Oswegatchie, E. Branch

3. Dam to Brown's Fall Road(Brown's Bridge )

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DifficultyIV-V
Length1.4 mi
Avg Gradientn/a
GaugeWest Branch Oswegatchie River Near Harrisville Ny
Flow Rate as of 38 minutes
252 cfsbelow recommended
Reach Info Last UpdatedSeptember 8, 2022

River Description

The Brown's Bridge section of the East Branch of the Oswegatchie (that's a mouthful) is a short but fun run that is located near the town of Fine on the West side of the Adirondack Park. Because of its short length it is an excellent choice if you would like to combine several runs into one day. The rapids (especially the 2nd) are not the typical pool drop that are found in many of the other area's rivers. There is no gauge that I know of for this run so you have to stop and check it out to find out if it is running. The take-out is east of Fine on a road called Brown Falls Rd (off RT 3). Turn northish on Brown Falls Rd, take out is at the bridge. To get to the put-in you can either walk or drive up a dirt road until you get to a large dam. The road has a gate on it but is sometimes open. I am not sure if it is a private road. There is some boogie water below Brown's Bridge but there is not another takeout for quite a while. There are only 4 major rapids on the run so make sure you combine this run with another branch of the Oswegatchie or one of the many branches of the Grass which are in the area.

Other area runs:  South Branch of the Grass, Middle Oswegatchie, Middle Grass, Lampson Falls section of the Grass, East Oswegatchie, West Oswegatchie.

I made up the names of the rapids. If you know the name of any of these rapids let me know and I will change them on the AW page.  Thanks

Governour - Cranberry Lake Area Reaches:

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River Features

Put-in

Distance: 0 mi
Access Point
Portage
Put-in

You know you are at the put-in when you see the very large dam.

Aqueduct Slide

Distance: 0.1 mi
Rapid
Aqueduct Slide

Aqueduct Slide is a long slide with some twists and turns.  It begins right below the dam and can be scouted from river left.

Newton Falls

Distance: 0.4 mi
Rapid
Newton Falls

Newton Falls starts with a slide, then there are a few holes to dodge, followed by a small slide into a hole, and then ends in a slide with several lines.  There are eddy's throughout the rapid.  We scouted the first part of the rapid left and scouted the last part from a rock in the middle.  Not sure if that was the best idea though.  Some big holes as the level goes up.

Brown's Falls

Distance: 0.8 mi
Rapid
Brown's Falls

Brown Falls is the meatiest on this section.  There may be a line to the far left but a mistake may drop you into a sieve filled with wood.  In the main line the river narrows and drops quickly.  Scout right.

All Over

Distance: 1 mi
Rapid
All Over

Straightforward slide thing.  Scout left.  The take-out bridge is right below this rapid

Take Out

Distance: 1.2 mi
Access Point

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