Black (Mississippi Trib.)
D) Neillsville to Lake Arbutus (12.5 miles)
| Difficulty | I-III |
| Length | 12.2 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 8 fpm |
| Gauge | Black River at Neillsville, Wi |
| Flow Rate as of 57 minutes | 169 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 21, 2019 |
River Description
Boulder gardens and a couple ledges make a fun run at high water. Mostly, action is pretty sparse until the river takes a big bend near Hwy.73 (where Jack Creek / Cunningham Creek meets this reach). At this point a significant ledge can provide some play. A fine dells/rapids (rocky walls) finishes the reach just below Hwy 95.
(Note: Observations and 'minimums' based on only one run at 1290cfs.)
River Features
Put In
Ledge Drop
Drainage: 684 sq.mi.
Drainage area at our listed put-in is approximately 684 sq.mi. (as calculated via USGS StreamStats Beta software). Just downstream, a couple fair-sized tribs add in, so at the gauge (the next road crossing, 5th Street) it has increased to 749 sq.mi.).
This video represents well the action on this run:
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportPaddled this section on 4/2/20 @ ~3000 cfs in a tandem canoe. Fun scenic section with most of the actual ww in the middle of the reach. Both the beginning and end of the reach were mostly just moving water at this level. Note the TO has posted no trespassing on RL. We TO at hwy 95 above the last rapid.
I run an abbreviation of this reach anytime it's over 250 cfs. 250 is minimum and a couple spots can be tricky/frustrating but definitely runnable. Between 750 and 1200 seems best with lots of 'textbook' features developing. 1250 is mostly washout haystacks. I have never run it above 1250 nor beyond hwy 95.