Gauge Description:

There is a brand new gauge on Walnut Creek, PA about 35 miles from Chautauqua Creek.  The gauge is so new that there is not enough information yet to report runnable levels.  It is a little far away and will not be accurate during localized thunderstorm activity and somewhat accurate otherwise.  It should be accurate most of the time except for localized thunderstorm activity.  Generally, the headwaters of Chautauqua get a little more rainfall and snowfall than Walnut.  This is especially true during lake effect events. 

There is also guage on Cattaraugus Creek not too far away that may be helpful.  It is is a little closer but not as useful in my opinion.  Cattaraugus takes long steady rains to bring it up and then may run for a couple of days, where as Chautauqua runs after a heavy rain for a short duration of sometimes a couple of hours.  In other words, Catteraugus is a seasonal stream and Chautauqua is a flash flood stream and therefore responds to rain in a similar manor to Walnut.

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Station Description

Put in at the dead end of Lyons Road.  There used to be a bridge here.  The best place to put in is to the right of the dead end road.  It's not as steep there.  The small pool after a small Class II ledge is the best place to put in.

After 1.25 miles of warm-ups and great surfing, it's time to face the first ledge chute.  You know it's coming up when you pass the first shale cliff on the right side on a gradual horseshoe bend to the left.  You will then round a right hand bend and immediately begin to descend through Glug De' Dug.  Watch your elbows if the water is low as it channelizes into an actively erroded chute no wider than 6 feet.  This short ledge drops about 15 feet.  You may want to scout it on the right side to make sure it's free of wood as it is a blind entry.

Immediately after Glug De' Dug, you come to Harrington Ledge.  This one drops about 15 feet as well and is even shorter.  It is not quite as intense because it is a little wider and doesn't have many features to it.  Pretty much you start bookin' down a 45 degree ledge and try to keep your balance for the hole at the bottom.

This is the first waterfall on Chautauqua.  It is a blind entry just before a right hand bend.  You will know it's coming up when you see a cliff on the left side with no vegetation at all.  It only drops about 5 feet but this area can be dangerous if there are strainers due to blind entry and very steep banks that may make it difficult to portage around the wood.

After the braided section, you are welcomed into the second gorge by Three Sisters.  They are three water supply dams with very good characteristics despite being man made.  Each consecutive dam gets bigger and the last one is by far the best with an 8 to 10 foot plunge into a deep pool!  Welcome to the second gorge!  Several Class III+ ledges follow over the next several miles.

There's a Gale Warning...  please be advised, a 7 foot waterfall may create fun conditions!

A third of a mile from South Gale Road, you face the first rapid after coming out of the second gorge.  Houses appear and the cliffs are not nearly as tall anymore, however the rapids remain for the next couple of miles.  Most of the creek drops over a steep ledge, but the center line is a U shaped freefall line.  It is wide enough that you don't have to worry about your elbows and the hole at the bottom is not that bad for not being a "lip" type of falls.

This is the first access point after Lyons Road.  Park on the right side of the creek in the pull off by the bridge.  You can put in here if you don't have much time and there are a few Class III's still to come.  You can also take out here to shorten the trip from Lyons Road to 11 miles.

To my knowledge, this is the last convenient place to take out.  I've never been farther downstream.  From Google Earth, it doesn't look like there are anymore rapids to the lake from here.