Hoosic Release on the Way
Posted: 04/17/2009
By: Kevin Colburn
It is time once again for the Whitewater Release at Brookfield's Schaghticoke Development on the Hoosic River (Schaghticoke, NY). The release alternates each year between a Wednesday release and a Saturday release following April 15, and the release in 2009 is to occur on the Saturday schedule (i.e., from 1 - 4PM). The release requires that adequate flows be available in the Hoosic River (i.e., > 1,200), so as not to result in excessive drawdown of the Schaghticoke impoundment.
Flows in the Hoosic are
currently running at 1,000 cfs and dropping, and it has been obvious since late last week that
sufficient flow was not going to be available to provide the release tomorrow (i.e., April
18). Per the terms of the Settlement, if insufficient flow is available, the
release is to be postponed a week (ongoing), meaning the release is now
"tentatively" scheduled for next Saturday, April 25, from 1 - 4
PM. Once again, this will be dependent on river flows being above 1,200
cfs (as measured at Eagle Bridge), which is questionable at this point depending on
rainfall amounts over the coming week.
A release will be provided on the next saturday on which flows at
the Eagle Bridge
Gage
exceed 1,200
cfs.
All boaters who participate will be required to sign in and complete a
liability waiver, which will be available from Brookfield staff at the put-in access. The
access is located off of Main St. near it's intersection with Mill St./2nd St. in
downtown Schaghticoke, NY.
American Whitewater
negotiated these releases, and we hope that paddlers enjoy them.