West Canada Creek
Prospect Gorge
| Difficulty | IV-V |
| Length | 1.6 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 3, 2023 |
River Description
Shortly downstream from Prospect Dam, West Canada Creek pitches over the scenic Prospect Falls, a 25-30 foot waterfall that is a steep sliding falls on river left and a vertical drop on the right. Choose your line carefully to find a good landing zone. After passing uner Military Road the river squeezes through a stunning vertical-walled Class IV+ gorge before being silenced by the Trenton Reservoir.
Currently there is no egress from this reservoir, which is bordered by steep walls and power company lands.
River Features
Prospect Falls
This named river-wide drop likely offers several lines. Paddlers explored a clean sliding far-left line during the 2021 flow study. It appears as though more vertical routes may be possible on river right.
crux gorge
The crux gorge will surely be split into several yet-to-be-named rapids as folks paddle the river more in the future. For now, note that there is a two-part tight continuous pinch in the gorge that finishes with a diagonal ledge. Note the two bridges spanning the river overhead.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportSeveral paddlers descended the Prospect section of West Canada Creek in the summer of 2021 as part of a formal controlled whitewater flow study. The results of this study form the basis for mitigation of the ongoing impacts of the hydropower project dewatering the river. Paddlers selected optimal flow ranges and seafely descended the river several times.
These images of the powerhouse outflow were provided by the power company, and feature various reservoir and release levels.