Seekonk River - September 26, 2021

Cormorants on the shoreline

I had some time free in the afternoon, so I decided to head over to Pawtucket to paddle on the Seekonk River.

The Seekonk River is the tidal extension of the Blackstone River that begins just below the Pawtucket Falls. The two rivers could not be more different. The Blackstone is freshwater with lots of twists and turns, while the Seekonk is a wide-open saltwater estuary.

Division Street Bridge

I put in at Festival Pier off School Street and paddled upstream toward the Pawtucket Falls. I paddled under the Division Street Bridge, the Route 95 Bridge, and up to the Pawtucket Falls under the Main Street Bridge.

The Pawtucket Falls is the largest waterfall on the Blackstone River. As I looked upstream over the falls I could see the Old Slater Mill. Built in 1793 by Samuel Slater, it was the first successful water powered textile mill in the United States. Lots of potential for this section of the river, but unfortunately it still has a ways to go.

Old Slater Mill and the Pawtucket Falls

RICKA Picnic - Wickford - September 25, 2021

Heading out form Wilson Park

Once a year, the entire club gets together for the RICKA Family Picnic. This year's picnic was held at the North Kingstown Town Beach – a new location with great views of Narragansett Bay.

In the morning, Sea Kayakers made the crossing to Hope Island while Flatwater paddlers met at Wilson Park to explore the backwaters of Wickford Harbor. After the paddles, we all gathered under the oak trees at North Kingstown Town Beach for the picnic and awards ceremony.

Picnic and awards at North Kingstown Town Beach

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Quinebaug River Canoe Trail - East Brimfield Lake to Holland Pond - September 18, 2021

A foggy start t the trip

We were looking for something close to home, so we ended up back on the Quinebaug River – this time the section from the East Brimfield Lake to Holland Pond.

The Quinebaug River arises above East Brimfield Lake and flows generally southeast for 60 miles through MA and CT to Norwich where it joins the Willimantic to form the Shetucket. I have paddled several sections of the Quinebaug including this section as a RICKA trip in 2007, Sturbridge to Southbridge, Fabyan to West Thompson,  Putnam to Dayville/Brooklyn and Danielson to Canterbury.

Swamp Maples have turned

East Brimfield Lake was created by the Army Corps of Engineers with the completion of the East Brimfield Dam in 1960. The dam was part of flood control work after the devastating floods of 1955. East Brimfield Lake now includes Long Pond - a natural body of water that was incorporated into the dam's pool as the water rose. Upstream of the dam are over 2,000 acres of flood control land that can be inundated when the reservoir is filled for flood control, including Holland Pond.

Between East Brimfield Lake and Holland Pond the Army Corps of Engineers created the Quinebaug River Canoe Trail – a 3.6-mile section of the Quinebaug River that meanders through forest and marshland. Boat ramps are located on Long Pond, on East Brimfield Lake and at Holland Pond. There are three "rest stops" along the river with benches for a quick rest. There were fire rings at stops 1 and 3, but overnight camping is prohibited.

Eagle at Holland Pond

We met at 8:00 a.m. at the boat ramp on East Brimfield Lake. The river was at a nice level at 3.2 feet, 100 cfs. on the East Brimfield gage - it gets scratchy below 50 cfs. East Brimfield Lake was infested with milfoil – an aquatic weed that makes it difficult to paddle, so we didn’t paddle down to the dam. A sign at the boat ramp said that the milfoil was being treated with a chemical herbicide – we'll see how that works.

It was foggy and misty as we headed out, and the swamp maples along the banks had turned bright red. We took a break at rest stop 1 before continuing up to Holland Pond. The water was too high for us to paddle under the Holland Pond Bridge, but we decided to portage over to Holland Pond anyway. It is a small pond, but we were fortunate to see an eagle high up in a tree. The river was moving nicely as we headed back downstream to the take-out.

Paddling with Bill

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My Pictures from 2007 RICKA Trip

Quinebaug River Canoe Trail

East Brimfield Gage

Quinebaug River Paddler's Guide

Holland Pond and the 1955 Flood

River Bend Farm - September 12, 2021

Jim and Phil head downstream

I had family obligations this weekend, so I stayed close to home and did an early morning run at River Bend Farm. The river was at a nice level – 4.5 feet on the Northbridge gage after peaking at over 10 feet after Hurricane Ida. I put in at the Visitor Center and paddled up to the Goat Hill Lock in Rice City Pond before crossing over for the run down the river. I met a couple of kayakers (Jim and Phil) as I was beginning the river run, so I ran the river section with them.

Hartford Avenue Bridge

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Northbridge Gage

Trip Description from the BRVNHC

Upper Millers - September 4, 2021

Heading out

Like everywhere else on the east coast, Hurricane Ida dumped a ton of water on us here in southern New England. I was planning to lead a RICKA flatwater trip on the Pawcatuck, but it was just below flood stage so I had to cancel. One door closes and another opens - I was now free to paddle one of my favorite whitewater runs - the Upper Millers.

The Millers River arises in north-central MA and flows generally west for 52 miles to merge into the Connecticut River at Millers Falls. There are two sections that are popular for whitewater boating – the Upper Millers from Royalston to Athol (class II/III), and the Lower Millers from Erving to Millers Falls (class II/IV).

Pictures at the first RXR Bridge

I got an early start so I could drop my boat off at the put in on Blossom Street in Royalston. Then I headed down to meet the crew at the take out on Crescent Street in Athol. The weather was beautiful – sunny and in the mid 70’s.

The kayakers outnumbered the open boaters on this trip with 6 kayaks and 4 canoes. If you are a Millbrook canoe fan, there was a 20/20 and 2 Shachos. I was feeling a little old school in my royalex Outrage. The level was around 1,200 cfs – a nice open boat level. The river alternates between class II and III rapids, with some quickwater in between. 

Running Mile Long

The first class III rapid starts just below the put-in and continues down to the first railroad bridge. After a bit of quickwater, the second class III rapid – Mile Long - begins at a sharp left turn. The last class III rapid is the Gorge that begins after an island after some class II rapids below the big waves at the lunch spot. 

I spent my time dodging rocks, bouncing over waves and dumping out my boat. Still it was a great day.

Great day on the water!

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Birch Hill Dam Gage

River Description from American Whitewater

Quinebaug - Danielson to Canterbury - High Water Run - September 3, 2021

I got together with Paul, and we decided to start off the Labor Day weekend back on the Quinebaug River for another run on the section from Danielson to Canterbury. 

We ran this section last weekend at 3.6 feet, 600 cfs on the Putnam gage. Today it was closer to 7’, 3,000 cfs. – just below flood stage, but still up in the trees with fast moving current. The rapids were still there, but there we no rocks to dodge – just long wave trains with 1’ – 2’ rolling waves. The biggest waves were at the broken dam with about a 3’ wave at the bottom (I found a sneak route to avoid it), and the rapid above the Wauregen Road Bridge (Route 205) with some large 3’ waves on the right at the top. I found a sneak line through the center, but the waves pushed me over to the trees on the left by the time I reached to the bottom. 

I brought my Outrage, and I was glad I did. The run only took us an hour and a half. I left my camera in the car, so no pictures from the run. I did get these at the take out.

Water Flow on the Upper Millers

There are a few USACE gages that help indicate the flow on the Upper Millers:

Birch Hill Dam - out-flow fro the dam at the top of the run.
https://reservoircontrol.usace.army.mil/nae_ords/cwmsweb/cwms_realtime.ProjectPage?gagecode=BHD

South Royalston – gage at the put-in
https://reservoircontrol.usace.army.mil/nae_ords/cwmsweb/cwms_realtime.riverpage?gagecode=ROY

Tully Dam – additional flow from the Tully River
https://reservoircontrol.usace.army.mil/nae_ords/cwmsweb/cwms_realtime.ProjectPage?gagecode=TLD

Athol – flow below the take-out and the Tully River
https://reservoircontrol.usace.army.mil/nae_ords/cwmsweb/cwms_realtime.ProjectPage?gagecode=ATH

According to Kaz, you can deduct the flow from the Tully River from the flow in Athol to determine the approximate amount of water in the river between South Royalston and Athol. I usually just look at the outflow from Birch Hill Dam or the South Royalston gage.

Reflections on the Pandemic – 19-Months Later

It has been 19-months since this pandemic began, and it continues to turn our lives upside down. We now have effective vaccines to stop the spread of this deadly virus, but with vaccine resistance hospitals are still full and people continue to die. Tragically, COVID-19 has killed more people in the US than in all the wars of the 20th century combined. 

If we have learned anything from this pandemic, though, it is the devastating effect of social isolation and the importance of physical activity. Throughout this pandemic paddling has been a lifeline for me. Now that I work at home, there is no better way to escape the house than to paddle.

During the initial lock-down, I did my paddling alone and close to home. As restrictions were lifted, we started to meet in small groups for up-and-back trips that didn’t involve a shuttle, often early in the morning before the crowds filled the parking lots. Now that I am vaccinated, my trips have a more normal feel. We are outside and socially distant. If we need to shuttle, we can roll down the windows and wear masks. The risk seems relatively low.

The restrictions of the pandemic forced all of us to look at familiar places in new ways. We realized that it is not necessary to travel to enjoy a day on the water. Lately, whitewater trips have taken a backseat to local flatwater trips. Crashing waves have been replaced with easy currents as I once again explore the twists and turns of nearby rivers and streams. No matter where we are it is great to be outside with friends and disconnected from depressing news and social media.