Gauge Description:

Note: USGS added a new gage on the Souhegan in the summer of 2008 about 2 miles downstream of the takeout in Milford.  This new gage a much better indicator of levels on the upper Souhegan than the Merrimack gage.  We will need to gather more information over time to correlate the gage to runable levels, however the 400 cfs level should be fairly accurate. It is a good indicator of how high the level might of been about 18
hours prior. The painted gage on the Upper Souhegan about 5 miles upstream is what is commonly used. If the upper section is running the lower will be also. Usually it can be run at a slightly lower level than the upper section can be run at.
 

Estimated chance (%) of finding the river runnable.
Month............% chance.................comment
 

January ............ 5%....Usually frozen
February............10%....Usually frozen.
March...............40%....Opens up about mid month.
April...............70%....Best chance in early April 
May ................30%....Best chance in early May. 
June................10%
July.................5%
August...............5%....Just a trickle 
September...........15%....Tropical storms and their remains
October........�....20%
November............40%....Fall rains, dormant trees 
December............35%....River starts freezing about Christmas.

Be aware this is averaged out over several years. The % chance refers to the probability of finding the river running on any given day. For instance a 5% probability for August means on average you can only expect 1-1/2 days of water. One year there could be 3 days in August with water, other years none. Spring levels are usually higher than fall levels. The river rises and falls rapidly because of the small steep watershed. An occasional summer storm could bring the river up for a day.
 

Souhegan River (Site Wlr-1) near Milford [ NH ]

Current Conditions Stage Flow Updated 3.72 96 10/7 19:15 Station Graphs

Linked Reaches

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Level Legend:

Running

Below Minimum Recommended Flow

Above Maximum Recommended Flow

Unknown

Descriptions of reaches with River Name in bold have been verified by a regional StreamTeam member.

State	River Name/Section	Class	Level	Rel. Level	Updated
NH	Souhegan— Greenville to NH Rt. 101 Bridge	II-III	96 cfs	low	10/7 19:15
NH	Souhegan— NH Rte. 101 Bridge to Wilton	III	96 cfs	low	10/7 19:15
NH	Stony Brook— Route 31 to Wilton	III-IV	96 cfs	low	10/7 19:15

Station Description

AW Gauge ID:	11173
USGS Station:	01093852
HUC:	01070002
Latitude:
Longitude:
Class:

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Recycler (Class II+, Mile 0.2)
This is a long rapid starting just around the bend past the route 101 bridge. The top of the rapid has a nice play spot. Eddy out on river right behind a 1' ledge. Here there is a hole turning more into a wave towards river center. The rest of the rapid picks along the rocks as it passes the Wilton recyling center on your right.

Horseshoe Falls (Class III, Mile 0.7)
Horseshoe falls is the toughest rapid on this section. It starts out with a series of ledge drops that can be run anywhere. Down below the river constricts from 40' wide to 18' wide into a narrow box canyon. The transition is by a horseshoe shaped drop. This drop is approximately 6' over a 40' distance. There are two routes the easiest one being far left. If you take the route on far right, catch the right side eddies as you prgress down. This will give you a better view as you scout your next move. There are also a few high penalty surfing waves you can access from these eddies. The bottom ledge does have a fairly large hole towards river center, it may upset you but not likely to hold you in.

Wilton Dam (Class IV+, Mile 1.0)
This is an "L" shaped dam approximately 8' in hieght. It is usually (and recommended) portaged on river left, however it has been run on the left and far right where there is a small break along a channel of the "L". Usually the boater launches off towards the right avoiding the hydraulic and shallows below. It is usually only deep enough to run in high water but high water also creates a larger hydraulic at the base of the dam. Scout carefully and consider the consequences here, portage if there is any doubt.