Root,

A) Five Mile Road to Horlick Dam Pond (7.72 miles)

Gauge Information

River Description

Quick Facts:

Location: about 8 miles northwest of downtown Racine, WI.
Shuttle Length: 5.4 miles. (See details in "Directions" Tab.)
Character: Mostly flatwater/swiftwater float, with a few shoals. At moderate flows some fine 'splishy splash' waves develop.

Put-in is approximately 650' elevation.
Take-out is approximately 620' elevation.
Thus total elevation change is approximately 30'.

General Overview

A very pleasant paddle/float trip may be had on the 'upper' Root River. There are no real rapids, but there are a few areas of shoals which may create some riffles and waves at moderate flows. The whole reach may be boated virtually any time (other than winter, of course).

Shoals are most prevalent about 0.75-1.0 mile into the run (in the area of the Johnson Park Dog Run), and again at about 3.1-3.3 miles (a bit downstream of leaving Johnson Park Golf Course). At low water, you may have to 'pole' or get out and drag your canoe/kayak across the shoals. At high water, some compression waves may develop in these areas. There are no major permanent obstructions (rocks or complex rapids), so only minimal technical maneuvering skills are required. The exception would be areas of deadfall and snags, which may be prevalent (although there has been an increased 'caretaking' of this stretch, generally keeping a clear path available).

High-water runs (levels above 600-800 cfs or higher) should be done only by well-experienced boaters fully aware of the force of swiftwater and the increased danger it presents. Early season boaters should also be aware of water temperatures and should prepared to deal with the concerns of cold-water immersion. (Wetsuits or drysuits should be worn anytime combined air+water temperature is less than 120.)

The most common or advisable trip uses the put-in and take-out points cited due to good access and parking at these locations. Many other 'mile-road' crossings have minimal shoulders or longer carries in and out from where you can park your vehicle. If one seeks a shorter trip, reasonable access is possible near Hwy.31 at Four-mile Road (4.3 river miles down from cited put-in, or (as a put-in) 3.4 miles down to the cited take-out) or at River Bend Nature Center (6.5 miles from cited put-in, 1.2 miles to cited take-out).

Even in the drought of summer, one can usually paddle the stretch between 4-mile/Hwy.31 and the dam. This is often done by just parking at the boat-ramp above the dam (the listed take-out for this run), paddling upstream (with negligible current) as far as time and interest allow, then paddling back down, eliminating the need to run any shuttle.

In theory the river looks boatable from near its headwaters (just West of Greenfield Park in Milwaukee), and parkland flanks the river virtually the whole way. However, I'm sure any such trip will be far more memorable for the deadfall snags and portages than for any other reason. And, while good access exists at many locations on the East-West stretch of the river (along the Milwaukee/Racine County line), this area is also far more prone to strainers and snags than occur on the reach as detailed here. Other than the far upper headwaters, the gradient upstream is well under that of the lower reaches we have described. (From the listed put-in on 5-mile Road, one must go nearly 5 miles upstream (midway between Hwy.V and Hwy.38) to get a total of 10' of drop.)