mean a peppy stream featuring a lot of riffles and probably some light rapids as well. By contrast, a gradient of 1 fpm will be pretty slow (and if you’re paddling against a strong wind, you might even go backwards!).
Water level ( or streamflow)—a catch-all term for data collected about the flow and height of water in a stream or river at any given time—can be an essential element of planning a paddling trip. In many cases, water levels determine whether it’s a good time to go as well as whether the skill levels of the paddlers involved are appropriate to the trip being considered.
Sometimes a stream has to be caught at just the right time in order to paddle it—after a hard rain or snowmelt, for example. It’s almost always a bad idea to paddle a river when the water is very high; the current can be pushy, and there probably will be deadfall in the water. (And then, it could affect your plans when not on the water, as in the case of camping on a sandbar; if the river is too high, you might not even find a sandbar.) On the other hand, it’s impractical to paddle a river when it’s too low, as you will frequently scrape the bottom of the boat and sometimes have to get out and walk your boat.
That said, many of the trips suggested in this book are on waters that maintain consistently reliable levels and are relatively safe for paddlers of any skill level. See, for example, among the first few trips in Part One, Northeast of Madison. The Crawfish River B and Duck Creek trips are almost always prime for paddling, while I’ve recommended that you investigate levels further if considering the Beaver Dam River and Crawfish River A trips.
Profiles for such trips include additional information to help you determine whether levels are right. Sometimes, a quick phone call to an outfitter in the know is all you need; in other cases, it’s a good practice to seek out water-level tracking information from the websites of the government agencies that provide this service: the United States Geological Survey (USGS) or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), both of which use gages to measure water height and flow. (USGS uses one spelling, gage, while NOAA uses gauge.) Even though the USGS website acknowledges that the agency “has been measuring streamflow on thousands of rivers and streams for many decades,” deciphering those measurements in terms of making paddling plans can still be challenging, so stay with me here!
The first important point to note is that rivers and streams are long, and the trips I’m recommending compose very specific stretches of those ever-changing waterways. Likewise, the agencies’ tracking gages have specific locations, which don’t always correlate to the trips as suggested in this guide or with my recommended put-in/take-out points. Remember, though, that my goal is to suggest trips based on the criteria in Trips at a Glance, not the locations of measuring devices.
Another seeming discrepancy involves GPS coordinates. Those I provide in the shuttle directions identify put-in and take-out locations for making your trip plans; the GPS coordinates on the government websites identify the location of the gage that provides the measurements you’re observing. Where the USGS is involved, each gage is assigned a number, while the NOAA identifier is the name of the town or area in closest proximity.
So, to continue with our example of the first few trips in Part One: We see from my notations in “The Facts” that water levels for a possible Beaver Dam River trip are not reliable for every paddle jaunt, so here is my notation for it:
Gradient/water level 10 fpm/See USGS gage 05425912. The ideal level is at or above 200 cfs. At 300 cfs or higher, the river will be pushy and should be considered only by paddlers with good boat control.
We see already that there is a fairly steep gradient—10 fpm—which could suggest the presence of ledges or drops that create rapids; we also see that there is a recommended range of water flow—200–300 cfs—that paddlers need to target. As such, we definitely need to go online to determine whether the river’s levels fall within that range before heading out—in this case, to the USGS gage site (because I’ve already checked to see if the USGS provides information for that particular trip and provided the gage number where it exists). For trips where there is no corresponding USGS gage but there is one placed by the NOAA, I’ve prompted you to seek out the NOAA data instead.
Now you know to be alert to water levels whenever you are planning a paddling trip, and you know to make sure you seek out current water-level data before heading out. For a detailed explanation of how to read the online data provided by the USGS and NOAA sites (because it can be confusing at first), turn to Appendix D: How to Read USGS and NOAA Water Level (Gage) Data Online.
WATER TYPE The three types of water motion you’ll encounter on these trips are quietwater (or, in context of a lake trip, flatwater), riffles, and rapids (or whitewater). Whereas flatwater contains no current, quietwater hosts a gentle current that moves you downstream but nothing more; most of the trips in this book are on quietwater.
Riffles are little more than flickers on the surface—fun to be sure, but nothing to worry about.
American Whitewater’s International Scale of River Difficulty establishes a six-classification standard for rating how challenging a stream or river’s rapids will be for paddlers. Class I rapids are the easiest to maneuver, even for beginners, while Class VI rapids can be impossible or suicidal to run (think Niagara Falls). A Class I rapid, as opposed to flatwater, will feature swiftly moving water and small waves. A Class II rapid has more force, with waves as high as 2 or 3 feet. Class II rapids are appropriate for experienced paddlers or beginners who are paddling with others who can assist in a rescue if a run goes awry.
Only a few streams in southern Wisconsin possess continual runs of rapids. Therefore, most of the trips feature calm water punctuated by occasional manageable (Class I) rapids, and only one trip contains Class II rapids (Little Platte River). Often, the only rapids are “one and done” drops at isolated ledges or below bridges. Almost always, these can be portaged around. You will find several trips with Class I rapids but only a few that have sustained stretches of this kind of light whitewater (the Beaver Dam River and Baraboo River D trips, for instance). Keep in mind that water levels fluctuate daily, sometimes hourly. So, during high-water conditions, a normally Class I rapid could be technically considered a Class II.
CANOE OR KAYAK Due to the narrow and meandering nature of some of the streams included in this book, I have offered suggestions on which type of boat is better suited for a specific trip, canoe or kayak. With few exceptions, a canoe can go wherever a kayak can, but sometimes it’s easier in a kayak (as when low-hanging branches, low-clearance bridges, or slim pass-through situations are involved).
SKILL LEVEL As I’ve mentioned, this book strives to be all-inclusive, with some trips more suited for beginners and others for more experienced paddlers. I have made a recommendation for one or the other under skill level, although in most cases a trip will appeal to both types of paddler. For example, a beginner should not try her luck on the Mecan River on account of its meandering nature and occasional obstacles. Or a stream may simply be too long for beginners to attempt in one day. (Most folks new to running wouldn’t sign up for a marathon.)
Some streams in this book (such as Badfish Creek) will require good boat control and knowledge of reading a river, meaning you’re not merely at the mercy of the current like a runaway train without brakes and you can discern what obstacles lie ahead before encountering them. It simply takes experience (and maybe taking a lesson) to develop these skills. But just because some trips have skill levels rated as “Beginner” does not mean that experienced paddlers will be bored. Most of the trips in this book will appeal to both types of paddler simply on account of the opportunity they offer to witness natural beauty.
TIME OF YEAR TO PADDLE Recommendations
