Mill Creek (Lewis County)
West Lowville to Lowville
| Difficulty | IV-V |
| Length | 3.7 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 100 fpm |
| Gauge | Independence River at Donnattsburg Ny |
| Flow Rate as of 32 minutes | 284 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | February 12, 2023 |
River Description
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One of the best, and most fun creeks in the east. The run is fast and shallow with endless slides. The difficulty of this run rises with the water level. At high water there are some bad holes and the chances of being pushed into drops blind (already pretty good)becomes a certainty. At higher water expect partial strainers.
The section under Rte. 12 has a hole that becomes retentive at high water. Swims on this creek do not end well and the rapid will appear without warning so be sure to scout from the bridge on your way to the put in. Same goes for the section in town.
Scouting once you are on the river is often impossible and is usually dangerous. Keep alert for trees. **If you can't easily scout a drop it is usually best to charge down the center.**This is no place for someone who can't reliably roll and punch big holes. Swimming would be a brutal experience, likely to include lost gear and possibly a trip to the ER in Lowville.
The waterfall in town is run down the center. If there isn't enough water to run the center of the town drop then the run is lower runnable or unrunnable.
Watertown Area Reaches:
Black River (Rt. 3 Wave) Black River (Watertown to Brownville)
Black Creek Deer River (Section 1)
Deer River (Section 2) Roaring Brook (Brokeback Gorge)
...River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportBefore you put in, scout the crux rapid from the highway bridge. I would call it solid Class 5, not 4-5, but it has been a while since I was there. Also scout the final waterfall just downstream of the final (State St?) bridge before putting in. You may have to climb up on a wall to see it. It's a double-boof to the right. Once you put in, there's not much point in trying to stop. I remember running an enormous (30-50 feet?) slide without scouting, because stopping was impossible. Fortunately, it was wide and clean. A great, if brief, run!
ran it on 10-18-10... totally clean of wood, which of course can change. great run though
The new visual gauge for Mill Creek is visible in at the bottom of the bridge abutment in this photo. When the water is at or above this white line, Mill Creek is runnable. The Line designates what I believe to be the minimum flow.
I have painted a line at the Gordan Road put in bridge. At minimum flows, a white line is visible at water level on the downstream river right corner of the bridge. Contact eadsit1@yahoo.com with any questions or for a visual.
team mm ran the falls in town last week.. if u run it left ur getting flipped into the wall..nicest line was center of first boof ledge, then work ur way center left.. if u dont there is a ledge that sticks out about 2 feet. and it will catch ur stern,, have fun
The put-in is up in the cow pastures.
One of several slides on this run.
A small boof onto some mank into a slide. Ron ran it well.
Ron on the slide after the small boof.
So many slides I don't remember them all.
This is right under RT 12 and in the middle of the steepest section
!!! WARNING !!!! The tributary to the south coming down off of tug hill and coming into the main flow after the big drop by the cemetery now has THREE SEPARATE STRANDS of barbed wire crossing it. The first is approximately 15 feet past the second bridge. Another 40-60 past that is the second strand. The third strand is where the 'original' strand (listed below) is: ~50 feet past the old steel bridge (past 2nd bridge). All are roughly at head height at medium flow levels. Be careful so they don't catch you by surprise. Questions, call: 315-767-1628. MH
!!WARNING!! The tributary to the south coming down off of tug hill and coming into the main flow after the big drop by the cemetery has barbed wire strung across it. It is located just after the 2nd bridge. There is an old steel bridge just past the 2nd road bridge and it is ~50 feet past that and 2' above the water at medium to high flow. It can still be run, but caution is required. Call me for more info.
Ziggy
(315) 543-7130