Gauley Season Flow Release Beta

Posted: 08/12/2001

Upper Gauley's Pillow Rock Rapid "a splat" photo from the AW photo database by Bob Anderson

GAULEY SEASON-DATES

The Gauley season usually consists of five each four-day (Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon) weekends and one each two day weekend (Sat-Sun). That makes a total of SIX Gauley weekends and 22 days of releases. The FIRST Gauley weekend is ALWAYS the first weekend AFTER Labor Day weekend. (Occasionally legends get started when Labor Day falls "late" in September that the first Gauley weekend is the first weekend in September...WRONG!!)

The American Whitewater Gauley festival is usually the THIRD Gauley weekend.
In 2001 it will be the THIRD Gauley weekend and will be held on Saturday Sept. 22.
In 2001 the ninth annual (animal) Upper Gauley Race will be held on MondaySeptember 24.
In 2001 there are two major changes and one factor that occurs only onceevery 10 years.

There is a Whitewater Advisory Panel (WWAP) to the Army Corps of Engineers (COE). This panel includes outfitters, private boater representatives (an American Whitewater board member), and representatives of other business and interest groups (fishers, marina operators etc.) who are impacted by fall whitewater releases. This panel makes suggestions and recommendations to the COE who is responsible for the final release decisions based on water levels, rain (hurricane) forecasts, downstream needs etc. etc.

In 2001, the outfitters requested and were granted an "exchange" of a Monday (Oct 1) for a Thursday (Sep 20th). So please note that the fourth Gauley weekend is "only" F-S-S.

Also organizers (American Whitewater) of a kayaking event at Canyon Doors Rapids on the Lower gauley requested releases for Tuesday, September 25, 2001. This request was made through the WWAP. A rafting championship is also planned for the same date. The National Park Service is the responsible agency for activities within the Gauley River National Recreational Area. The NPS is the body that issues permits to use the land. The Corps is supporting the activities with a one-time release of 4,000 cfs that is tentatively scheduled from 9 AM to 5 PM that day.

This means the third Gauley weekend (the one that includes the festival) is SIX days long T-F-S-S-M-T, with Tuesday being scheduled for 4000 cfs from 0900-1700.

The COE also reports that this is the year for their once every 10 years valve inspection. This means that they need to draw the lake down an additional 50-55 feet below normal winter pool level. The following statement appears on their web site.

"Current hydrologic conditions and the additional 50-foot draw down for a 10-year inspection combine to produce optimum conditions for a successful whitewater season. We expect that whitewater releases, water quality releases, and trout fishing releases will all be much easier to accomplish this fall, assuming no extremes of weather."

2001 GAULEY SEASON dates are:

Sep 7-10 (F-S-S-M)
Sep 14-17 (F-S-S-M)
Sep 20-25 AW Gauley Festival Weekend (T-F-S-S-M-T)
Sep 28-Sep 30 (F-S-S)
Oct 5-8 (F-S-S-M) (Columbus Day weekend with Oct 8th a holiday for some)
Oct 13-14 (S-S)

RELEASE VOLUMES AND TIMES:

The Corps Of Engineers (COE) whitewater operating plan used to call for 2400 cfs as the "peak" recreational release volume (flow) based on experience in the 1980's. Technology changed, and so did the number of people enjoying the Gauley. No-bail rafts can take a higher flow, and a higher flow makes traffic management easier, which means less waiting time at each rapid. So, the outfitters asked COE to change the peak flow to 2800 cfs. So, starting about 1993, the typical operation changed to 2800 cfs. Depending on the year and the lake level, the "off time" flows will vary. The times given below represent peak flows of 2800 cfs. There is a transition time (usually called "steps" or ""ramps") between the peak flows and the "off-time" flows. Those steps and their timing depend upon the "off peak" flow. The important point is that the dam does NOT go from a very low flow to 2800 cfs (peak flow) all at once. Nor does it go the other way (from 2800 cfs peak to ??? cfs off time flow) all at once. Instead there are "steps". The timetable below represents the time that the final step up is completed and the time when the first step down is initiated at the dam (considered mile zero).

Thursdays 0700-1400 (Sep 20th is the only Thursday)
Fridays 0700 to 1400
Saturdays 0700 to 1400 (except AW Gauley Festival Sat 22.= 1500)
Sundays 0700 to 1400 (except AW Gauley Festival Sun 23.= 1500)
Mondays 0700 to 1300 (except AW Gauley Festival Monday 24 Upper Gauley Race
Day= 1400)
Tuesdays 0900-1700 (Sep 25th is the only Tuesday and the planned release is
4000 cfs)

The extra hour of releases on Gauley Festival Sat and Sun are for traffic management. Hopefully, it cuts down on conflicts with commercial trips.

In periods of low runoff when Summersville Lake is getting low inflows during Gauley season or when the Lake is low for other reasons, Summersville Lake levels may start to approach what is known as the "lower limit rule curve". When that happens the COE is required under their operating plan to modify either release volumes or release times or numbers of release days. Historically, the COE has not had to cut back on numbers of days (happened once in 1988). Instead they have been able to modify release times or release volumes or some combination of both. Interestingly, the COE reports that 1999 was a worse drought year than 1988 but water conservation measures in 1999 saved considerable water in the Summersville reservoir and 1999 was mostly a "normal" Gauley season.

Typically it takes about 3-3 1/2 hours for the peak flows to reach the 14 mile mark just above Koonce's Flume which many people use as the start of a Lower Gauley trip. That time will depend upon how high are off-time flows.

LINKS TO COE
There have been a number of inquiries into Gauley and Russell Fork release schedules and how to find out if they have modified for a particular weekend. Here's how to access them online if you don't have it already.

1. Huntington District Corps Of Engineers has a home page. Huntington is the COE district that controls the Gauley and Russell Fork releases. The people who control the water have a "water control home page". www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil This page will give you the latest flows in cfs and feet over the New and Gauley Basin.

From the whitewater page, look at the heading. There is a pointer to release schedules. It is in small letters and depending on the colors of your screen, it may be easy to overlook. Click on that and the current Gauley and Russell Fork releases are posted with dates, times, and projected flows. The COE will update these generally on a Wed or Thurs of a Gauley Week or Russell Fork week if there is to a modification in release times and/or volumes. As of August 10th 2001, the schedules are "up". You can go directly to the whitewater schedule page http://www.lrh -wc.usace.army.mil/wc/whitewater.html

WVRC AND PARKING AND THE UPPER GAULEY SHUTTLE: There is an Upper Gauley Shuttle that is provided by the West Virginia River Coalition with the cooperation of the outfitters (Class VI and USA RAFT) who own what most of us know as the "Panther Creek Road". (In reality it is named the Mason Branch Road. The road terminates at the river near where Panther Creek joins the Gauley.) For boaters running the Upper Gauley who have parked at the field (leased for Gauley season by the WVRC and provided to the boating public courtesy of WVRC) and who are taking out at the Panther Creek takeout (about mile 10), that shuttle costs about $5.00 per boat. The boat rides and you walk. It has been available in the past ONLY on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Upper Gauley Shuttle is an important fund raiser for the WVRC. And it is a great service to the boating public. The field that the WVRC leases is also very important for logistics along the Upper Gauley takeout road. Without it parking would be (was) a nightmare. The boating public owes WVRC a lot (not just for what they do surrounding the Gauley season). The Gauley season and the Gauley Festival (they will have a booth) make a good time to continue your support of this fine group. Also check out their website at www.wvrivers.org for more information.

Join and support American Whitewater and West Virginia Rivers Coalition.

Joseph W. Greiner
7316 Chicora Court
Raleigh NC 27615-6005
919-847-4704
joekayak@worldnet.att.net< br>