Paddling Alone with Paul – Branch River – April 10, 2020

Paul running Whipple Drop

The virtual office closed early yesterday, so I took advantage of Thursday’s rain to paddle alone with Paul on the Branch River.  We arranged our own shuttles (thanks Michelle and Fran) and social distancing was maintained at all times. In fact, I barely talked to Paul. 

The level was 4’, 400 cfs.  We didn't paddle up to the dam, but we had easy runs through Whipple Drop, Glendale and Atlas Pallet. There were quite a few blow-downs, but only one that we had to carry over.

Room of Doom in the old Oakland Mill

We were surprised to see the changes at the Oakland Dam. The obstructions above the old mill are gone, and the entire river now flows through the mill into the old raceway. The Oakland Dam was high and dry. Based on the well-worn path through the mill, over the dam and into the woods on the other side of the river, it looks like it has been that way for a while. 

The impound above the dam has dropped a couple of feet, and below the dam the river is low until you get to the point where the raceway rejoins the river. From there down it didn’t seem to be any different. Mike said that this also happened back in the 1990's when he was running the Branch River Race, and that it will probably take a couple of years to clog back up with enough debris for water to flow over the dam again - we'll see.

Socially distant on the Oakland Dam

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My Pictures

Branch River Gage
Clear/Branch from American Whitewater