NEW MARKET, Va. - Savvy raft riders are learning to tap the Internet for water release and stream flow information before deciding whether it's worth travelling long distances to run their favourite rivers.
River velocity can make all the difference in the ride for rafters, canoers, kayakers and tubers, and can affect fishermen, too. It's determined by rainfall, natural releases from springs and tributaries, and controlled releases from hydroelectric or flood-control dams.
These days, the data is available to those who learn how to read it. Instruments placed along rivers record how much water is flowing past and transmit numbers - updated hourly - to satellites and then to agency websites.
"A medium flow usually means I'll go with a four-man raft and look for a good ride," said Mike Cassidy, an accountant from Greensboro, N.C., who regularly checks the stream flow numbers before making a four-hour drive to Class VI Mountain River, a whitewater rafting and resort operation at Lansing, W.Va.
"A slow discharge rate might mean using my one-man kayak because things won't be as wild. It all depends upon the river and the kind of ride a person wants."
The real-time data might be considered the whitewater equivalent of Hollywood's movie-rating system.
A low release generally means a shallow, choppy ride. Rafts become waterborne bumper cars, slamming into exposed rocks and scraping over sandbars. Give that trip a "PG" or parental guidance rating.
A medium release suggests streams running smoothly and with enough current to provide an enjoyable outing even for the nail-biting crowd. Label that "G," suitable for general audiences.
Fast water and plenty of it? That's when things get technical and adults-only. Consider this bouncy, spinning, rodeo-like ride "R" for restricted, not recommended for novices or the unwary.
In West Virginia, to pick one area, hydrologists with the Huntington District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers monitor 35 projects on the middle Ohio and Kanawha rivers. That represents more flood-control dams, levees and floodwalls than in any other Corps district.
"The rain falls behind our dams and collects there," said Peggy Noel, a corps spokeswoman. "We hold that until the rivers downstream have crested. Then we begin controlled releases. ... If there's a storm and we have to release more water than normal, then the releases would be higher."
What's good for flood control in this case also is good for river-based recreation, another element of the Corps' mission.
"The whitewater industry is knowledgeable about what our flow rates are, frequently posting them on their websites," Noel said. "They often schedule their trips based on which river is running with a high flow."
Having accurate stream flow information is a big advantage over simply "reading the rocks" before setting out on a day's rafting, agreed Dave Arnold, managing partner for Class VI Mountain River.
"Thirty years ago when I was just getting started in this business, we would paint stripes on big rocks in the river and use those as our yardsticks," he said.
"I'd drive my car down to the river at first light and check the painted rocks. That would tell me what kind of ride to expect. There were some definite safety issues with that. It's a much more calculated and safer business today because of the gages."
