Broad, North Fork

Starrs Bridge (HWY 51) to Royston City Dam

DifficultyI-II
Length3 mi
Avg Gradientn/a
GaugeBroad River Above Carlton, Ga
Flow Rate as of 46 minutes
1.53 ftbelow recommended
Reach Info Last UpdatedFebruary 15, 2025

River Description

Short section that runs good at low or high water. I've ran it anywhere from 3.5ft to 11ft on the gauge. There were some really big fun waves at 11ft. No sticky holes found at that level, not sure how high this section could be ran. Class I-II shoals and rapids fairly frequent for the first couple miles with about a mile of flat water at the end before taking out on river left above a man made dam.


River Features

Starrs Bridge Put in

Distance: 0 mi
Starrs Bridge Put in

Park on the east end of the bridge, either side of the road. I typically carry the boats down the north side of the bridge and put in directly under the bridge. Its easy to slide down the 3-4 foot bank and into the water.

Royston City Dam Take Out

Distance: 2.97 mi

Park a vehicle on the side of Rice Mill Road almost at the end where it runs into Hwy 145. There is a driveway leading down to a building and the Dam. It is gated. Pull off the road and park near the gate but dont block the gate. Then shuttle up to the put in. Take out on river left above the dam. Several options available. At levels less than 6ft on the gauge I take out at the Dam. Theres a concrete area on the left side of the Dam and the concrete extends down under the water and makes a nice clean take out. At high water this area becomes a part of the river and you will need to take out on the left bank above the dam. Theres about 50 yards of options for that. about a 200 yard walk with the boats to get back to the vehicle.


Ran on 4/9. Gauge was just under 5ft. There's certainly nothing big or really exciting on this section but there's enough to make it fun. Takes about 1h 15m to complete if you stop to play around a bit. Worth doing if you live close by and enjoy some time on the water. No strainers found on the trip.

Decent little section for beginners. Runnable at most levels. A few spots to try to surf and stuff. Nothing technical. No strainers as of 2/5/22