925 East Rd to 275 South Rd (1.3 miles)Class I-II+(V)
1.3 Miles
Avg Gradient 20 fpm
Max Gradient 30 fpm
Low water
Low water Photo of Will Crimmins by Andrew Cooper taken 2/3/2006 @ 1 ft Gauge Information
Pipe Creek
River DescriptionThe run is located about four miles north and west of Grissom AFB, or about two miles south and east of Lewisburg (near the confluence with the Wabash River). While it is a fairly short (1.3 mile) stretch, area boaters 'divide' it into two portions.K-1 (kilometer one) - the upper section, which provides some warm-up rapids. There are three ledges which can be used for endless flat spins and surfs, in addition to a handful of other spots with (generally) sufficient depth to allow great squirt moves. K-2 (kilometer two) - the second section, begins as the river approaches the road again, starting with Grumpy's Ledge. There are several more ledges, building up to two larger V-shaped slots that develop good holes and wave trains. The last of these is Widowmaker, which (at more than 3 feet on the boaters gauge) contains a massive green wave backed up by a foam-pile. Below Widowmaker you'll find a few waves, and a minor clearing where the road is immediately adjacent. This is the recommended take-out at higher levels, so that you aren't in jeopardy of inadvertently being swept over the dam and falls downstream. There is one more nice combination, a ledge/hole and a deep hole, Bear Claw, that is good for endless play (even the aerial variety). However, not far downstream lies a 16ft dam and roaring falls, so extreme caution is urged. At lower levels, there is sufficient pool to make playing Bear Claw reasonable for sufficiently skilled boaters. While the dam/falls reportedly has been run, it should be carefully scouted. The left lands either on rock or in a hole backed up by rock. Fairly well toward river-right the falls is a 'two-step' affair. However, the step/slab of rock is back-cut sufficiently that (at low water) it is possible to paddle back in under the rock and behind the water. While there is another wave/playspot just downstream, there is also another dam downstream which is posted against trespass and a property owner is reportedly very 'boater unfriendly'. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you complete your trip (I.E., take-out) above the first dam. Comparing to the Big Pine (70 miles to the southwest), Pipe Creek at 2.5 feet (by one report) "has ...far better eddy service ... with a couple of waves comparable to S-Curve (on Big Pine). At just over 4', Pipe is massive! Big waves, sticky holes, and lots of fun." Additionally, its watershed is fairly large, so "the Pipe" will usually be runnable for a few days (to most of a week!) after a good rain in the area. Thanks to Shaun, Matt, and Doug for providing information. StreamTeam Status: verified
Last Updated: 2006-02-08 01:16:44
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*The cited gauge is for Wildcat Creek (about 30 miles to the Southeast), which could/should provide some indication of runnability. Correlation is not assured, especially since storms generally track Southwest to Northeast, thus could hit one watershed and largely miss the other.
The 'minimum' is purely conjecture based not upon any experience, but only upon historical flows and averages. Similarly, the 'maximum' is only a theoretical guess of possible higher levels, where the run will become bigger and pushier. Many boaters will love these levels, and will look for the gauge to 'go purple'.
Refinement suggestions (regarding correlations between the boater's gauge and this USGS gauge/stage reading) are welcome from boaters with experience by using the 'Add a comment' button which should appear in the "Comments" tab if you are logged-in as a 'registered' user of the AW pages.
This is NOT the 'paddlers gauge' which area boaters refer to for water levels. The paddlers gauge is painted on an 'I'-beam (river-left, just upstream of the bridge at the put-in). Runnable down to about 1.5', decent play begins at about 2' on this gauge, and by 4' things get pretty wild. Above 5', many features are either washed-out or catch-on-the-fly, and most paddlers will likley pick other options.
The best indicator is to watch weather patterns and rainfall totals for the area, as well as the Hoosier Canoe Club Message Board, where members are likely to post levels when it is 'up'.
Pipe tends to hold it's water a tad better than other whitewater rivers in the state (notably the Big Pine). Thus, will usually be boatable for a few days longer after rains hit it's watershed.
Wildcat Creek near Jerome [ IN ] |
Current Conditions
Station Graphs |
| Level Legend: | Running | Below Minimum Recommended Flow | Above Maximum Recommended Flow | Unknown |
| State | River Name/Section | Class | Level | Rel. Level | Updated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IN | Pipe Creek— 925 East Rd to 275 South Rd (1.3 miles) | I-II+(V) | 5 cfs* | low | 9/8 5:15 |
| AW Gauge ID: | 1610 |
| USGS Station: | 03333450 |
| HUC: | 05120107 |
| Latitude: | 40.4414 |
| Longitude: | -85.9189 |
| Class: | 3 |
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. No Comments
Add a Comment No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. 
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