Quote:
Originally Posted by JPTolson
Other than the gage on Slippery Rock, are there any painted gages on bridges of launch ramps for these creeks, or do levels correlate well with any USGS gages?
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That's a tough one. As you know there aren't many USGS gauges in the area that are on the smaller creeks - most are on the main rivers. That makes it hard to gauge when they're running.
You guys are familiar with Neshannock, and its loose relationship to the Slip gauge. The only other gauge around there is the Shenango at Transfer, and that is dam regulated.
East Sandy Creek is fairly well linked to the Oil Creek gauge at Rouseville. Look for 3.5 feet on the Oil Creek gauge, but be aware that E. Sandy rises before, and falls before, Oil Creek. So if the Oil Creek gauge is dropping and just a bit above 3.5 feet that means that East Sandy already dropped and its too low. Same with a climbing gauge - if Oil Creek is climbing and maintaining that rate of climb, but is below 3.5 feet, it is likely that East Sandy is ahead of that climb and will be good to paddle.
For the other creeks what I usually do (and its far from fool proof) is look for high levels on the Slip guage at Wurtemburg - at least 3000 cfs. If the gauge is climbing, or just recently peaked, it will usually mean that there's a good chance that there will be something running in the Allegheny gorge area. So then I'll head east on I-80 and get off at exit 35 to check on Scrubgrass Creek - it's the closest to the highway and easiest to get to.
If the level is good on Scrubgrass then that can be the destination for the day (you can judge by the water level at the Rankin Chapel Road bridge - if its runnable there the level is good). It has a easy foot-shuttle run that is just over a mile long, but can be done several times. Or if you have multiple vehicles and feel like an adventure you can put in on the next road up and boost the difficulty level from class II to class III.
If Scrubgrass is HIGH then I'll head east to Deer Creek, which empties into the Clarion River on the other side of the Allegheny. This is another one you judge by the level at the take-out bridge on Huckleberry Bridge Road. This run is about 4 miles, with 24 class II rapids - one of my absolute favorites in the area.
If the level at Scrubgrass looks like its at least enough to paddle there is another opportunity probably at Bear Creek, about 10 miles further south on the Allegheny. This one might be a wee bit tougher than Deer Creek, but it's pretty straightforward for the most part. Judge the water level by looking at the take-out bridge on the S. Jackson Road extension.
My boats haven't been getting enough water time lately and I hope to get some decent runs in this year. If water levels rise and I'm heading out I'll remember to post up here. There will definitely be some lower level runs (say 300 cfs) of the lower Slip coming up soon.
Steve Z
EDIT: Almost forgot to mention checking where the precip fell. You can use the Accuweather map for precip in the last 24 hours and compare it to this map I made:
http://www.waldensridgewhitewater.co.../WesternPa.jpg
It will help pinpoint which of the small watersheds actually got the most intense rainfall. Using that map can really improve your chances of finding the right creek after a heavy precip event.