Ammonoosuc - 5. Pierce bridge to NH 116


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Ammonoosuc,

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5. Pierce bridge to NH 116

Class II-IV
7.3 Miles
Avg Gradient 40 fpm
Max Gradient 79 fpm

Ammo portage


Ammo portage
Photo of Andy Meilleur by Mark taken 4/28/03 @ 3.7'

Gauge Information

Name Range Updated Level
AMMONOOSUC RIVER AT BETHLEHEM JUNCTION, NH 3.10 - 6.00 ft 01h11m 1.72 ft (rc= -0.5 )


River Description

Good intermediate to advanced river section.

Technical info 

Put in elevation........1167'
Take out elevation......875'
Total drop..............292'
1st mile................32'
2nd mile................7'
3rd mile................79' 
4th mile................46' 
5th mile................26' 
6th mile................33'
7th mile................46' 
7.3 mile................23' (77 average)
Average drop/mile.......40'
Distance................7.3 miles
River width average.....70'
River geology...........Small to medium granite boulders
River water quality.....good to excellent, clarity good.
Scenery.................Nice Mountain scenery, river parallels 
                        road most of the way
Wildlife................Deer, hawks, moose, beavers.


StreamTeam Status: Verified
Last Updated: 2004-05-10 09:03:48

Editors

Stream Team Editor
Skip Morris
Merrimack, NH


Powerhouse rapid

Detail Trip Report Edit  Powerhouse rapid  Ammonoosuc, NH(53.85KB .jpeg)

Maplewood Bridge

Detail Trip Report Edit  Maplewood Bridge  Ammonoosuc, NH(59.33KB .jpeg)

Ammo portage

Detail Trip Report Edit  Ammo portage  Ammonoosuc, NH(59.33KB .jpeg)

Alderbrook

Detail Trip Report Edit  Alderbrook  Ammonoosuc, NH(55.08KB .jpeg)


Gauge Information

Gauge Description:

USGS gauge located just upstream from the put in on river left. The Ammonoosuc starts high up on Mt Washington (6288') and runs later in the season than most other White Mountain rivers. Forecast Late April

 River Flow information

Gauge: USGS (Bethlehem) Minimum level: 3.1’/429 cfs

Low: 3.7’/660 cfs

Medium: 5.0’/1380 cfs

High: 5.5’/1800 cfs

Waterline: 1-800-452-1737 site code: 331114

Gauge Information

Name Range Updated Level
AMMONOOSUC RIVER AT BETHLEHEM JUNCTION, NH
usgs-01137500 3.10 - 6.00 ft 01h11m 1.72 ft (rc= -0.5 )

RangeWater LevelComment
3.1000-6.0000 barely runnable-high runnable

Report - Reports of Ammonoosuc 5. Pierce bridge to NH 116 and related gauges

Reports give the public a chance to report on river conditions throughout the country as well as log the history of a river.

Reports

When River/Gauge Subject Level Reporter
6y197d07h25m Ammonoosuc [NH] Powerhouse rapid 3.7' Mark Lacroix

WXPort

News





icon of message 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.

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Rapid Summary

Mile Rapid Name Class Features (Legend)
1.8Powerhouse DamPortage
2.0Powerhouse RapidIII+Photo
2.7MaplewoodII+Photo
6.0Alderbrook rapidsIII+Photo
6.8Railroad rapidsIII

Rapid Descriptions

Powerhouse Dam
An abandoned concrete dam with a sluice on the right side. The portage on river left is easier than the river right side recommended in Lessel’s New England Whitewater guide. Be careful here if the water is high water spills all the way across the dam and current is fast up to the lip. Launching below is also easier than the river right side but a strong recirculating eddy can make it difficult to ferry back out into the main current. As of late April 2003 a tree strainer was hung up on a boulder just around the corner and out of site from the eddy above. Make sure you are able to get to river right if this strainer is still present.

Powerhouse Rapid (Class III+, Mile 2.0)

Powerhouse rapid

Powerhouse rapid
Photo of Andy Meilleur by Mark taken 4/28/03 @ 3.7'

Shortly downstream from the dam powerhouse rapid starts. The river narrows and pushes up against the left bank. The gradient is rather steep over large boulders creating a lot of turbulence with several holes to avoid. Scout from river right.

Maplewood (Class II+, Mile 2.7)

Maplewood Bridge

Maplewood Bridge
Photo of Andy Meilleur by Mark taken 4/28/03 @ 3.7'

An easy rapid the starts just above the Maplewood bridge. At the tail end of the rapid is a chute formed by a large rock on river right. The main flow at low to medium water levels pushes over a pourover in the middle of the chute. The pourover is easily avoided by catching the eddy behind the rock on river right. From here a jet ferry will carry you above the pourover into an eddy on river left. This eddy affords great access to a series of nice surfable standing waves just below the pourover.

Alderbrook rapids (Class III+, Mile 6.0)

Alderbrook

Alderbrook
Photo of Mike Cummings by Mark taken 4/28/03 @ 3.7'

After a long section of quickwater and class I the river approaches Alderbrook rapids. To recognize the start of Alderbrook look for a gray box like house on river right at a class II rapid. Note, in Lessel’s New England Whitewater guide this house is said to be pink, it has not doubt been painted since that writing. The rapid is not easy to describe so scouting is recommended, it generally requires a boater to start on river left move to river right then back left. Scouting is easiest from river left; portaging is easiest from river right.

Railroad rapids (Class III, Mile 6.8)
Just before the takeout is the last good rapid on the Ammo. The best route is generally on river right eddy hopping between boulders to avoid some rather large holes.



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