White, Washington, US
|
|
3. Buckley to Auburn (Lower)
| Usual Difficulty |
II (for normal flows) |
| Length |
12.5 Miles |
| Max Gradient |
48 fpm |
Kayaking the White River
Kayaking the White RiverPhoto of Michael Deckert by Thomas O'Keefe В© taken 01/06/08 @ 960 cfs
Gauge Information
River Description
This is one of the most remote river corridors in the Puget Sound lowlands and one of the few
places with more than 10 miles of river uninterrupted by any bridges or riverside development. A
few houses are visible high atop the bluffs but otherwise the river is the domain of fish,
wildlife, and birds. This legacy of a protected river corridor is the result of the lands being
owned by Puget Sound Energy, and efforts are underway to conserve this undeveloped river corridor
for future generations.
As a whitewater run the best rapids come in the first 1/3 of the run with plenty of fun class II
rapids. Towards the middle 1/3 of the run the river spreads out into channels that shift from
year to year along with wood hazards. Because of this wood hazard this is not the best beginner
run and you can expect to portage a couple times. The final 1/3 of the run has a slightly more
defined channel and some rapids but not quite as frequent as at the start. All along the run high
bluffs of glacial outwash sediments record the geologic history of this river valley.
StreamTeam Status: Verified
Last Updated: 2004-07-09 17:22:20