Great Miami

I've paddled this in a R2 10 foot RMR raft at 2500, 2500, and 4500 CFS. The eddie lines at 3500 and 4500 were great for eddie catching practice. This river has lots of solid eddies that you can use for class 3 white water move training. I'd say there are probably 8 really solid eddies to catch on this short float.

3500 CFS and above the water is really moving. Quick trips. At 4500 CFS its probably a 90 minute trip.

Overall this is a solid run for white water fundamental practice. Dont expect crazy fun rapids though. This is a class I at most. Calling this class II is a huge stretch.

Happy paddling!

Oh btw, both put-in and take out have great boat ramps.

We did this route yesterday 6/16/18--Water levels were normal, no recent storms and no warnings present. To anyone else is considering this route--- this is not for recreational kayakers. We've kayaked for years, but this was challenging and one of us almost died. No one was on the water on a highly popular kayak canoe day for weather this weekend. Our boats took on so much water in some of the rapids, one of us went under and the boat had to be retrieved--the other kayaker had to swim to shore. Ironically--the 'Death Hole' was where he went under, though it states it is fairly harmless.Just beware. Do some research, if you're not experienced, don't take your chances. Of course, WEAR LIFE JACKETS--they saved a life yesterday.

A small group of us met at the base of Blue Rock Road for a bit of Park and Play at the ledge just downstream from the bridge, adjacent to the softball fields. Water level was around 650 cfs, which is supposedly too low to be runnable, but let me tell you, the ledge where we were playing was just fine for surfing and practicing ferries, peel-outs, S-turns and just about any other basic WW moves you need to work on. We also found it to be a great place for combat rolls. We were at 50 hole last week. This was much better.

hit this section 3/6/10 and it was About 4000cfs. Photos taken of the strainers... at that level it was easily passable by staying just right of the wave train, or on the right side of the wave train.
They sit just out of view of the bridge, as the river makes a sharp left hand turn, and drops over a gravel shoal. Head River right / center above the bend, and you can easily portage it, or boat scout safely.
the take out has become very clogged with wood. Reccomend you access the take out ramp by ferrying across downstream of the growing woodpile on River left.

this is part of the strainers

the second half (downstream end)

This is a great surf wave just after Blue Rock (river left). Can reached by eddying out near the ball fields

The 'Death Hole' can be a park and walk and play. Just park at the Dravo parking lot and walk up stream to the end of the soccer fields. There will be a path at the end of the fence. Walk down the path and you will see the hole. Somewhere between 4500 cfs and 7000 there is an ok hole that forms. at 5600 it's pretty much a front surfing green wave, but it is likely that at the right level a haystack will form making it much better.

Above 2500cfs, the river left eddyline of DH has enough water that you can work ends without getting tickled by 'that one rock that always gets you at lower levels'. At lower levels you usually thump the end of your boat on at least one rock if you stay vertical to far downstream.

At about 5k, 'Death Hole' fills in and builds up a compression wave with easy eddy service. River right side still offers consistantly better play than river left.

Little or no technical expertise required. One or two tight turns, at least one with a strainer. Be alert, however, for strong cross-currents at confluences of divided current. These can tend to be grabby at higher water levels.

Undecked canoes will likely take on significant water at higher levels if they choose to run the taller haystacks. Easier routes are almost always available, however.

The safest routes under Blue Rock Bridge to avoid the strainers on the bridge abutments are either all the way river right or river left. River right is the easiest, but misses the play spot under the bridge on river left. This play spot washes out above 3000 cfs or so.

Eggleston Park is another put-in that is perhaps a quarter mile shorter. The first rapid after that put-in has a great set of ferry waves that run most of the width of the river. You can leave a bicycle at Dravo Park and ride back to your car easily. Some decent waves and generally continuous rapids until the takeout river left at the old bridge abutments. A fun run for the whole family with relatively big water in comparison to the Little Miami or Whitewater rivers.

A great place to learn to surf.

Great play spot under Blue Rock Road bridge. Can be ferried from bank to bank. Diagonal cross-currents river right even allow upstream ferrying back to river center. A sporty (albeit somewhat dangerous) ferry is into the one-boat eddy downstream of the most upstream bridge piling in the background and immediately under the large strainer piled against it. If that move starts to go bad there is
room to peel out on either side (note: this move can not be recommended at high flow rates).

Its not what it looks like

Really, it's not what it looks like

The take-out is river left before the first bridge pile.

Look closely for Roger's Victory Roll.