Clearwater (MF Nooksack trib.), |
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| Name | Range | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| MF NOOKSACK RIVER NEAR DEMING, WA | 800 - 1600 cfs | 00h43m | 803 cfs (rc= 0.0 ) |
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Issues:
There was a pending hydro project on this creek that would have significantly impacted the
whitewater run (project
map ), but the project is currently dead.
Logistics:
From Mosquito Lake Rd. Turn onto the Middle Fork of the Nooksack Rd. (unmarked but also known as
FR 38) and drive 4.5 miles to the bridge over Clearwater Creek. This is the take-out. From the
take-out drive back down the Middle Fork Rd. a couple hundred yards to the first right. Drive up
this road (DNR 2200) along river right 1.5 miles past one turn off, stay right. Park at the
pullout of the recently decomissioned road and hike approximately 1/4 of a mile up the road to
the put-in.
Description:
This steep creek flows into the Middle Fork Nooksack. Despite being just
over a mile in length, Clearwater has more action and quality packed into it than all the other
regularly run rivers in the area combined. Thirty-one distinct rapids with no drop being more
than 7 or 8 feet which provides for good consistent action. If you need a description of every
rapid you should probably go run something else, but to get you stoked I'll describe a few.
There are rapids like Slide for Life where you fly off a clean seven foot boof ledge, then paddle for all you're worth to get up on a rock and slide out and down about eight feet to avoid a sticky hole. Then you stay on the gas to bust through another hundred feet of holes and ledges. There is also Pinball; one of the smaller in between rapids that you wouldn't think much of until at high water you find yourself being slapped around like pinball. These are just two rapids out of thirty that would get descriptions like this. One hazard to mention is Rocky Road, the last rapid on the run. This is the trashy non descript rapid that can be seen from the take-out bridge. It has a nasty unrunnable sieve at the top that is the only mandatory portage on the run. Below the sieve, the rapid remains steep, trashy, and technical. It's probably walked more than it's run, and everyone who has run more than once has got a carnage story.
Lat/Long approximate.
Recommended flows are for the Middle Fork Nooksack gauge (73.3 sq. mi.) which is downstream of the Clearwater confluence. There is a gauge for this creek, but it's not a realtime station (Clearwater Creek near Welcome, WA, station 12207850, 18.5 sq. mi.). You can see the staff gauge at the put-in. Look for flows around .8-1.0' for a first run. Historical analysis of the data shows that actual flow on the Clearwater will be approximately 30% of the flow as measured on the Middle Fork Nooksack gauge. The correlation coefficient between the two gauges is 0.93. During the winter rainy season the freezing level plays a part in determining actual levels on this run. Rain and a low elevation freezing level can bring up the MF Nooksack while the higher-elevation watershed of the Clearwater receives snow.
| Name | Range | Updated | Level | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MF NOOKSACK RIVER NEAR DEMING, WA | |||||||||
| usgs-12208000 | 800 - 1600 cfs | 00h43m | 803 cfs (rc= 0.0 ) | ||||||
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| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater (MF Nooksack trib.) [WA] |
Take out
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Medium-Highish | Owen Callahan | |
| Clearwater Creek [WA] |
Rocky Road
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n/a | Keith A. Robinson | |
| 1y194d16h42m | Clearwater (MF Nooksack trib.) (to MF Nooksack) [WA] [WA] |
Bark no bite
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.8 on the new guage | Chris Tretwold |
No guide books for this stream. If you know of a book that describes this stream please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. AW's motion for dismissal of the hydroelectric project proposed for the Clearwater in the Nooksack River drainage.
River Alert
State News
River Links
NWRI - Clearwater (MF Nooksack trib.) to MF Nooksack (mobile)
User Comments
changes and a piece of wood at the bottom that could be a issue. Scout! Also the Middle fork guage
seems to be about 250 cfs off at flows from 500-2000cfs. So right now this is how we have been
predicting whether the creek is running: 1100-1600 while the guage is rising would be a good flow
range. 1300-1800 while the guage is dropping would be a good flow range