Chippewa Flowage Lake Association

CANOEING & KAYAKING INFORMAION


Neskoro Boy Scout Troop and their Canoe de Nord

GOOD CANOEING AND KAYAKING WATER FLOW LEVELS

* CFS = Cubic Feet Per Second
CONDITIONS:
POOR: The Drought Level - This is the level the Voyagers called 'The Grand Misery' when one spends more time walking the canoe (discharge') or getting hung up with a kayak than one does enjoying the view.
MINIMAL: The Low Rain Level - when traveling is a pain, with a number of discharges north of Bishop's Bridge.
GOOD: The Normal Rain Level - When the traveling is easily doable with the occasion discharge' required by those who do not know where the gravel bars are.
PRIME: The Good Rain Level - When the traveling is the best - Crooked Rapids is fun, and fast
CONDITIONAL: The Wet Stretch Level - this level occurs when during a normal water spring summer or fall we get a number of moderate (1-2 inches) rain fall days in a row. Watch for erosion and snags and gravel bars moving  on the river.
DANGEROUS: The Sudden Rain Incident Level - this level occurs when Spring Run off has hot weather and a notable rain event (a couple of inches) at the same time, or during a Freshet (heavy storm) in the 3 or more inch range in the early summer or late fall. Difficult exiting river and bank erosion problems, with a constantly changing bottom (the river bottom is being scowered)
FLOOD STAGE: The Sand Bag Level with water flowing over the Arpin Dam (Even in Logging Days they avoided traveling by river at these levels because of the washing out of banks and trees falling into the river) it is difficult to get off the river before going over the Arpin Dam.
 
RIVER FLOW*
Canoeing Condition
Kayaking Condition
Drift Time to Arpin Dam
Level of Occurance
< 250 CFS POOR POOR more than 6 hours Rare
250 - 300 CFS POOR POOR about 6 hours Late Summers, Late Fall and Spring normal range of flow
300 - 400 CFS POOR MINIMAL about 6 hours Late Summers, Late Fall and Spring normal range of flow
400 - 500 CFS MINIMAL GOOD about 6 hours Late Summers, Late Fall and Spring normal range of flow
500 - 900 CFS GOOD PRIME about 5.5 hours Normal Summer and Winter flow
900 - 1800 CFS PRIME PRIME about 5 hours Normal Summer and Winter flow
1800 - 3000 CFS CONDITIONAL CONDITIONAL about 4 hours Occational during Spring Run Off, Summer/Fall heavy freshet
3000 - 5000 CFS DANGEROUS DANGEROUS about 3.5 hours Once or twice a Decade - Spring Run Off, Summer/Fall heavy freshet
5000+ CFS FLOOD STAGE FLOOD STAGE less than 3 hours Rare

The Current River Flow Can Be Found at
The USGS Real-Time Water Data for USGS 0536000 CHIPPEWA RIVER AT BISHOPS BRIDGE NEAR WINTER, WI
 

PORTAGING AROUND THE WINTER DAM

 
 

RIVER MAP BETWEEN THE WINTER DAM AND THE ARPIN DAM


INVASIVE SPECIES AND WATER QUALITY CONCERNS
SAWYER COUNTY ZONING SUMMARY (PDF file)
AUGUST 2007 CHIPPEWA FLOWAGE FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN (PDF file)
 (NOTE: The Chippewa Flowage Lake Association does not endorse this management plan and we note that the water level comments in the plan do not concur with  Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions requirements.)
If you have any corrections, comments or possible additions please contact me.

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