Sugar Creek, Arkansas, US |
|
| Usual Difficulty | II+(III) (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | 6.2 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient | 50 fpm |
| Max Gradient | 65 fpm |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch Creek at Waltreak, AR | ||||
| usgs-07260000 | 5.00 - 10.00 ft | II+(III) | 00h46m | 4.45 ft (rc= -0.1 ) |
Beware of downed wood in some of the willow jungles and the low water bridge above Knopper's
Ford. This bridge is in a blind corner with many willows obstructing the view with fast current
making for a dangerous combo. Watch for the yellow/orange blaze on trees and stop to portage
before entering the willows above the bridge. This bridge is about 1/2 mile below the house on
river left along a long pool in the creek.
This is a sweet class II+ to III creek as the name sugests. Consists of small ledge type drops
with a few larger ones thrown in to go along with some tight willow jungles.
The first rapid 'Wake-up Call', just below the put-in bridge, is a short offset drop next to a
small bluff wall. Some of the bigger rapids are located within the next mile. Some nice ledge
drops are located between the hazard bridge and Knoppers Ford. The largest drop 'Sugar Falls' is
located at the end of a series of ledges below Knoppers Ford. The Falls is a 3-4 foot ledge with
the most popular routes being down the a narrow tounge or a tight boof on the left side.
*The cited 'reference' gauge (on Dutch Creek) should provide decent correlation, as its headwaters are south of Sugar's. Also look for the Petit Jean near Booneville to be going big as well. (however this gauge reacts slow as it is well down on the watershed.
There is a painted gauge on the downstream side of the middle bridge support at the Jack Creek Rec Area bridge.
Minimum = 1 foot
Optimum = 1.5 to 2 feet
High = >3 feet
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch Creek at Waltreak, AR | ||||||||||||
| usgs-07260000 | 5.00 - 10.00 ft | II+(III) | 00h46m | 4.45 ft (rc= -0.1 ) | ||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4y62d13h30m | Sugar Creek [AR] |
Strainer on Upper Sugar Creek
|
1 foot | david brauer |
| 5y89d22h30m | Sugar Creek [AR] |
Boss on the rock
|
low water | david brauer |
| 5y112d22h30m | Sugar Creek [AR] |
Take-out pool at Jack Creek Rec Area
|
low water | david brauer |
| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Wake-up Call | III |   |
| 0.3 | Willow Jungle Alley | | |
| 1.0 | Strainer |  | |
| 5.0 | Knopper Ford pool |  | |
| 5.5 | Entrance to Sugar Falls | | |
| 5.6 | Sugar Falls |  | |
| 6.2 | Take-out pool at Jack Creek Recreation Area |  |
Looking up at Wake up callA steep drop along side the river right cliff, turning towards the left.
Willow Jungle AlleyFrom the pool just below Wake-up Call, the creek runs fairly straight through a series of rapids and ledges for almost half mile. There are eddies throughout and at least one good side surf hole. This long section of the whitewater ends with a sharp turn toward river right along massive rocks on river left. There is rock in the run-out at the very bottom that forms a hole at higher levels that can flip the unsuspecting paddler.
Strainer on Upper Sugar CreekThere is a strainer blocking the main channel on the upper section of Sugar Creek. The strainer is located in a rapid that comes after one of the first long pool on the creek. The course of the creek turns to the right as it exits the pool. The strainer is blocking the main channel on river right. The strainer is visibale from the top of the rapid. It was possible to bump down the left channel at a level of 1 foot on the guage. The left channel would be easier at hgiehr flows. Distance from putin is a very crude approximation.
Pool at Knopper 's Ford at low waterPool adjacent to Knopper Ford campgrounds (USFS). Just above is a fairly good rapid at optimum flows. This photo was taken at very low water. Just downstream, paddlers need to takeout to cross a low water bridge. Can be used as put-in for running Sugar Falls section or a take-out.
Entrance to Sugar FallsRapid is described in the description for Sugar Falls.
Sugar Falls at a Low but runnable levelSugar Falls is located between the low water bridge at Knopper's Ford and the Take-out at Jack Creek Recreation Area. Approaching to the falls Sugar creek follows a backward C shape course. This approach can be recognized by a slab of rock extending into the creeks path that has a barb wire running across it. The initial part of this course is through rocks and willow jungles. The second part consists a few small ledges. At most levels, there are eddies on river right from which Sugar Falls can be scouted. At higher flows, most people boof off the thumb/finger projection of the ledge on the river left side of the level. At lower flows, there is a tongue that can be run just right of the finger proection (see AW photo 39920). There is a huge pool immediately below the falls. If yu carry up along the river right bank to re-run the falls watch out for the remains of a barb wire fence.
Take-out pool at Jack Creek Rec AreaPool typically used as a take-out for runs on either Jack or Sugar Creek. Photo was taken at a very low flow. Recreation area is closed. Camping is permitted upstream at Knopper's Ford.
Paddling may be possible downstream of Jack Creek Recreation Area if a take-out is identified.
reach
state
reachlink
NFR 19 to Jack Creek Rec Area (6.2 miles), Sugar Creek Arkansas, US (mobile)
User Comments
strainer that comes into play below 2 feet on the visual gauge. This strainer is creek wide and
located just above the staircase ledges, about 2/3 of the way between the two low water bridges. It
is hard to see from upstream when enetering a fast narrow chute leading to the staircase ledges. It
is not a hazard at 2 feet and above; most paddlers at higher levels think they have gone over a
ledge!
cable is located in section between Knopper Ford low water bridge and the dangerous low water
bridge upstream, so between the 1st and 2nd low water bridges. Reports indicate that the cable is a
hazard to boaters, and visible only a short distance upstrea. From reports convened to me, the
cable apparently is located in the right chute of the rapid that currently has a strainer blocking
the center chute.
still in place. At higher flows a chute left of center can be used to avoid this strainer. There is
a new strainer on the middle section between the two low water bridges. This strainer is in the
second half of the section, where a chute drains off the river right side of a pool. It is visible
from the top to the rapid. There may not be an easy way around this one when at higher flows. No
fences were observed on today's run. The river left chute through willow jungle below the Knopper
Ford's low water bridge was more open than in previous years. Start center of the left chute and
work your way left.
could replace the missing section of fence at any time. Also there is a bad strainer in the upper
section (between the 3rd and 2nd low water bridge). The strainer is blocking the typical right
chute through a willow jungle. This willow jungle is just after the second or third pool from the
upper putin. There is a chute to river left that is bony at 18-24 inches on the gauge but passable.
There are several pinning rocks at the very end of rock wall rapid. Rock wall rapid is just past
the cabins on river right in the upper section. The rapid has two distinct phases. The first part
ends with the flat rock protuding from river right. The second part is just below the short pool.
It is the end of this second part of the rapid that pinning rocks abound.
Ford low water bridge and the next low water bridge upstream, 2nd upstream bridge.
due to a willow jungle. An eddy upstream of the bridge on river left has been marked with a yellow
blaze painted onto a tree. A trail between the bridge and eddy has been marked with yellow blazes
also so that paddlers can view the eddy during the shuttle.