Millville Rapid - February 11, 2023

Millville Rapid under the Central Street Bridge

I didn’t see any trips posted for today, and the Papa Joe hike was out in Hingham, so I decided to stay local and take my canoe out for a few laps at the Millville Rapid. 

Millville is one of the oldest, and one of the youngest towns in Massachusetts. Originally settled in 1662, it was organized as Mendon's South Parish in 1766, and became part of the town of Blackstone in 1845. It wasn't until 1916 that it was incorporated as an independent town. 

Historic mills in Millville

Early in its history Millville was primarily a farming community. A saw mill and grist mill were operating along the river by 1725. By 1830, woolen mills lined the banks on both sides of the river and the Blackstone Canal had been completed linking Providence to Worcester (Millville Lock downstream). Growth would continue with the competition of the Providence & Worcester Railroad in 1847 (Triad Bridge site downstream). Millville would eventually become home to a large rubber mill, which would become part of the US Rubber Company (later Uniroyal) in 1892. Remnants of this industrial past can be seen in the foundations and mill races along the river.

My original plan was to paddle upstream from the Blackstone Gorge, but the current was strong and it was pretty windy. Instead, I drove up to Millville to put-in upstream of the Central Street Bridge. I parked on Bow Street next to the Post Office and carried my boat down to the river. The river was at a nice level – 3.8 feet on the Northbridge gage, 8.4 feet, 570 cfs on the Rt. 122 gage. I did a several runs, but wasn’t very good at catching them on video.

Millville Rapid from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

This one earned me another poem from Tom on p.net:

Sixty-four degrees of frost!!!

River bottom’s no longer tossed,

nor shaken, stirred, while on the rocks,

non-migratories stuck there in blocks,

along with depths once on the go,

now one big sheet of H-2-Nooo

you don’t take fresh air facial

or black-n-blue frost bites all glacial!

“I’m just going outside and may be some time.”

(be sure to bring the ponies in)

TW

Blackstone Gorge – May 30, 2020

Millville Rapid

Jonathan is up in Maine, I hadn’t heard from Bill, and I needed to go run some errands for my parents, so I decided to stay local and paddle at the Blackstone Gorge. Its a nice up-and-back trip for these COVID-19 times. 

The parking lot was empty when I arrived at around 8:30, but full when I got back at around 11:00. The river was 3.5 on the Northbridge gage, 7 ft., 275 cfs on the Rt. 122 gage – plenty of water for the paddle up to the Millville Lock. I had to walk my boat though the shallow water below the Millville Rapid, but the rapid itself was fine. I tried to carry my boat up to the top of the rapid, but the path under the bridge was completely overgrown, so I gave up half way up.

Millville Rapid from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Links:
My Pictures
My Video

BRNHC Trip Guide

Northbridge Gage

Rt. 122 Gage

Another 50°Day – River Bend Farm to the Millville Rapid - January 27, 2018

Broken Dam at Route 16

We had another nice warm day, and Jonathan and Conrad were willing to head south to paddle the nine-mile section of the Blackstone from River Bend Farm in Uxbridge to the Millville Rapid in Millville. The day was warm, the river was up (4 feet, 500 cfs), and the winds were gusting up to 40 mph. 

The first half of the trip is quick water as the river twists and turns through the woods. After it absorbs the Mumford and West Rivers about half way down, the Blackstone opens up and there is more flatwater. There are two small rapids that get all the attention - the Broken Dam at Route 16, and the Millville Rapid at the end. Here I am with Bill running the Millville Rapid.


Millville Rapid from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Links:
My Pictures
My Video
Paddle Guide - BRVNHC
Northbridge Gage

River Bend Farm to Millville with Mike B. - November 15, 2014

Mike running the broken dam at Route 16

I had a good time yesterday paddling with one of my oldest paddling buddies – Mike B. I started paddling seriously in 2005, and I think I did my first trip with Mike in 2006. I was a newbie; he had been paddling for years. I did my fist poling trip with Mike, did some of my first whitewater trips with Mike, and did my first extended overnight camping trip with Mike.

Yesterday, Mike, Frank and I got out to paddle the Blackstone from River Bend Farm to the Millville Rapid – about 9 miles. It was a very leisurely trip. We put in at around 10:30 and got off the river at around 2:00.

Franks running the Millville Rapid

Considering how low all the rivers are around here, the Blackstone was at a decent level - 3.5 feet, 500 cfs on the Northbridge gage. Nothing tough, but there were enough twists, turns and blowdowns to keep things interesting.

About half way through the trip we broke one of the cardinal rules of paddling – staying together. As we approached a fork in the river, Mike took the left channel, and Frank and I took the right. I thought that we would reconnect just downstream, but it was probably more like a mile. Just as we were both starting to wonder what happened to the other, we hooked back up.

Temp’s were in the mid 30’s yesterday, and by the end of the trip my feet were starting to get pretty cold. Winter paddling is here! Other than that, it was a great day all around.

Running the broken dam at Route 16

 Links:

My Pictures

Northbridge Gage 

It’s all brown and grey – Millville Rapid - November 9, 2014

Triad Bridge

The pretty fall foliage is gone, and all that remains are shades of brown and grey.  

I headed over to Millville and put my boat in the water on the Blackstone off Route 122 just above the Triad Bridge.  This allowed me to skip the long section of flatwater above the Blackstone Gorge.  I paddled up past the Millville Lock, portaged the Millville Rapid, and continued upstream towards Uxbridge.  

There was more water in the river than I expected, so I quickly got bored with paddling upstream, and headed back for a little fun in the Millville Rapid.

Millville Rapid

Blackstone Gorge to the Millville Rapids - April 21, 2012

I paddle from the Blackstone Gorge up to Millville, and checked out the Millville Lock along the way. 


Blackstone Gorge to the Millville Rapids from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

River Bend Farm to the Millville Rapid – May 30, 2011

Ran the section of the Blackstone River from River Bend Farm down to the Millville Rapid. We had 7 boats and 8 paddlers - 2 canoes and 5 kayaks. It was nice to have two younger paddlers in the group - Tim and Doug. Don and I paddled tandem.

Day started out cloudy and rainy, but cleared up by mid-day. River was at 3.5 ft, 525 cfs. on the Northbridge gage. There is lots of quickwater on this trip, but the highlights are the broken dam near the Stanley Woolen Mill (Rt. 16) in Uxbridge and the Millville Rapid.

Surfing at the broken dam 

It was a nice way to spend Memorial Day.

Links:
My Pictures
Northbridge Gage
River Bend Farm to the Blackstone Gorge from BRVNHC

Blackstone River - Route 16 to the Gorge - May 31st

Had a nice trip this morning with Bob B. and his son Tim. We put in at Route 16 in Uxbridge around 8:30, and took out at the Blackstone Gorge around noon - left plenty of time for an afternoon cook-out.

I thought the water below Route 16 might be a little low, but it was actually fine (3.4 ft on the Northbridge Gage; 7 ft, 200 cfs on the Route 122 Bridge Gage). There were a lot of trees down between Route 16 and Route 122, but we were able to paddle around all but two - it made for some tricky paddling for Tim who was out in a kayak for the first time. He did great. The Millville Rapid was low, but still fun.


Blackstone River - Rt. 16 to the Gorge from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Links:
River Guide from the Blackstone River National Heritage Corridor

Millville Rapid - August 30th

Well, we didn’t get as much rain as we hoped for, but five of us (Eric, Andy, Jeff, Paul and Erik) did get out for an easy run on the Blackstone – 10 miles from River Bend Farm to the Blackstone Gorge. We did get enough rain to bring the river up nicely - 3.75 ft on the Northbridge guage. There were lots of strainers, but nothing that we couldn’t float over or around. Got a chance to try our my new camera at the Millville Rapid – broke my last one when I dropped it on the kitchen floor. The new camera is a Pentax Optio W60 - HD video is cool.


Millville Rapid from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Links:
My pictures
My video
Jeff's video