Coweeman River
Baird Creek to Jim Watson Creek
| Difficulty | II-III(IV) |
| Length | 11 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 41 fpm |
| Reach Info Last Updated | March 12, 2024 |
Projects
Washington’s legendary volcanoes – Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Adams – are the source of wild, free-flowing rivers and streams that cascade over big drops and through deep basalt canyons on their way to the Columbia River. Rivers like the Clear Fork of the Cowlitz, Cispus, Green, [...]Read More
River Description
Currently the uppermost access is at the locked Weyerhauser gate locked near Baird Creek. The gate blocks access to the first 2 miles of the run as described in Bennett's guidebook, taking out one potential Class 4 and some interesting Class 3 rapids.
Most boaters do this run on 'blowout days' when everything else is too high. When it's really high it's not class 2-3 but more like 3-4. This rating is based on continuousness and wood hazards as there are no class 4 rapids. The launch point was at the gate but a fish habitat structure has been constructed just downstream from the old launch point so paddlers have started launching at an easy pull-out 100 yards downstream from that. This fish habitat structure at the old put-in has been runnable but you just never know with wood whether there's something in there to grab the bow that goes a little too deep.
Downstream from the launch the run starts right in with continuous class 2 water. You will find eddies along the banks and great surfing waves out there. Approximately a half mile down you come around a right bend and a diagonal ledge with a bad sticky pocket hole on the right--go left, out onto the rock prominence, to stay away from the pocket. This is more important at high water.
The next steeper bit occurs on a left bend as you approach the road. After the left bend a long class 3 ensues named Busytown. If you figure out you're there, the line is center with zig-zagging moves to avoid holes, and eddies along both sides. At very high water the line is center-left.
Three miles downstream from the launch is the biggest rapid, called Cable Drop. You will know you are approaching it from the cable across the river overhead with one strand trailing in the river. The rapid has concrete on the left and a rock ledge on the right. The main channel is straightforward, following the water from center to center left. It's steep enough that scouting on the drive up is recommended to confirm it is cl
...River Features
Upper Put-In
Generally inaccessible due to the Weyherhauser Gate near the Baird Creek confluence being locked. There are also engineered log structures in the reach from here down to Baird Creek.
Weyerhauser Gate, Lower Put-in
Access on river right located at a small pull-out on river right just downstream of the Weyherhauser Gate at the confluence with Baird Creek.
Cable Drop
The biggest drop that can be scouted from the road.
Coweeman River Park, Take-Out
This public park managed by Cowlitz County for day use and access to the river is one of the few public access points on the river located on the 6000 block of Rose Valley Road. It is at the confluence where Sam Smith Creek joins the river.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportFlows were low but we still had enough water to have plenty of fun with snow covering the banks and temperatures right around freezing.
Hi there, Terresa mistakedly put 2023 on the date of the Stakeholder meeting. The meeting is acutally 1/11/2024 at 10am at 11018 NE 51st Circle. Park in the visitor parking and head in through the front office.
See you there!
Brice
**There will be a STAKEHOLDER MEETING for folks concerned about the future of the Coweeman on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at 10am. Location: Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group, 11018 NE 51st Cir, Vancouver, WA 98682, USA.
**We went to the Coweeman on a day when masses of local boaters went to run the Devil's Lake Fork of the Wilson at high water, and found low but rising water on the Cow. The EFL peaked at 2500 that day, and we had a lovely low-stress paddle. The bigger surf waves are not present at low water, but there are still lots of medium and small surf spots.
**The log jam below Cable Drop is currently blocking both sides of the river. We landed immediately above it on river right and portaged there. It would be possible to land on the island below the log jam and walk up to cut out one 4' log that's blocking the left channel, eliminating the portage for now. Mind you even with that removed it's NOT clean, safe, or straightforward.
**There is quite a bit of tape hanging from trees along the river. It's pink, and black/white checked, and has writing on the pink parts that pertains to salmon and steelhead habitat. The tape is dated October 2023, and according to a contact it is marking fish habitat and NOT marking where logs will be installed.
**With that said, as far as we know the installation of riverwide logs to slow down the Coweeman and create more spawning habitat is in process. This may be the last season we get to run this section.
We ran this January 9, 2022 on an EFL Heisson gauge reading of 3k and dropping after a peak of 10k with a big dump of snow. The flow was medium. Good run for newer boaters who have rolls or are good at staying upright. Not a great run for folks who swim a lot because it is so continuous and yesterday it was cold, too.
The gage on the Coweeman no longer exists.
The traditional takeout, at the bridge on the private Schoolhouse Rd, has been posted 'No Parking' by the owner. The new takeout is 1.2 miles upstream on County property, an undeveloped park.
The run from the locked Weyhauser gate to the main road is 7.5 miles. The river is a wood collector yet boaters live along the river and frequently cut spaces for boats to pass. On 3/30/19 at a low flow of 7.7 feet, there was only one riverwide log that gave us trouble. As to rapid names, we call the rapid, approximately 1.5 miles down, Busy Town. It is a longish pooldrop/boulder garden. just over 2 miles below this is the Cable Drop (corner with gradient loss) ending in a pool. 1/8 mile below this drop is LogJam. Wood shifts so always scout! It is a logjam that you can often run to the Right however sometime there is wood blocking the right channel. The last named rapid is about a mile from the take out and is a riverwide ledge that ends in waves and holes....The run is best at about 9 feet and 7.7 feet is a slow, long paddle.
The gauge range for too high and too low is inaccurate. I ran it @ 9.75 feet and it was VERY high... So I would imagine that anything from 5.5 and above would be plenty FYI. And road access into The St. Helens Tree Farm (Weyhauser) is locked so you can only drive to 7.5 miles above the put-in bridge.
It is worth noting that the people living on this river have had problems with the public in the past, and they are very suspicious of people. As a result, you will see a lot of accesses with 'keep out' signs, and you may even get a visit from a local if they see you scouting a potential takeout. However, the people in the area don't seem to have any problems with boaters - we found them to be very friendly when they found out we were not fishermen.