Red

Two dams, just about a mile apart, interrupt the flow of the Red River, forming Upper Red Lake and Lower Red Lake. A short stretch (0.15 mile) of the river between them is normally dewatered (bypassed) as the flow is used to generate power in Gresham. At times of higher flow, there may be more water than is needed for (or than can be handled by) the penstock and powerplant, thereby allowing water to flow in this short reach of the riverbed between the 'lakes'.

One time (years back, in spring) as we happened through Gresham, we saw this stretch cranking pretty well. I regret now that we didn't suit-up to take advantage of that rare opportunity to claim rides on the waves and holes here.

Don't get me wrong . . . I'm not about to claim this is a major find or some 'holy grail' to try for. The Upper Red (if the Stockbridge-Munsee/Mohican tribe would relax their restrictions on it to re-open it to paddling) is a far more interesting (more of a 'creek boating') run, as is the (mostly play-boating) Lower Red. This description is being added mostly to let folks know we are aware of this stretch, in case some boater discovers this stretch with water some time and thinks they have made a new 'find'.

Beyond the above, there have been rumors from time to time about the possibility of decommissioning (and subsequently, removal) of one or both of the dams. If that were ever to happen, one should expect significant additional rapids would be revealed under what is now buried by Upper and Lower Red Lake. Preliminary relicensing process has already begun for these hydro facilities. (Check for a link to an article about that, which should exist on some (if not all) of these Red River reaches.)