Marsh Creek
Mill Spring Academy to Riverside Rd.
| Difficulty | III-IV |
| Length | 0.6 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 140 fpm |
| Gauge | Sope Creek Near Marietta, Ga |
| Flow Rate as of 33 minutes | 20 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | August 6, 2004 |
River Description
State: GA
River: Marsh Creek
Section: Mill Spring Academy to Riverside Road.
Reach ID: 4342
Comment: on 9-5-04 we received 2.5in rain. So we decided to drive to marsh creek. The parking at the putin is sketchy to say the least so be stealth.
Sope creek spiked at 11.75ft. When we arrived the creek was cranking and the gauge was under water. I think it was around 7ft (gauge goes to 6.6ft). Having only run it once at low water (1.6ft) we decided to let it drop a bit. There are 4 sewer pipes to contend with, and one of these pipes will be a portage at all levels. At 7 feet you could have paddled over the first two pipes but paddling under the bridge at Dalrymple Road would be too close for comfort. We let the water drop to 4 ft. and eddy hopped our way down, playing limbo under the first two pipes and portaging the third. At this level the creek is tight and technical class IV boogie water with 4 larger drops. The largest single drop is a 8ft. slide right above the bridge at Dalrymple Road, and at 4ft packs a pretty stiff hole. We punched it (barely) on the right corner, but at
higher flows a boof to the left would be a good idea. There is some flat water past the bridge a few strainers and one more pipe.
Paddle across the hooch to the takeout and reset shuttle and do it again. The second run was 2.4ft and the third 2.0ft. The water quaility is nasty but this is the best creek I have paddled in metro Atlanta.
River Features
Slide Above Putin
This is a 10 foot steep slide which you can view by looking upstream when driving accross the putin bridge. Access to this is o n private property. Please be respectful.
Put in
ManMade flume
Immediately below the Putin is a flume made by placing large grey rocks in the river bed and dredging out a 5 foot wide section of the creek. Beware of metal fencing and barbed wire around the edges.
First Pipe
This pipe should be easy to go under unless the river is extremely high. At lower levels the pipe is a good 3 feet above paddler’s heads
Second Pipe
This pipe is also normally easy to float under, except at extremely high levels
Third pipe
This pipe is river level and has to be portaged unless the river is at flood stage
S-Turn Rapid
This rapid is directly below the third pipe and is easy to scout during the portage. This is the most technical rapid on the run. The river becomes constricted down to several 3 foot wide slots which you have to zig zag through.
Dam Drop
This is an 8 foot dam which you can see by looking upstream while driving across the takeout road. This one creates a large hole at high flows.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportDavid Peak Sr. and Noah Taylor checking out the surf wave below the 1st slide.
This 1.5 mile run is a residential creek and is hard to catch. Access is limited. Upper put in can be accessed from a local paddler's house.
Put in (above Brandon Mill Rd. put in) on a low flow lap. Medium flow would cover the sand beach. High flow the trees are barely visible. This creek bubbles up and down quickly. If you get a day with long steady rain you can get multiple laps in at various levels.
A creek wide ledge rapid above Riverside Dr. Run it on the right and be prepared for the 2nd little ledge. High flow produces a munch hole fit for swimmers. If you swim (high flows), your boat and gear will be difficult to gather. It's a long straight stretch below this feature.
The entrance is semi blind, if you put on above Brandon Mill Rd and float down. You can catch a small eddy on the left or right above the slide. High flow day...run middle line and skip over the bottom hole.
Low water look at Porch House Rapid (S Turn feature). This 'around the corner' rapid comes at you quick at higher flows.
Marsh Creek
Low water look at the feature above Riverside Dr. Two ledge holes form at high flow.
Low water look at the entrance to a snake turn rapid I call Porch House. It is an S Turn feature.
We ran this creek about 1.5 hours after Sope was around 7 ft and Rottenwood was around 4 ft. It was a lot of fun! Class 3/4 boogie water the whole way down with 3 big vertical drops and some pushy holes. You may have to walk upstream through a neighborhood to access the first 12 ft. slide. The second biggest drop is a near vertical 10 ft. slide near the end of the run. There are about 5 sewer pipes across the river and you will have to walk around the first and third ( I think). Great if you live in the Buckhead/Sandy Springs area.