North Branch of Potomac River

JPTolson · 01-02-2015, 11:53 PM

For the adventurous and those willing to make the 4+ hour drive, here is the 2015 dam release schedule for the North Branch of the Potomac River. These releases supply water for a class II-III stretch of river known as the Bloomington run. The North Branch forms the boundary between Maryland and West Virginia. It's worth considering the drive to run this for those interested in some long stretches of whitewater. But always check with the Corps of Engineers first to determine if the release will go forward as scheduled.

mfdanko99 · 01-03-2015, 09:06 PM

Thanks JP, This could be a great weekend trip, I am going to have to look into this.
Thanks Again
Mike

swampboy62 · 01-03-2015, 09:50 PM

Done that one before. Swam Robin's Nest before too.

It's a pretty nice run, but it's a heck of a drive for mostly class II water.

I gotta say if you want a plannable whitewater date (i.e. dam release) that I really prefer the Lehigh River over in eastern PA. Very doable for intermediate paddlers, beautiful valley, bike trail up the river for riding a shuttle, camping right there. Plus it's like 5 minutes off the interstate, so the drive is fairly easy. Most of the rapids are easy to read from the boat, or you can check this site for an idea of what the 'best' line is:

http://home.ptd.net/~ab257/lehigh.html

Plus they expanded the number of dam releases a couple of years ago, so there are a good number of dates scheduled. Swam some rapids here too, for sure.

Steve Z

PS Another great dam release run within driving distance is the Salmon River, at Pulaski NY.

01-02-2015, 11:53 PM	#1
JPTolson Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Salem, Ohio Posts: 900 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	North Branch of Potomac River For the adventurous and those willing to make the 4+ hour drive, here is the 2015 dam release schedule for the North Branch of the Potomac River. These releases supply water for a class II-III stretch of river known as the Bloomington run. The North Branch forms the boundary between Maryland and West Virginia. It's worth considering the drive to run this for those interested in some long stretches of whitewater. But always check with the Corps of Engineers first to determine if the release will go forward as scheduled. Last edited by JPTolson; 01-03-2015 at 02:18 PM.

01-03-2015, 09:06 PM	#2
mfdanko99 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Champion, OH Posts: 1,265 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	Thanks JP, This could be a great weekend trip, I am going to have to look into this. Thanks Again Mike

01-03-2015, 09:50 PM	#3
swampboy62 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Warren, Ohio Posts: 141 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0	Done that one before. Swam Robin's Nest before too. It's a pretty nice run, but it's a heck of a drive for mostly class II water. I gotta say if you want a plannable whitewater date (i.e. dam release) that I really prefer the Lehigh River over in eastern PA. Very doable for intermediate paddlers, beautiful valley, bike trail up the river for riding a shuttle, camping right there. Plus it's like 5 minutes off the interstate, so the drive is fairly easy. Most of the rapids are easy to read from the boat, or you can check this site for an idea of what the 'best' line is: http://home.ptd.net/~ab257/lehigh.html Plus they expanded the number of dam releases a couple of years ago, so there are a good number of dates scheduled. Swam some rapids here too, for sure. Steve Z PS Another great dam release run within driving distance is the Salmon River, at Pulaski NY.