Baird Creek, Wisconsin, US

Moon Valley Drive to end of gradient (0.6 mile)

42921.jpeg

42921.jpeg
Photo of Bairds Creek by David Konshak taken 04/09/08 @ II

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
BAIRD CREEK AT SUPERIOR ROAD AT GREEN BAY, WI
usgs-040851325	75 - 400 cfs	I	01h28m	3.9 cfs (rc= -1.0 )
	Low, scrapey, no fun. Gauge (drainage=15.7 sq.mi) is just upstream of put-in, thus very accurate for flow in reach, tho update times and flashiness reduce its utility.

River Description

Quick Facts:

Location: within Green Bay city limits, east from downtown.
Character: Small creek, in a park, with short bedrock ledges.
Shuttle Length: 0.6 miles (carry up).

Put-in is approximately 662' elevation.
Take-out is approximately 610' elevation.
Thus total elevation change is approximately 52'.

General Overview

  This short reach lies wholly within a city park, through which there is an excellent system of trails for hiking and for off-road biking, plus a brand new (summer, 2010) paved path. Put-in at the Moon Valley Drive bridge, just off of Baird Creek Road, within I43 passing overhead. A series of short ledges in this little creek will provide busy entertainment for whitewater boaters -- great fun if you have the skills and proper equipment, significant danger if you do not have the skills and healthy respect for the technical nature of this run at moderate-to-high flows!  Caution is urged, as deadfalls and snags are common, especially later in this reach. Get out as soon as the gradient peters-out and deadfall becomes plentiful. This will maximize the fun, minimize the frustration and danger, and minimize the hike back to your vehicle. Carry up and do it again!

It is highly recommended (virtually mandatory!) to walk the whole reach before putting on, to be aware of the overhanging trees and snags and deadfall in the river, and carefully assess your ability to navigate the twists and turns. At virtually any boatable flow, there will be very few (and small) eddies. If you can't catch a 'one boat eddy' (or if you don't even know what that means), you should not be in a boat on this tiny creek! Any downed tree or substantial overhanging branch is potentially deadly if you are swept into it! And there WILL BE downed trees and overhanging branches!

Technically, the actual rapids almost never rate above a class III. However, at anything above bare minimum flows, you need a proper whitewater boat, and skills more in the class III-IV range! Contrary to logic or expectation, smaller creeks like this can be more dangerous than some larger rivers, precisely because they will have so much UNAVOIDABLE overhanging shrubbery and deadfall, and essentially need to be in flood to run, meaning there won't be many eddies. You will be swept into things, and the strength of the current can make it impossible to get you or your boat out of the flow. If you are not a strong, experienced whitewater paddler, expect to lose your paddle and possibly your boat if you flip or swim.

This is a fine 'companion piece' to other runs in the area. (Devil's River, Bower Creek, Neshota/West Twin) It is quite likely that these will all be 'up' at the same time. All are short runs, allowing for a 'daily double', or triple, or quad even!

For what it's worth, while topo maps show additional gradient upstream, (1) there is little convenient access (other than hiking up), (2) the stream is generally narrow and very brushy, and (3) it lacks the bedrock foundation which creates the rapids in the listed reach.

Special Note: The real HUC for this reach should be 04030204. It has been 'faked' below to allow this reach to 'sort' (when listing is pulled up 'by drainage') into the "Southwestern Lake Michigan" rivers, rather than the already bloated list of "Northwestern Lake Michigan" rivers. If this somehow causes problems for anyone using this listing, please send a message to the Regional StreamTeam Leader (which can be done via the "Add a Comment" button which should appear under the "Comments" tab).