Coosa, Alabama, US
|
|
CR 213 or the dam to River Road
| Usual Difficulty |
I-II(III) (for normal flows) |
| Length |
7 Miles |
Bryan surfing at Moccasin Gap
Bryan surfing at Moccasin GapPhoto of Bryan by Van Atkins @ 8000cfs
Gauge Information
River Description
The Coosa River is one of the largest volume whitewater runs in the Southeast. The majority of the
run is flat and the Spanish Moss up in the trees and occasional alligators should alert paddlers
that they are in the deep south. The major attraction of the Coosa is the annual rodeo at Moccasin
Gap rapid. Moccasin Gap is reputed to be the southern most Class III rapid in Alabama. While an
easy Class III drop it presents some exciting play spots and the rodeo is always a great event. Of
all of the rivers in the Southeast the Coosa is one of the few whitewater runs where powerboats can
interrupt a rodeo. The play spots and rapids outside of Moccasin Gap are all Class II in nature but
the local rocks are extremely sharp and can rip up boats or boaters. There are alternative put-ins
below the dam that require crossing private land. These are often open during the rodeo.
See
Alabama Whitewater
for info.
Lat/longitude coords are approximate, from TopoZone.
StreamTeam Status: Not Verified
Last Updated: 2007-04-16 23:30:41
User Comments
shuttle for me after their last normal one. According to them the river runs @ 2000 CFS weekdays
with recreational releases much larger on the weekends. I ran it on a weekday...its a decent
beginner run, nothing too scary but introduces them to most of the different things they'll face on
other whitewater (wavetrains/holes etc). With a huge flatwater paddle on either side. I probably
won't run it again on weekday flows in a WW kayak though...too much flatwater. It'd be a great run
in an open canoe though.