West River
4. Townsend Dam to Rock River (Newfane)
| Difficulty | I-II |
| Length | 7.6 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | West River Below Townshend Dam Near Townshend, Vt |
| Flow Rate as of 30 minutes | 5.44 ftrunnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 30, 2018 |
River Description
Directions:
There are numerous put-in and take-out spots, as this river follows Route 30 as it runs into the Connecticut River. The first 11 miles or so is a mix of sections of flat water with class 1 rapids and occasional, simple, class 2 rapids.
The section most often run by whitewater kayakers begins at the confluence of the Rock River and the West River. This confluence is located two miles upriver from the Dummerston covered bridge on Route 30. There is a large parking area on the right as you head northwest on Route 30. There is one bouncy class 2 rapid just upriver from this point.
River Information:
The section upstream from the Rock River is primarily flat water and class 1, with occasional class 2 rapids. There is a bouncy class 2 rapid just above the confluence with the Rock River.
For a description of the river from the confluence of the Rock River downstream, see the Rock River to Connecticut River section.
River Features
Take Out
Put In
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportRan this section 5/18/12 and found the river to be in great shape. Frankly, I was surprised to see how little storm damage there was. There were 2 strainers worth noting. The first was on an erroded bank (east bank) where a few large pines had fallen in the river. The 2nd strainer was less than 2 miles down stream from the eroded bank; look for a large tree mid-river (only one branch visible). Otherwise, the river was clear and storm damage almost non-existent. I speculate that the dam upstream was used to minimize flooding as there was alomost no sign of debris until the Rock River joined the West.