Gauge Description:

Whitewater Releases:

American Whitewater is working aggressively to obtain regularly scheduled recreational whitewater releases (600 - 1000 cfs) for the second weekend of each month between June and September. This is contingent upon water availability and UPRC cooperation.

These efforts have worked very succesfully in the past, and have resulted in water releases for recreational purposes. However in 2009, the following text was posted on the Army Corps of Engineers Website: "Constraints have been placed on operations at Savage River Dam during the 2009 season due to a malfunctioning outlet gate. These constraints may result in a wider than normal range of lake elevations along with a slight increase in the possibility of flow over the spillway." You can view the text at their website.

2011 Releases:
6/5, 7/3, and 9/25

WHAT IS PLANNED REGARDING RECREATIONAL RELEASES?

American Whitewater is working aggressively to obtain regularly scheduled recreational whitewater releases (600 - 1000 cfs) for the second weekend of each month between June and September. This is contingent upon water availability and UPRC cooperation.

DO NOT DESPAIR while you wait for scheduled releases. THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES in the spring when high water events get through the dam and bring the river up to runable levels. Most of the spring rain and snowmelt is held back by the reservoir but some events are significant enough to prompt the Dam folks to release runable levels of water.

During the spring 2002 season there were 15 DAYS that saw water levels above 400 cfs during daylight hours. Of these days 7 were above 600 and 2 were above 1000 cfs. (there was no evidence in the 2002 records to suggest that navigable water was held back for night release)

These events are most likely to happen in MARCH, APRIL, and MAY. I don't have the research to back this up but the days that the Savage is running may correlate to days when high water has blown-out your other favorite runs.

My suggestion if you want to log a run or two in on the Savage is to remember what you just read and check the gauge after these big events.

Finally, the race events normally occur around 1,000 cfs.