Releases (around 400 cfs) are weekends during the summer (typically second weekend of June through the second weekend of August).To get the schedule for the current year, click on South Bend Parks - East Race.
There is a fee for boaters with their own equipment to use the course. For 2009, it is $12 per paddler per day.
There is also a club in town that can get access to the course a couple days midweek, as well as weekends during the 'offseason'. See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/erwwkc for more info. (You need to register as a 'member' of the 'Yahoo!Group' to read messages or see photos. There is no cost to do so. However, if you wish to actually join the club (not just the message board) and paddle the course with them (when it's not open to the public), there will be dues to pay and a waiver to sign. For 2007, these dues are $45, which include membership in ACA (for insurance purposes), which includes a subscription to Paddler magazine.)