Lower Otter Brook is traditionally one of the first spring rivers run in NH. It is mostly a class II run appropriate for novice and intermediate paddlers. There is a nice hole/wave play spot formed by the dam outflow at the put in. Use caution here since the concrete walls on either side could trap a paddler should the hole be the more prominent feature. It is also very shallow so watch out not to roll here. The river starts out with class II, winding its way through an alder thicket. This section is very narrow and occasionally contains strainers and overhanging alders. Recent beaver activity has added to the hazard. As of March 2002 a rather large beaver dam has been built about 1/4 mile below the Middletown road bridge. Currently this dam is breaching in the middle and creating a very nice drop and surfing wave, but the dam is being washed away slowly with each release or high water event. The lower section of the river is wider with the additional flow from the Miniwawa river. Just above the intersection with the Miniwawa there is a nice two foot ledge (Otter Ledge) drop with a steep channel on river right. At levels above 600 cfs this river should be rated class II/III.
Put in elevation........656' Take out elevation......492' Total drop..............164' Average drop/mile.......53' Distance................3.1 miles 1st mile drop...........66' 2nd mile drop...........36' 3rd mile drop...........62' River width average.....25' River geology...........small granite boulders some ledge River water quality.....Good, clarity average. Scenery.................Suburban a few homes and mobile homes on upper reach, more urban near takeout. Wildlife................Beaver, deer, hawks, Otters?.
Interstate 93 to NH 101 West(south of Manchester). West on NH 101 for approximately 45 miles to Marlborough. Just past the Keene town line take a right on Branch rd (should be a small sign for Otter Brook dam). Approximately 2 miles to put in at the base of the dam.
Head back in the direction you came to NH route 101. Take a right (west). Approximately 1/2 mile take a left just before NH Route 101 spans the river. Park on the right at any convenient takeout location.
Flow Info:
The flow in this section is controlled by the Otter Brook Flood control dam located at the put-in. Otter Brook USGS gage is located at the dam.
Estimated chance (%) of finding the river runnable. Month............% chance.................comment
January ............ 5%....Usually frozen February............10%....Usually frozen. March...............50%....Opens up early in the month. April...............70%....Best chance in early April May ................30%....Best chance in early May. June................10% July.................5% August...............5%....Just a trickle September...........15%....Tropical storms and their remains October........?....20% November............40%....Fall rains, dormant trees December............35%....River starts freezing about Christmas.
Be aware this is averaged out over several years. The % chance refers to the probability of finding the river running on any given day. For instance a 5% probability for August means on average you can only expect 1-1/2 days of water. One year there could be 3 days in August with water, other years none. Spring levels are usually higher than fall levels.
2008 Otter Brook releases
Date
Time
Flow
Note: If there is not enough water available for the May weekend Saturdays release will be cancelled.
Three of us ran Otter Brook on 4/15/2012, no significant strainers to worry about. There is some wood, but easy to navigate around. Fun run. Update: ran it again on 6/30/2013, again no significant wood in the way (thanks to the racers who cleared it out earlier this season).
04/08/08 We paddled Otter Brook today. Fantastic day, great temps, all around incredible day. Removed a large branch overhanging the river immediately after the beaver dam. The river was free and clear of strainers today, some potential strainers due to a few overhanging trees. The run is in great shape.
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.
The flow in this section is controlled by the Otter Brook Flood control dam located at the put-in. Otter Brook USGS gage is located at the dam. Estimated chance (%) of finding the river runnable. Month............% chance.................comment
Permits are not required for this reach.
42.914551,-72.249257
42.943866,-72.249257
NA
We have no additional detail on this route. Use the map below to calculate how to arrive to the main town from your zipcode.
Beaver dam on Otter Brook
Otter Ledge
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Northeast boaters can celebrate that another beloved whitewater gem has been protected. Paddlers on the Winnipeseaukee River are now assured that the put-in on the Lower Winni in Northfield, NH will be forever protected thanks to the donation of a parcel from Gloria Blais in memory of her husband Roger. Gloria donated the land to the Town of Northfield for the purpose of assuring that future generations of boaters will have access to the river. Protecting river access to the Winni is part of an ongoing effort by AW in the northeast region to protect river access.
A hardy group of northeast boaters climbed into the natural river channel below a hydropower dam to participate in a flow study designed to assess whether whitewater flows should be restored to this dewatered river reach on the Connecticut River. While significant obstacles remain, this site has the potential for providing instruction, playboating, and a big water feature that that could be run throughout much of the year and provide a much needed boost to the local economy.
American Whitewater and Merrimack Valley Paddlers have reached an agreement to purchase a 10-acre parcel fronting on Contoocook River in Henniker, NH. The land serves as an important launch point for whitewater paddlers enjoying the popular section of the river that runs from Hillsborough to Henniker. This section of the Contoocook River contains rapids ranging in difficulty from Class II to Class IV.
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