top creekers (guys who dominate
easy creeks like the North Fork and Upper B) in top condition. It opened my eyes and got my heart
ticking. I enjoyed Deckers but it wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. I was so worried about
falling into the ugly caves and sieves that litter the run that I really couldn't sit back and
enjoy as much as I hoped. I think I prefer to either not have the sieves around when I boat or not
know they are there. Just my opinion."
Conservation organization: check out
Friends of Deckers Creek.
StreamTeam Status: Not Verified
Last Updated: 2006-10-31 08:10:04
Editors
User Comments
best method.
Hercules - clear (large log above deduction in precarious position, will probably flush soon and
chock itself somewhere dangerous
Deduction - clear (sieve totally open now - looks smoother than before w/no hole - dangerous)
Carcass - clear
After Carcass - wood in first drop on right (avoidable just left)
Top Hat - clear
Hairline - clear to right after ferry (left line after ferry has wood in it)
Brows - clear
Eyes - clear (took a good piton here at bottom of drop on far left - I think the rock has always
been there)
Teeth - clear (some weird rocks above drop after exiting pool below eyes)
Problem Child/EOW - changes here (looks like fast moving pool b/w PC and EOW has changed, maybe for
the better). Wood in far left channel of drop against bank. Also, wood in center channel below EOW
(airplane slot open).
Runout - some wood here, but can be avoided by boat scouting. Slide near the end still has wood on
left.