Very steep and technical, with one narrow waterfall after another.
The toughest of the three Beaver sections, this short section has big, narrow slides. It's way photogenic. Releases on weekends in September.Hazard Warning at Eagle Putin!
FLOW paddler Steve Benedict found the following: "I had to stop at Eagle to see what punctured my boat last week. "FYI at the base of the entry slide (the slide, next to the dam, which most paddlers use to put in) is an eddy...as you peel out of the eddy, the pourover in the center of the stream is formed by two pieces of angle-iron and the planks they hold in a sort of dam. They stick up maybe a foot above the planks, are not visible at runnable flows, and can do a number on your boat...and possibly other body parts. On the other hand they are easily missed by staying to the right."Click here to see photos of the hazard.
Also see the Taylorville Section (Class III), which also runs on weekends in September, the Moshier Section (Class IV-V), which releases on one day of Labor Day weekend, and the Raquette River, Stone Valley Section, which shares some of the Beaver release weekends--as well as having some Summer releases of its own.
Posted by Chris Koll: The releases are a product of negotiations by American Whitewater that resulted in a series of 11 whitewater releases during a typical year spread over three challenging sections of Beaver River whitewater. The sections are dry except for release days when Orion Power allows water to spill back into the natural river bed creating whitewater runs ranging from class 3 to class 5. The runs are typically short--varying in length from one to four miles--and on most release days water is scheduled on two different parts of the river. Boaters can easily paddle one section of the Beaver in the morning and then catch a second section in the afternoon. The whitewater sections include the Taylorville run, a 1.5-mile stretch that features six class 3-4 drops. While some of the drops appear intimidating--particularly a steep 30-foot slide--the rapids are fairly straightforward and are appropriate for strong intermediate paddlers looking for an introduction to steep creeking. The Moshier section is the jewel of the river, a 4-mile run that includes two runnable waterfalls, a number of easy class-3 rapids, and concludes with a long, technical class-5 rapid composed of four discernible drops. The section is appropriate for experts or strong intermediates with judicious scouting and/or portaging. The Eagle section is short and demanding. Only a mile in length, the run starts off with four class-5 drops where the river drops the equivalent of 475 fpm. Eagle is a demanding expert run. The Beaver River originates from Stillwater Reservoir in the western section of the Adirondack Park northeast of the village of Lowville. The area is undeveloped and camping is available throughout the area. Questions regarding the Beaver can be directed to Chris Koll by email or by calling (315) 652-8397.
Tug Hill - Old Forge Area Reaches
Beaver (1. Moshier) Beaver (2. Eagle) Beaver (3. Taylorville)
Black (1.) Black (2.) Black (3.)
Black (4.) Black (5.) Black, S. Branch
Cincinnati Creek Crystal Creek Deer River (Section 1)
Deer River (Section 2) Fish Creek, E. Branch Independence River (1. Upper)
Independence River (2. Main) Indian (S.Br. Moose trib.) Little Black Creek
Little Woodhull Creek Mad River Mill Creek
Mohawk (1.) Moose (1. Middle) Moose (2. Lower)
Moose (3. Bottom) Moose, Middle Branch Moose, S. Branch (1.)
Moose, S. Branch (2.) Negro Brook Otter Creek
Roaring Brook (Brokeback Gorge) West Canada Creek (1.) West Canada Creek (2. Ohio Gorge)
West Canada Creek, S. Branch Woodhull Creek (Upper) Woodhull Creek (Middle)
Woodhull Creek (Miracle Mile)
Google Map of New York Whitewater
New York Whitewater Paddlers Facebook Group
I'm surprised that there are no comments here, so I'll just say that this is an amazing amusement park ride (475 fpm for 1/2 mile), and, while it's not quite as safe as Disneyland, for the Class 5 boater, this provides an unusually good thrill-to-risk ratio, at normal levels. Unfortunately the photo on the main page is kind of hard to figure out, so don't go just by that! Three thrilling drops (plus a high dam at high water) will redline your fun meter!
We have had releases on this reach but don't show any currently. This information is gathered by the public. If you know about releases then contact us about them. If you would volunteer to enter the releases, then reach out to us.
Releases on some September weekends. Here's the confirmed Beaver / Raquette release schedule for 2012:
Taylorville section of the Beaver (all releases 10 AM-2 PM, 400 cfs): Sat., September 1 Mon., September 3 (Labor Day) Sat., September 8 Sat., September 22 Sun., September 23
Eagle section of the Beaver (all releases 1 PM-5 PM, 200 cfs): Sun., September 2 Mon., September 3 (Labor Day) Sat., September 8 Sat., September 22 Sun., September 23
Moshier section of the Beaver (10 AM-2 PM release, 400 cfs): Sun., September 2
Stone Valley section of the Raquette:
Sat., July 7: 720 cfs from 10 AM-3 PM Sat., July 21: 720 cfs from 10 AM-3 PM Sat., August 4: 720 cfs from 10 AM-3 PM Sat., August 18: 720 cfs from 10 AM-3 PM Sat., September 1: 720 cfs from 10 AM-2:30 PM; 900 cfs from 2:30 PM-4 PM Mon., September 3: 720 cfs from 8 AM-4 PM; full release from 10 AM to 3 PM
Permits are not required for this reach.
43.901798 ,-75.194801
43.905102 ,-75.196098
NA
Directions (see the stylized Beaver map or the Google Map from the Moshier takeout): From the Moshier Section: Come back out to Stillwater Rd. Take a Right, heading toward Number Four. Where Stillwater Rd. T-intersects, take a Right onto Buck Point Rd. After about half a mile, take a Left onto the dirt road. Follow this road about three miles, and take a Right where the sign says "Canoe Access." Follow this access road down to the Eagle putin. Walk along the face of the dam, past the plate which is raised to give you the great whitewater (!), and get in line behind yer paddlin buds to putin.
From Lowville: Take Rte. 812 NE toward Croghan. In Croghan, take a Right onto Kirschnerville Rd. Follow Kirschnerville Rd. about three miles and go straight in Kirschnerville when it turns into Soft Maple Rd. After about 9 miles on Soft Maple Rd., you'll come to Eagle Falls, above the Soft Maple Reservoir. Take a Left at the sign that says "Canoe Access." Proceed as above. For the Takeout: there is a takeout downstream of the Eagle Section, but most boaters simply carry their boats back upstream to the putin.
See? I really do have a creeker.
Last Drop
Eagle section of the Beaver
Look out for this #2
Look out for this #1
Beaver River Map
Going down
First Slide on Eagle Section
Some Beaver
Eagle Falls, Beaver River NY
Eagle Falls
Dark Rider
Eagle Rapid, Beaver River, NY
Going Down?
If someone gets hurt on a river, or you read about a whitewater-related injury, please report it to American Whitewater. Don't worry about multiple submissions from other witnesses, as our safety editors will turn multiple witness reports into a single unified accident report.
Paddlers on the Lehigh River below the Francis E. Walter Dam and Reservoir are concerned that a planned study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its partners, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection will lead to a reduction in whitewater boating opportunities on the Lehigh. The study will evaluate the feasibility of various alternatives to optimize project operation. Aside from the project's authorized primary missions of flood risk management and recreation, the study will also consider water supply and water quality, to identify possible improvements to the existing structure, infrastructure, and operations that will support current and future demands within the region. The Army Corps is holding a public meeting on January 9, 2020 at the Mountain Laurel Resort in White Haven, PA from 6-8 p.m. to explain the study and hear public comments. American Whitewater, Appalachian Mountain Club, and other organizations are expected to file comments with the Army Corps prior to the September 29th deadline in order to share our concerns about the study and potential impacts on boating, the outdoor recreation economy, and the Delaware RIver Basin. We encourage our members to attend the public meeting to voice their concerns.
American Whitewater is launching the Adirondacks River Restoration Campaign to restore and improve river flows for aquatic ecosystems and to improve recreation opportunities across the region. Over the next 10 years, more than 50 hydroelectric dams in New York are scheduled to get new 30 to 50-year federal licenses, creating a once in a generation opportunity to improve river conditions. In the Black River Basin alone, there are more than 20 hydropower dams on the Black, Beaver, and Moose rivers that will begin the relicensing process in the next year, and American Whitewater will need to participate with other partners in order to mitigate project impacts and achieve river restoration goals. Through these efforts, we will restore flows to dewatered river reaches, improve existing flows, enhance public access, and benefit communities throughout the region.
Now that spring has finally arrived in the northeast, it's time to start planning our spring boating trips to the Adiondacks to enjoy the Beaver, Moose and Raquette Rivers. Here's the schedule for the 2014 season according to the General.
“Don’t call this a festival,” New York legend whitewater legend Chris Koll said of the original Beaver River Rendezvous in 1998.
The three-day event has stayed true to that mantra, despite the popular “Beaverfest” dubbing, the event lacks any sort of commercial qualities. Just great whitewater.
2010 marked the 25th anniversary of protecting the Black and Moose rivers! View an online video documentary on the Moose River and the early role that American Whitewater played in protecting this amazing river.
Log into the American Whitewater website and you can contribute to river descriptions, flow and access tips, and maps associated with runs you've done. You can even add new runs to the inventory!
