Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US

B) Hampton Ave.Dam to North Ave.Dam (PnP or up to 3.7 miles)

Timber Dam (2)

Timber Dam (2)
Photo by Rob Smage taken 04/13/09 @ 540 cfs

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
Milwaukee River Winter Gauge
virtual-50980	1.00 - 3.00 ft	I-II(III)	01h37m	~ 0.76 ft (rc= -0.2 )
	Likely too low for much worthwhile if ice is indeed present. (Onsite inspection may reveal possible play at Timber Dam/Locust or North Ave.) Winter gauge manipulates USGS stage reading in attempt to show *possible* flows. **MUST CONFIRM WITH ON-SITE VISUAL**
MILWAUKEE RIVER AT MILWAUKEE, WI
usgs-04087000	120 - 9999 cfs	I-II(III)	64d07h33m	514 cfs (rc= 0.5 )
	Good intermediate range. May be 'ideal' flows for full run. (See 'Flow Info' tab for details.)

River Description

Quick Facts:

Location: Glendale/Milwaukee, starting about 4.5 miles north of downtown Milwaukee, ending 2 miles northeast of downtown.
Shuttle Length: 3.8 miles. (See details in "Directions" Tab.)
Character: The (relatively) deep, tree-surrounded river corridor creates a green oasis in the city. Rocky shoals, bedrock ledges, an old timber dam, and paver-block remediation create random areas of riffles, rips, and minor rapids.

Put-in is approximately 610' elevation.
Take-out is approximately 580' elevation.
Thus total elevation change is approximately 30'.

I believe this stretch of river gets a (largely unfair) bad reputation regarding water quality due to media harping on the MMSD every time there are CSOs (Combined Sewer Overflows). In spite of the 'deep tunnel project', millions of gallons of untreated mixed rainwater and sewage are dumped into area rivers at times of heavy rains. At one site alone, there are pumps capable of contributing 250 cfs (~6.73 million gallons per hour!) into this river. I feel it is even more important to note that even absent a CSO, street and lawn runoff (especially after a significant period without rain) contain extremely high levels of contaminants which can be worse than untreated sewage. For this reason, it is generally advisable to avoid this reach during and immediately after any significant rains. In general, the bulk of contamination will pass two days (48 hours) after the CSO/rain-event. (At times of heavy rains, info about whether and where rivers are affected by CSOs will be posted on the MMSD Overflow Advisory website.) At all other times, this river actually is far cleaner and clearer than many Wisconsin streams!

Additionally, recreational users of this stretch of river should be aware that it has been identified as a 'hotspot' for PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls). Of particular note in this regard is the 'pond' above the Estabrook Park dam. (A major 'contributor' to the PCB load was located on Lincoln Creek.) All sediment on this reach should be considered contaminated. The best information I can find suggests that PCBs primarily bond with soil and are NOT generally water soluble. This would suggest that as long as you stay in your boat, and avoid stirring up any muddy areas, your risk of any PCB contact should be minimal.

While this run may be done as a 'dam-to-dam' run (the full reach listed), often whitewater play-boaters will eliminate the need for a full shuttle and just do a 'park-and-play' at the two or three main sites which can offer tame play even down to fairly low summer flows.

See "Flow Info" and "Rapids" tabs for much greater detail on this run.

"Timber Dam" (A.K.A. "Waterworks"), was built in the early 1900's by Schlitz Brewery for the purpose of harvesting ice from the river in winter. At lower flows (under 800 cfs), the river is constricted to about 1/4 it's width, flowing only through a gap toward the right side of the timber dam. Playboaters will find a small surfable wave here (at certain levels, flatspins are possible), but the bigger 'attraction' is the well-defined eddies, strong eddylines, and great depth. Work on bow stalls and stern squirts, pirouettes and cartwheels, or just practice peel-outs, ferries, and eddy turns. (I love doing 'figure eights', peeling out of one eddy, crossing the current, catching the other eddy, paddling up it a bit, then repeating the process coming back to complete the '8'. It's great practice for working on boat-leans and carving turns.)

One-thousand feet (~0.2 mile) downstream The Plague (at Locust) (directly under Locust Street bridge), a short rocky pitch (actually, almost as much cement rubble as rocks) can provide additional entertainment, mostly at low summer water levels. (This actually gets MORE interesting as water drops. Over 1000 cfs, it's nothing but splishy-splash chop. Down to about 500 or so, theres' a bit more happening, but still not much. It comes to its best below 500 cfs, and even down to 130 cfs!)
Canoeists and flatwater recreational kayakers are advised that this location actually becomes more dangerous at low water! Exercise caution here at levels under 200-300 cfs. A flip or swim may be brutal due to the shallow rubble in the drop and the run-out. If you have an 'out of boat experience', quickly assume the 'whitewater swimmers position' (face up, feet downstream, floating as near the surface as possible) to encounter shallow rocks with you feet first, your butt second, and your back (protected by the PFD which you should be wearing!). Do not try to stand up or grab your gear until you are in the calmer water in the pool below the drop. There will be plenty of opportunity (and at less risk to yourself) to regather your gear in the slower moving water. Consider portaging ('beach' your boat on rocks at river-right, carry or drag across to lower pool and put in), or take the bypass channel at far river-left (left of the bridge pier). It may be a bit shallow and scrapey at lower flows, but it should be less dangerous!

The site of the former North Avenue Dam is the second area of 'best' entertainment possibilities, since this is where the most concentrated gradient and (arguably) best play features exist (at least, at good flows, as detailed in the "Flow info" tab). Unfortunately, some of the formerly best features here have been greatly diminished by highwater in spring and summer of 2008. This area will get scrapey at low summer flows, especially about midway down this stretch, where shallow rocky rubble fills the entire riverbed. Under 150-200 cfs, unless you are really good at picking your line, you can expect to at least hit a few rocks, if not actually grind to a complete halt!

Boaters electing to hit any of the play sites (but not do the full run) can either paddle a 'short shuttle' section or drive between the various Park-and-Play spots, since they all occur where they can be accessed from convenient parking.

Since the river is one of the larger watersheds in the area (at 696 square miles), it will generally retain adequate flow (for novice/intermediate play at Timber Dam/Locust and/or North Avenue) after other rivers in the area are too low to boat. However, as noted in the 'Flow Info' tab, at levels between 500 and 1000 cfs (give or take), there is much to be said for enjoying more of a down-river experience, adding the variety of a few other playable spots available on the 'full run'. While there will be regular reminders that you are in the city (radio towers, three large bridges you'll pass under, occasional houses, highrises, and factories visible from the river), the river sits in a decently deep, tree-lined valley, making it a pleasant 'escape' from (and almost possible to forget) the bustle of the city surrounding the river.

Another 'bonus': Both the Timber Dam / Locust Street location and North Avenue location allow boating after sunset, by street lights on the bridges as well as the general 'glow' of the city. (Disclaimer: both locations are in what may be somewhat questionable neighborhoods. I have boated both locations a good number of times after sunset with no problems or concerns arising, but won't swear to that always being the case.) 

The North Avenue location will sometimes allow winter paddling, as it can often remain (or flush) free of ice. Extreme caution is urged for those who choose to boat this in winter months. Rip-rap rocks on shore will often be icy, and the river just downstream of this stretch will be frozen over. Mis-steps and miscalculations (or swims) will be punished (perhaps with your life if you flush under the ice). Make certain you check the ability to get out (especially if there are ice-shelves from shore) before putting in! It is strongly recommended (for any winter paddling, when ice is present on shore) to get out at the pool below 'Showboat', before dropping down the next broken rubble rips, as exit from the river below is generally much more difficult and potentially dangerous!

If you're an avid off-road cyclist, bring your mountain bike along. There are challenging (unofficial) single-track trails each side of the river from North Avenue to Capitol Drive, complete with a few 'stunts' (if that's your thing). My subjective evaluation (with a disclaimer that I'm at best a novice off-road biker):

river-right (west bank) (north or south): novice,
river-left (east bank) north (upriver): high-intermediate,
river-left (east bank) south (downriver): expert.

Additional References

Milwaukee Riverkeeper provides a fine map (via GoogleEarth) which covers this reach of river.

Post-flood (June, 2008) addendum

Flooding which occurred spring and early summer 2008 was particularly unkind to whitewater enthusiasts for this section of river. The 'lesser' features in the earlier sections of the river are largely unchanged. However the North Avenue area, formerly best for whitewater play, has been greatly diminished.

The left-most part of the wave at 'Shadow' (the sweet 'sit-and-spin' wave-with-pile under the upstream edge of the North Avenue bridge) sometimes loses its pile and barely allows more than front-surf or back-surf opportunities. That river-left part of the wave still does serve to give access to the center-river wave, which does have a decent trough and small pile, and will still allow surfs and spins (for better boaters), though it also is less retentive than in the past (again, at levels from 400-800 cfs). At levels from 800-1200 cfs, the wave is a pretty good surf, and seems perhaps a bit grabbier (as in, tripping up your edges) than it had been before.

Downstream through the North Avenue area, quarried rock rubble which had been piled on river-right in a few spots (which created eddies and pushed some of the flow to center-stream) has been randomly redistributed downstream. As a result, 'Typewriter' barely exists (minor surfs from 500-800 cfs). At levels from 800-1200, the 'set up waves' (between 'Typewriter' and 'Showboat') can offer very interesting surfs. 'Showboat' is a small trough-wave which comes-and-goes, which (at it's best) can be minimally surfed (and only rarely can be spun on), thus will hardly be found to be worthwhile entertainment by many whitewater boaters. There is now at least one good-sized rock (in the pool/outflow area from where 'Showboat' used to be) which is large enough and shallow enough (at most playable flows) to be at risk of serious impact in the event of a flip here. Additionally, from midway down the North Avenue stretch, until the flanks of the old dam now supporting the footbridge, the entire streambed is large, angular, rocky rubble.

As a result, the whole North Avenue area is much less a destination for playboaters than it had been in the past.