Housatonic - Falls Village Hydro 13.2 mi to Swifts Bridge, 9.3 mi to Kent


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Housatonic,

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Falls Village Hydro 13.2 mi to Swifts Bridge, 9.3 mi to Kent

Usual Difficulty II-III (may vary with level)
Length 22.5 Miles

Gauge Information

Name Range Difficulty Updated Level
HOUSATONIC RIVER AT FALLS VILLAGE, CT.
usgs-01199000 1200 - 10000 cfs II-III 02h46m 1620 cfs (rc= 0.0 )
Best boatable levels uncertain. Help us out with a comment or report.


River Description

Info on slalom races on the Housatonic.

Scott Barnes contributes:
Swift's Bridge is a small set of rips because the river is constricted by old bridge abutments. At super high levels there is a world-class wave/hole that forms, but I've only seen it twice in my boating career. Normally, the clan from Clarke Outdoors go down there to surf a very small wave and do some squirts in the summer, when the water is really low.

Directions to the Swift's Bridge play, also courtesy of Scott Barnes:
Directions: In Cornwall Bridge, CT, at the intersection of Routes 7 and 4 there is a road on the NORTH side of the road bridge that will take you under the bridge. Drive down that road (once you go under the bridge for a little bit. The road will bear right to go up a hill. You want to park near the trailhead that is at that point. You'll notice where the road used to cross the river (until the flood of 1955) and that is where the wave is. Regarding the existing bridge and the intersection of Routes 4 and 7: Baird's General Store and Northwest Hardware are on the WRONG side of the bridge. There is a gas station on the CORRECT side of the bridge. Just to make sure people get it right because roads go down to the water and under the big bridge on both sides of the river at that intersection.
Releases depend on how much water is around, so the best bet is to call Clarke Outdoors, (860) 672-6365.

Check out this article from the AW Journal archives. Also check out the Rattlesnake and Bull's Bridge sections.


StreamTeam Status: Not Verified
Last Updated: 2004-02-17 21:08:05

Cover Bridge Slalom race

Detail Trip Report Edit  Cover Bridge Slalom race  Housatonic, CT(4.17MB .mpg)

Race at Cover Bridge

Detail Trip Report Edit  Race at Cover Bridge  Housatonic, CT(3.06MB .mpg)

Cover Bridge Slalom race

Detail Trip Report Edit  Cover Bridge Slalom race  Housatonic, CT(2.58MB .mpg)

Last drop on Rattlesnake rapid

Detail Trip Report Edit  Last drop on Rattlesnake rapid  Housatonic, CT(343.52KB .jpeg)


Gauge Information

Gauge Description:

The minimum level ("stage") is about 4 feet on the Gaylordsville gage. The Falls Village Gage is new.

Gauge Information

Name Range Difficulty Updated Level
HOUSATONIC RIVER AT FALLS VILLAGE, CT.
usgs-01199000 1200 - 10000 cfs II-III 02h46m 1620 cfs (rc= 0.0 )
Best boatable levels uncertain. Help us out with a comment or report.

RangeWater LevelDifficultyComment
1200 -10000 cfs barely runnable-high runnable II-III Best boatable levels uncertain. Help us out with a comment or report.

Report - Reports of Housatonic Falls Village Hydro 13.2 mi to Swifts Bridge, 9.3 mi to Kent and related gauges

Reports give the public a chance to report on river conditions throughout the country as well as log the history of a river.

Reports

When River/Gauge Subject Level Reporter
Housatonic [CT] Cover Bridge Slalom race 1100cfs Paul Corey
7y188d05h15m Housatonic [CT] Last drop on Rattlesnake rapid n/a Bob Spooner

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Guidebooks



World Whitewater: A Global Guide for River Runners
$16.07


Classic Northeastern Whitewater Guide : The Best Whitewater Runs in New England and New York
$19.95


Let it Rain: A paddlers guide to northeastern US and Canada
$39.95

User Comments


2006-08-11 15:20:51 (1199 days ago)
Delete the 2001 posting on the Housatonic River. We lost. The license was issued in 2002 and the
Falls Village plant is now required to operate run-of-river. No more releases for paddlers. Betty
Lou Bailey, Adirondack Mountain Club, another intervenor.










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Rapid Descriptions

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