Gauge Description:

This section has been dewatered, although runs after heavy local rain.  Check the gauges to determine if it is runnable.  To find the level when the flume is releasing, you can check out the Nantahala Cascades gauge.  When the flume is not running, you can check the regular Nantahala gauge and get a fairly accurate reading.  

Due to amount of water that Duke Energy has been releasing into the riverbed during the Winter 2009/2010, this section has changed character.  Usually, a good rain will bring anywhere from 250-500cfs, sometimes 1000cfs for a short period of time.  With the releases, the Upper Nantahala is maintaining at 700-1000+cfs.    

The beauty with this section is that there are many pull offs so you can choose your own run.  If the level is lower than 600cfs, a great run is to go from the fourth bridge to the third bridge.  It is a .9 mile long and focuses on the meat of the run.  It is feasible to do 3-4 laps on this section with a quick and easy shuttle.  After the first mile, you will find that the gradient tapers off and there are two big rapids left before it becomes mostly wave trains to the take out.  

To check Duke Energy releases, please go to the following page and click on the message next to Nantahala Lake.   

http://www.duke-energy.com/lakes/nantahala/nantahala-lake-levels.asp

Here are a few helpful guidelines you can use.

250-300 cfs: Good first timers' creeking introduction, class III

300-600 cfs:  Fun, padded level with eddies, holes avoidable, continuous class III+

600-1000+ cfs:  Suggest that you have good class IV river skills, a solid roll and rescue skills.  The eddies disappear and this section is continuous with some mean holes.  It resembles class IV more than III at this point. Some have said that this level resembles Lower Big Creek.