Cheoah River

Note that there will be no fee / wrist band required for this weekend's release, July 9 & 10, 2022. The store is closed, and the Forest Service has waived the fee. There will be signs up at access areas noting this fee waiver.

5/7 , 5/8, 5/21 , 5/22, 5/28, and 5/29 are all @1000 CFS and all start at 8am and release until 4 pm.

'Due to continued precautions related to COVID-19, Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydro will be canceling the scheduled releases for May 9-10, 2020. Brookfield understands that the state of North Carolina has started lifting its restrictions on their stay at home order and is relaxing their restrictions but the US Forest Service is still unable to provide safety support as part of our safety protocol for these releases. Because of this we are canceling the May 9 and 10 releases.Brookfield will revisit this situation and evaluate the status of the next May High Flow Event, scheduled for the 23rdand 24th.'

April 2020 releases have been cancelled due to COVID-19

2020 march release remains ON. Please visit responsibly.

Cheoah is going to be 3000-8000cfs tomorrow (Sunday, 5/12) depending on rainfall. The power company wants to get the word out that they will not be able to provide a 1000cfs release.

LOG IN RIVER ON RIVER RIGHT BELOW YARD SALE......there is a BIG tree that has fallen in the river below Yard Sale/Tapoco Lodge on RIVER RIGHT. You can run RIVER LEFT to avoid it. It's just below the big boulders after the meat of the rapid. This one will need to be sawed out...Please post if any changes occur...

Shiver me tbmires, them's some great information.

I think that river companies are calling the Cheoah a class IV / IV+ run to reduce costs of insurance. This rating is not accurate. I give the Cheoah a solid V for rafters, and may be a IV+ for experienced Kayakers. If the rapids on the Cheoah are IVs, then we need to change all the Big 5s on the Gauley to 4s as well.

This is Louie and how can you compare 1200 on the Cheoah to 2800 on the Gauley, the frickin road is right beside it, it is a narrow stream bed, the trees grownin in it is the biggest hazard, the biggest drop on it is only 13 feet, I think the raft companies are up gradein it to IV / IV+ to pull in more customers. I don't know if you are aware of this but most of the 'big 5's' are now considered IV by most people. If those rapid are V what are the one on West Prong, Santellia and Raven Fork, Ochos? Don't rate rapid by your own abilites.

New pinning incident at God's Dam -- sounds almost identical to the other one (see comments). Report here: http://americanwhitewater.org/content/Report/detail/id/152458/
or look under pictures for 'Pinned at God's Dam.'

I riverboarded God's Dam and there is a tree in the bottom of the hole. I was standing on it dodging rafts.

Wood across entrance to west prong side. One boat pinned against it today. I'm sure someone will pull it out after this weekend release. Also one serious injury?/close call?/ death?... Life flighted out. Hope he/she is ok.

whoever pinned at gods dam on 6/22 09 i am the on who pinned there the exact same way same rocks on 11/1/09
scary huh
glad to see you are alright prior report was written on 2/2/09