Hiwassee, Tennessee, US

1. Appalachia Dam to Appalachia Powerhouse (Dries)

Usual Difficulty	III-IV (for normal flows)
Length	4.8 Miles
Avg. Gradient	32 fpm
Max Gradient	70 fpm

River Description

From the Hwy 68 access, the first three and a half miles are extremely overgrown with trees and vines. Its all flatwater. At high flows this area could be lethal and is the textbook definition of a strainer. DO NOT PUT IN AT THE HWY 68 BRIDGE. I REPEAT DO NOT PUT IN AT THE HWY 68 BRIDGE OR THE DAM. ALL YOU WILL GET ARE MILES OF STRAINERS TILL THE NEXT ACCESS POINT.

After the Turtletown Creek confluence there are still some trees in the river but nothing that obscures boating. The river opens up at this point.

There is an alternate and probably preferred put in almost at the Turtletown Creek confluence. (Remember DO NOT PUT IN AT THE HWY 68 BRIDGE.)

So lets say it loudly, there is no good reason to boat the stretch of the Hiawassee between Apalachia Dam and Turtletown Creek. There are no rapids. You will be boating 3.5 miles thru a forest of trees, vines, strainers and rootballs. Use the Turtletown Creek access. Its also a much shorter shuttle.
From Turtletown Creek to the Apalachia Powerhouse is 5.7 miles at an average of 40 fpm. Using the Turtletown put-in makes for an 8.5 mile shuttle, all on dirt roads. Putting in at the Hwy 68 bridge is a 9.2 mile run with a 17 mile shuttle to the Apalachia Powerhouse, 11 of those miles on dirt roads. Be aware the roads can get rather muddy after a lot of rain.

When we ran the Hiwassee in May of 2003 we were able to take out on river left at the appalachia powerhouse. There was a small parking area for hikers and fishermen. Reports from Feb. 2004 say that TVA does not allow parking any more at the powerhouse.

Approximately one mile from Turtletown creek marks the start of the rapids. The river begins with a class IV or III series of ledges and shoals. The difficulty of the rapids is partially the choice of the boater.

More fun rapids follow downstream. The recovery pools are quite large between almost all of the drops.

The stretch marked on the topo maps as the narrows has some suprisingly boily funny water.

Recent flow example

DATE	HEADWATER ELEVATION	TURBINE DISCHARGE	TOTAL DISCHARGE	RIVER FLOW	DAY
05/13/03	1275.90	2559	6622	4063	t
05/14/03	1276.71	2552	6604	4052	w
05/15/03	1276.62	2560	6477	3917	t
05/16/03	1277.14	2555	5153	2598	f
05/17/03	1277.69	2536	3542	1006	s
05/18/03	1277.16	2529	3534	1005	s
05/19/03	1279.04	2525	3007	482	m