Neshota/West Twin, Wisconsin, US

Zander Road to Hwy.147 (3.5 miles)

Lower Ledge of Devil's Meet

Lower Ledge of Devil's Meet
Photo by Rob Smage taken 04/27/09 @ Low boatable

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
MANITOWOC RIVER AT MANITOWOC, WI
usgs-04085427	800 - 4000 cfs	I	60d22h29m	~ 329 cfs (rc= -0.6 )
	Likely too low for enjoyable whitewater (~0-150 cfs). Lower reach OK as a float trip. Primary reference (Kewaunee R., 18 mi.NNE, drainage area ~= W.Twin). Secondary reference (Manitowoc R., 7.5 mi. SSE, ~4x the drainage, ~4x the flow).
KEWAUNEE RIVER NEAR KEWAUNEE, WI
usgs-04085200	200 - 1000 cfs	I	60d22h29m	~ 29 cfs (rc= -0.8 )
	Likely too low for enjoyable whitewater. Lower reach OK as a float trip. Primary reference (Kewaunee R., 18 mi.NNE, drainage area ~= W.Twin). Secondary reference (Manitowoc R., 7.5 mi. SSE, ~4x the drainage, ~4x the flow).

River Description

Since we are using a pair of reference gauges, they will often disagree on runnability of this reach!
Ideally, you will want BOTH gauges 'showing green' and rising (or at least holding relatively steady) to 'confirm' runnability.
One gauge 'green' and the other 'yellow/orange' should tell you it's a crapshoot -- it could be too low, or it could be sweet -- you have to decide if you're willing to risk the drive.

Quick Facts:

Location: About midway between Manitowoc and Green Bay (~20 miles to each).
Shuttle Length: 4.3 mile. (See details in "Directions" Tab.)
Character: Fine rural trip has a mini-dells early on, and a couple short (6"-1') ledges, and a sweet series of waves/holes where the river slides down sloping bedrock just before the confluence with the Devils River.

Put-in is approximately 674' elevation.
Take-out is approximately 619' elevation.
Thus total elevation change is approximately 55'.

General Overview
A cute, small dells, and short bedrock ledges make a pleasant beginners paddle. This makes a great 'intro to whitewater' run, and is generally well suited for canoes and recreational kayaks. Be aware, however, that if you catch this at high water, the approach to the confluence with the Devil's River will push into class III (or III+) difficulty, and is VERY likely to swamp (capsize) your canoe or kayak. In fact, a couple of the holes will become very 'keepy'! Skirt them and it's a fun run, fail to skirt them and it's an almost certain 'yard sale' for all but the most experienced whitewater boaters!

Note: At the confluence with the Devil's River, the Nashota becomes the West Twin, one of the two rivers which give the town of Two Rivers its name. The "falls" marked on the topo maps on this reach are either non-existant, or so inconsequential as to be of no concern to all but the most inexperienced of boaters.

Also, while there is a 'falls' marked near a road on the East Twin (nearby), it appears to be on private property. There is little else apparent on that river in terms of gradient, so I strongly suspect it is a single minor ledge (on the order of a foot or so in height, probably much like the ledge at Nachtwey Road) with little else of whitewater merit on that branch, so I have not floated it. 

Alternate take-out is at Maribel Caves County Park. This eliminates about 1.1 miles of mostly flatwater and class I riffles, but requires a strenuous hike out, and is not readily identified from the river. I would highly recommend a visit to the park to hike the trails and find the caves, and drive past the ruins of the Maribel Hotel (a bit north of the park entrance on CTH.R).