I think the guage has been fixed and is back to the old levels.
The Little River at Blue Pond gage was recalibrated after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Here is the new correlation for the Blue Pond gage and the Hwy 35 bridge gage. These levels should be considered in flux, because the Blue Pond gage will be recalibrated in the near future, as water levels permit. (3/1/05) Blue Pond = 35 Bridge 500-650 cfs = -2.0 650-800 cfs = -1.0 800-1100 cfs = 0.0 1100-1300 cfs = 2.0 1400-1500 cfs = 4.0 1600-1700 cfs = 6.0 2000-2100 cfs = 7.0 2100-2200 cfs = 8.0 2600-2700 cfs = 12.0 I have an Excel 2000 spreadsheet that predicts the levels for Little River and several other rivers in the southeast. If you
Falls first run by Bo Eakens, right side run by the late Rich Weiss in a glass slalom boat (shallow). Bo and I ran 2 lines off the center around 13'' - still scrapey. Some challenging lines: Right to left line at Avalanche (through a narrow gap) - low flow only. Left line at Cable Falls - very tight (low flow -only route) Right line at Cable Falls (not too low, check for trees on this tight double drop). Left to right at Cable Falls second drop - boof out from left bank into overhung cauldron driving hard right. ( Low flow only!) Right line kinda lands on your head. Left lines (2) at top of Humpty Dumpty (top and bottom). Bad hole below very last left channel / slot. Right line at top ot Humpty Dumpty (med-high flow) boofing through the crack. Have fun - C.
A gauge is painted on the Southeast corner of the bridge piling of the Hwy 35 bridge. Just upstream of Little River Falls. On the bridge gauge a reading of 0 or a few inches below zero is a low level. A reading of 1 foot is juicy. Seldom run above 1" Thanks to Ted Hayes and John Reeves for putting up a new and more readable gauge next to the old one,this was a much needed improvement. The USGS has an online gauge at Blue Pond at Canyon Mouth Park, the take out for the lower canyon. AL Power Reservoir info line will also give a guage reading at the same site 800-525-3711 (1-800-Lakes-11), then 6, wait for warning message, then 2, 2. According to local boater Bill Thornton: "There seems to be a lot of questions about levels on LRC. Since I live 35 miles away and have been running this forever I thought I'd give my observations. -6" to -2" Suicide is too low, most of the rapids are unrunnable, upper 2 is still pretty fair for play boating, decent splats and rock moves can be found for desperate boaters. Better call ahead for partners, crowds are sparse. -2" to 0 " is a very doable though low level on the Suicide sec. Many rapids are harder and steeper at this level like, Are You Ready, Terminal Eddy, some are too low to run by their normal routes like, Cable Falls, Avalanche. There are a lot of under cuts in play at this level though there are no big holes and not much push, still over the years most accidents have happened in this range. Terminal Eddy is particularly dangerous at low levels. There will normally be a pretty good crowd of locals here if it is a nice day. 2" to 6" the river is filling in and the rapids open up to some degree. At the top end of this level holes are starting to get some punch. There will be a good crowd at this level, Locals, Atlanta, Chattanooga boaters crowding the river 7" to 1' Though some rapids are easier at this level, Terminal Eddy, Avalanche, most of the run is big and pushy. At the high end of this range the Suicide is quite serious with a lot of big holes and pushy water and little slack between rapids. This is the level that claimed Dale Adams at Road Block. Boaters are thinning out at the higher end of this level, people are dropping off to run creeks. Above 1' Very serious, Large holes, lots of crazy shit running together. Hard to find anyone at the put-in, go run a creek. Above 2' Seldom if ever run at these levels. Look for Alaska and Idaho boaters at the put-in. 2' to 5' the lower canyon is very nice at this level mostly big class 4 except for Bottle Neck. Very pushy, Very big waves and holes in a wide riverbed at upper range of this level" Rob Maxwell has done a great job coming up with this conversion chart -1 = 380 to 490 cfs 0 = 520 to 578 cfs 1 = 663 to 717 cfs 2 = 758 cfs 3 = no data points 4 = 873 to 950 cfs 5 = 940 to 1140 cfs 6 = 1135 to 1265 cfs 7 = 1220 to 1265 cfs 8 = 1350 to 1595 cfs 9 = no data points 10 = 1600 cfs 11 = 1580 cfs 12 = 2100 to 2240 cfs 13 = 2960 cfs
Permits are not required for this reach.
34.395800 ,-85.627300
34.366300 ,-85.639200
NA
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Chris McCoy LRC falls
Mason Robinson LRC Falls
LRC Falls
Little River Falls
Falls in Remsen
(AG) Joey in the middle of Pinball
(AG) The Mushroom Boof
(AG) Joey runs the low water line at Cable
(AG)Joey runs Blue Hole
(AG)Joey enters the main drop of Terminal
(AG) Joey just below the put-in
(AG) Joey enters Are You Ready
(AG)Joey hits the boof at Mammoth
Bert on Little River Falls
Matt Horton on Little River Falls
David's ledgewheel on Little River Falls
LRC Falls at 4 ft on the bridge
LRC
upper Pinball above sieve...
pinball drop...
middle line at Avalanche...
Mavericks from Lookout
Mavericks - sf
Mavericks - kdg
(RM) LRC Falls Dry - 2
(RM) LRC Falls Dry
(RM) Hwy 35 Bridge Gage
Legends of the Falls
The Falls Circa 1994
Cable Falls from Canyon Rim
LRC - Pinball
(RM) Terminal Eddy
(RM) Screaming Right Turn
(RM) Pinball from downstream
(RM) Pinball - 6 part line
(RM) Pinball - Milt's favorite line
(RM) Avalanche - Milts favorite line
(RM) Martha's Ledge - Rob
(RM) Martha's Ledge - Milt
(RM) Running Little River Canyon Falls
(RM) Little River Falls at 3.5 feet
(RM) Deep Throat
(RM) Cable Falls - 1st and 2nd drop
(RM) Cable Falls - 1st Drop (Matt)
(RM) Avalanche
another great line
Pinball
Cable Falls - finger
Rt. 35 Falls
Going for the tongue at Pinball
Left line at Avalanche
Cable Falls (lower)
Cable Falls (top)
Martha's Falls
Little River Canyon Falls
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