Palisades-Kepler State Park (PnP)Class III
0.1 Miles
Palisades-Kepler
Palisades-Kepler Photo of Gary Heil taken 1969-12-31 @ ~7500 cfs Gauge Information
Cedar
River DescriptionAt the right flows this is a Class III-IV, 2 meter wave with some Class VI hazards around it (according to local paddlers). Cliffs on both sides, pushy water, and other associated hazards should limit this area to high intermediate and expert paddlers only. Below 10,000cfs, the majority of the flow goes through the river right dam-breach which creates the play feature, reactionary waves, haystacks and other boat-swampers.Update - 6-26-2004: Recent high waters wiped out part of the structure creating the waves. At 8000 cfs, wave 2 and 3 were surfable in long boats (Ultraclean) but nowhere near as fast, big and dynamic as before. We'll have to wait for reports to filter in from local paddlers for new play levels, if any. The section remains fast with 3 ft. disorganized waves First timers are highly encouraged to post on the Iowa Whitewater website to hook up with one of the local boaters. Don't be tempted to run the center slot of the dam or play below it as there are a multitude of snags and other nasties just below the surface. StreamTeam Status: unverified
Last Updated: 2008-05-04 20:48:13
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| Level | Description |
| 5500 | Minimum level the wave is surfable. |
| 9500 | The wave begins to wash out. Water begins to over-top the intact portion of the dam (river center and left) and starts to create recirculating hydraulics...stay river right. At the higher flows, put-in/take-out on river left well above or below the dam. |
| 28,000 | AWESOME glass wave, alongside butt-puckering pile hole. |
Cedar R. at Cedar Rapids,IA [ IA ] |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IA | Cedar— Palisades-Kepler State Park (PnP) | III | 17,200 cfs | high | 7/24 14:00 |
| AW Gauge ID: | 2331 |
| USGS Station: | 05464500 |
| HUC: | 07080205 |
| Latitude: | 41.9706 |
| Longitude: | -91.6669 |
| Class: | 4 |
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. User Comments |
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2008-05-07 12:07:46 (78 days ago)
Joe Holt
Here is the latest information on the levels for PnP at Palisades.
Hole on the state park side:
10500-14000 CFS in this range, the hole is great for surfing and flat spins, but is too shallow for anything vertical. Also, it is very retentive and it no place to be upside down.
24000-30000 CFS in this range the hole is deep, fast and powerful! Vertical moves are possible if you have the balls to try them. The hole is plenty retentive and seems to pull you out to its meaty center if you don’t watch it.
32000-35000 CFS at this flow, the feature turns into a wave. It is easy to attain and great for most tricks. It is not sticky at this level and is low consequence fun if you have a roll!
Channel Side:
8000-10000 CFS is the flow for the wave on the channel side. It is tough to catch and requires a fast boat to surf. It is a hoot when you can get it!
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2008-02-07 08:38:02 (168 days ago)
Ben VanCamp
Check out the Cedar River Environmental group at http://www.thecregproject.org
CREG is a watershed non-profit group focused on the long-term sustainability of the Cedar River and its tributaries. Headquartered in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the group arose from the Cedar River Festival, the longest active river clean-up in Iowa.
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2004-07-05 13:12:22 (1480 days ago)
Gary Heil
Recent flood waters have romoved the portion of the old dam that was responsible for forming the large wave-hole that is shown in the photos. A wave does still form in the south breach of the dam at the flows listed above, however, it does not get steep enough to surf a boat shorter than 8ft and even then it's a slow ride. No more fast carves and no more 360s. Also, the eddy that used to pull you back up to the dam from at least 200 yards downstream on the river left side of the south breach now only extends ~30 yards below the dam.
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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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