Chattooga

A classic low water Chattooga day. It was very hot but we rectified that with some snorkeling in the current below 7'. Sammy found a swim through that was pretty cool.

Ran (R2 RMR Storm) at 1.2 on bridge gauge, about 1.55 digital if I remember right. Scrapy at Stekoa Creek Rapid and a few exposed gate rocks in Entrance. Other than that, feels like a good level for a first descent. Highly recommend against taking the right line at Entrance in a raft at this level - very bony and that's only if you make it.

Fun day on Section 4. Online was reading 1.59ft & bridge was showing 1.4ft. All rapids were clean down to the lake.

Ran Section 4 at 'low runnable' level--bridge gauge read 1.2 ft. Had to portage at Crack in the Rock because water too low to run any option. Middle crack stuffed with two logs and not passable. Right Crack water level was too low and rock too narrow to paddle through. But easy to scout and portage due to low flow at this level. Rest of Five Falls was runnable because the river channelizes so much; same for 7-foot falls. Otherwise lots of rock scraping to navigate upper rapids, but fine for a mild day and a PFD.

Paddled 11/5/22 with online gauge at 1.29ft. It was pretty low but I think it could be paddled even lower. First time running anything below Woodall. I think it was a good level for a first time trip, although I think a little more water would have actually made a few of the rapids easier. There is a log at the base of a large rock in the middle of the river at corkscrew. All of the flow goes river left. The log is at the base of a big rock that is on the far right side of all the flow. It really didn't factor into to the line, but as you know sometimes we get knocked off line and i could see someone ending up over there so it's something to be aware of. It was a really fun section even at the low flow.

Woodall Shoals - as of 7/7/2020 a large tree has fallen from the bank on river right and is blocking the entrance to the slide. We portaged to below the main hole via the scout rock. River level was 1.55 feet at the US76 bridge.

There is currently a new log in Center Crack on top of the log that has always been there. At ~1.4 (bridge) it makes the drop 4-5 feet tall. The landing can backender you powerfully. The log is moving up and down with the current so I don't think it's stuck all that tightly. More water is also flowing through right crack now. Look before you leap! EDIT: That log has been gone for a while but crack is always changing.

Watch out; sometimes the river will eat your face

Surfing Rapid circa 1976

Surfing Rapid circa 1976

Dwight runs Seven Foot Falls on Section 4

Stomping the Boof

We ran this section on July 7th 2012. Second day on the Chattooga with water running close to the first day on section 3 at 1.25ft. Great run with added adventure and difficulty. We lost Mark out of the Mini Me leaving Steve stranded. Amazing day with a lucky boat tow at the lake. I can't wait to get back in the water and run this section again.

Myself on left side woodall @ 2.9 ish

appx. 1.4'

Members of the River Management Society head out on a river trip to enjoy the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River and gain first hand knowledge of management issues on the river.

Where is your paddle Dan?

Ethan Talley, Chattooga IV

Kelli Anne Williams at The Dog

Hugh Barrow

crack n rock at 3.9'

socem dog at 3.9'

Joe Miller @ 7ft falls

I went down this run as well as section III on labor day weekend at 1.20 on usgs (online) gauge. We ran everything fine until we got to crack in the rock. The right and left cracks were too low to run, so we planned to go down the middle until when I paddled over there there was a large log blocking the way. We had to portage to the left on a rock and get back in but it was difficult because there was no banks so I threw my boat in and then I jumped in the river and climbed back in my inflatable kayak. I would try to get out on the river right though before I resulted to getting out on the left. Lots of scrappy shoals at this level.

boofing the left line

Stu Thompson at 7 foot falls; 1.1' on US 76 bridge gauge; Photo by Jack Shuler

1.1' on US 76 bridge gauge

At .98 rock jumble is a pain in the butt. Literally. It hurt. THe normal line is low to go. I drank from the river. Good times all in all. At 1.05 it is much easier cause you dont fall sideways on a rock and fall off of it. Rolling in rock Jumble stole my paddle. Found it when it wiggled loose a minute later. Rolling in rock jumble HAHA right if you like the taste of granite.

Is there anyone who does shuttles in this area? Me and my buddy are coming around may 14th but we know nothing about the area. We were gonna spend a couple days in charlottee and then go run secs 3 and 4 of this river.

The tree was not there on 1/01/09.

Ran the middle crack yesterday with no problems, but this was before the surge of water so there is no telling once again what may be in there.

Thumper swims through the pothole/cave at 7 foot falls.

The USGS has apparently changed some stuff with their formatting. AW's web developer is working on fixing this glitch.

Meanwhile, this handy table can help you make sense of the reading from above:

flow (cfs) stage (ft)

240 1.2

300 1.3

350 1.4

420 1.5

490 1.6

570 1.7

650 1.8

740 1.9

840 2.0

940 2.1

1040 2.2

1160 2.3

1280 2.4

1400 2.5

1550 2.6

Yuri paddles over the 2 new logs (one big, one
smaller) at the entrance to Middle Crack. There is
now more of a vertical pourover in the crack. It
flipped him, but he washed out and rolled up. The
rest of us portaged.

Brad's first run of the Chattooga. Didn't punch the set-up eddy line to run single drop and got to 'fire up' double drop.

No swims on his first run of Thrifts to Woodall - age 8.

SYOTR

Milton

This is video of WIll who i paddled with for the first time today. He said Corkscrew never stern squirts me. The river gods had other things to say about that.

A kayaker pegged the rock below and got stuck.
See I told ya
Lookin good so far?
Using his head really helped out on this run!

Nailing the boof at Sock em Dog

George in the Crack.

Which way do I go?

Ted Cookson running Corkscrew.

Dry hair. Oh wait, he doesn't have any hair!

7 Foot Fun

The Chattooga actually became part of the National Wild and Scenic River system on May 10, 1974. July 1, 1976 was the first day that it was illegal to boat aboe the highway 28 bridge.

Yes a new bridge is being built. However the existing paddler's gauge will be preserved, at least that is the plan at this point.

Bright Orange Gus, Bright Yellow Helmet, and a good line in Corkscrew.

The weather was truly fantastic this day, and the water level was just high enough to make for a very memorable day on Section IV.

John melts down big time at the Bull!

Mark Hammock looking at the meat of sock-em-dog

No paddlesnakes today.....

This was taken at Bull Sluice rapid a week after the effects of Hurricane Frances affected the area.

Right Crack looks like the tunnel of love at Ravens Rock underwater New

Forum: BoaterTalk

Re: right crack at chattooga by tarheel123 Nov 10 2003, 23:29 GMT New

Date: Nov 10 2003, 23:45 GMT

From: GA_CREEKER

I went scuba diving at Crack a number of years ago and went all around right/middle and left crack. The two rocks almost touch at the top of right crack. A large log (there used to be two) goes from the bottom of the river and is wedged in the top crease. The smaller logs/branches have collected horizontally like a beaver dam to seal most of the opening. No significant water went around the river right of the log but a lot of water goes around the left and under the big rock in the center of the rapid. This rock is undercut/overhanging just below the water surface and you can go back 5-7 ft from the downstream face. A good number of boats have gone through the passage but a body may have a higher likelyhood of snagging on one of the many branches forming the dam. I suspect that if the log ever rots/washes out the entire river would go through this slot and you would paddle under the rocks you go over now like a bridge.

Aside, you can walk into left crack and go under the rock between left and center crack and sit and watch the bubbles of center crack go by on one side (a 3x5 ft window) and the bubbles of left crack go by on the other side.

If a boater is ever stuck in left crack you need to push their shoulders/arms back into the drop until the water catches their torso. They will then wash under the pinning rock and free from the rapid. I've worked a recovery here and you cannot pull someone against the force of the water. There is lots of room under the pin rock (5-6 ft), which is why kayaks pin there so bad. Also a canoe or raft can be broached across the top of the drop significantly reducing the amount of water going through the drop.

Corkscrew is a tricky rapid to run smoothly. Christing did a pretty good job on one of the standard lines. She went a little bit wide at the top pourover, which meant that in order to avoid the meat of the haystack, she had to point pretty much straight downstream, which ran her into the hole at bottom right (left in the video). She punched through the hole like a champ though and had a good run.

A good rule of thumb is to come in tight next to the pourover near the top (on your right), then try to keep your boat always pointed somewhat to the left to avoid the hole.

Chad Werts running the Bull on the Chattooga River at 1.9 ft., Summer 2003. The girls on the rock are his kayaking groupies and they look tired. You da man Chad.

Section 4 playspots, from JBon boatertalk:

Not good play on section IV......good play on section III??????? Allow me to list out SOME of the playspots on section IV (level dependent):

1: Surfing Rapid

2: Hole above 7 ft.

3: Hole RIGHT above seven foot(not for the timid..better at

lower levels)

4: Pourover below little 7ft....can wheel on both sides

5: Surfing wave at bottom of Stekoa rapid

5: Long Creek hole

6: Turtlehead rock

7: Splatwheel rock at turtlehead (sliding splatwheel)

8: Wheelin' rock below Raven's chute

9: Splatwheel right below this one

10: Another sweet splatwheel spot..hard to describe where

11: Little Woodall....again not for the timid

12: Hole in slot above Crack..need a 100% roll for this one

one of my favorites lately

13: Quelude

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Lots of fun eddy lines and smaller waves and holes. Only take a creekboat if you're not going to play, or if you feel you need the extra confidence it'll give you. If you're a solid boater and plan on playing, you can have LOTS of fun on Section IV. There aren't ANY really fun playspots on Section III until the water gets above 2.5 ish. I do, however, agree a creekboat will feel better at the lake.

Aimee's first run of 7-Foot, not bad.

Nice line Pete!
5 Falls in October,does it get much better?

Mark Neisler runs Seven Foot Falls.

The Bull makes a great place to warm -up for section 4.
From the small eddie above this drop, Corkscrew can be seen. For me, this is where the butterflies begin to swarm.
Riding the crown, Dirk gains the speed needed to bust through the violent top hole.
George grabs 14 feet of air, landing clean with a brace and stroke.

The Bull makes a great place to warm-up or cool off

More Gauge correlations.

1.55 bridge = 1.7 USGS.

1.45 bridge = 1.6 USGS as of April 2002.

Welshman David Evans (aka Britmale) runs Jawbone for the first time. David came over on holiday and was fortunate enough to catch the Chattooga running at 1.7 during the drought of 2001.

A spectacular run off the launching pad at low water. This is the last of the famous five falls of Section 4.

Mark Neisler runs Middle Crack.

Definitely a highlight on the Chattooga, the picture does not do the rapid justice as half of it is out of frame. For a second there I thought I was at Cedar Point, but this ride has no track attached.
No squealers allowed--Michiganrafter about to be delivered over a mild Class IV Falls.

Innocent looking drop with serious consequences if you screw up.

Big Phil carefully lining up the nose of his boat for a blow on Handkerchief Rock.

Minnie Ofus survived--wetter and a little wiser--to paddle another day.

Ahh the Bull!

This was a fun trip. Myself and another experienced kayaker showed some rookies the true splender of Chattooga. It was my first time on one of these, and I was impressed. Handled quite well.

Here is one of the MANY paddlesnakes lurking beneath the surface of your favorite rapid

Ran down the middle, but instead of staying straight as instructed, I accidentally turned right, after first drop. Rock Jumble nearly got the best of me

This is the wave upstream of seven foot falls at about 3.3-3.5 ft.

Boof off of 'Knee Cap' rock river left on Bull Sluice Rapid.

This is the far left 'sneak'. The boater is the little dot to the left of the middle of the photo.

Last run of 'Knee Cap' in my Method Air. Fun Run!

This is a bunch of clips I put together with some good music in the background.

Could'nt afford full size K-2

A bad line.

A clean line on 7

George Hedrick checking out Right Crack’s sieve. For many years the sieve was plugged with logs and most of us didn’t even know it was there. However, recently it cleared just long enough to claim a life. It seems to be plugged again. Most of the water in the pool above Right Crack seems to be going under the center crack rock. Obviously there is another sieve there as well. (Photographed from the top of Center Crack rock)

Kevin running Corkscrew.

Perfect run!

Historic photos of rapids under the lake.
Historic photos of rapids under the lake.