Bower Creek,

Fonferek Falls to Hwy.V (4.3 miles)

River Description

Quick Facts:

Location: Approximately 9 miles SE from downtown Green Bay, WI.
Shuttle Length: 3.3 miles. (See details in "Directions" Tab.)
Character: Small creek with bedrock river-bed. A sheer vertical waterfall drops into a grotto. The creek caroms down sloping bedrock for the next mile or so.

Put-in is approximately 767' elevation.
Take-out is approximately 597' elevation.
Thus total elevation change is approximately 170'.

General Overview

This little creek boasts an impressive (for EastCentral Wisconsin), scenic, ~20' waterfall, followed by a scenic dells section. However, you'll be so busy with an assortment of sloping bedrock slides, and scattered quarry-like rubble which litter the rapids (along with the fact that there will be precious few eddies), so it's doubtful you'll have much time to admire the scenery.

Boaters should be aware that the pool at the base of Fonferek Falls is very shallow, virtually never exceeding 2.5 - 3.0' in depth! A good boof (with unlocked spine) is mandatory here! While we are aware of successful runs, we are also aware of a nasty piton resulting in a painful break, with a resultant grueling ordeal to get across the creek, up out of the 'canyon', and to medical attention. Therefore, running the falls is NOT recommended!
(Note: For this reason, gradient figures cited above exclude Fonferek Falls.)

Downstream of the falls, there is just one ledge of enough size (a foot or two) which may (at higher levels) create a significant hole. It comes pretty quickly, as you head toward a wall of rock and the creek is diverted about 90 degrees to the right. Downstream the creek gently bends a little further right (with the deepest water being on the right, while center and left have numerous rocks and shallows) before being diverted sharply left and into the potentially nastiest combination. Large slabrock litters the center and right of the channel down this swift pitch (right where the current is taking you). As of March, 2008, numerous branches of a tree hang into the water to the left and center (where you otherwise really want to be!) in the midst of this drop. This whole combination is likley to cause significant boat damage (not to mention body damage if you flip or swim). After this the action eases up considerably. There will be areas of serious deadfall and braided channel which will require careful navigation to successfully pick a boatable route.

Downstream a ways, some boaters may attempt to shorten the trip, utilizing a take-out at the end of the concentrated gradient, where a road dead-ends near the creek on river right. However, it would be necessary to hike a quarter-mile or so, up a somewhat steep climb on a gravel double-track. The land is all privately owned, so permission to trespass would need to be secured. When there is adequate flow to run the creek, the float to the listed take-out should be swift, and the creek comes immediately adjacent to a side-road for very convenient access.

Special Note: The real HUC for this reach should be 04030204. It has been 'faked' below to allow this reach to 'sort' (when listing is pulled up 'by drainage') into the "Southwestern Lake Michigan" rivers, rather than the already bloated list of "Northwestern Lake Michigan" rivers. If this somehow causes problems for anyone using this listing, please send a message to the Regional StreamKeeper (which can be done via the "Add a Comment" button which should appear by clicking the "Comments" tab above).