Bulls Bridge: Painted Gauge & Internet Gauge Correlations
Alden Bird’s book , “Let It Rain: The Whitewater Rivers of New England, New York, Quebec and Ontario” ISBN-13: 978-0615154077 has some data on gauge correlations from Dan St. Germain. While many people have complex systems to remotely figure out the level on the painted gauge, the one Dan outlined in the book is simple (and one that boaters have used for decades to decide if they were going load gear into the car to drive to the river). The table below has a version of the same system that I was taught 20 years ago (probably by Dan or someone who paddled with him).
The simple way to remember it is:
4 on the internet = 1 on the paint,
and every half step up on the internet is a whole step up on the painted gauge.
Internet gauge at Gaylordsville
(power plant operation normal)
|
Painted boater’s gauge on river right, below the bridge at regular put-in
|
4.0
|
1 (or a little lower)
|
4.5
|
2 (or a little lower)
|
5.0
|
3
|
5.5
|
4
|
6.0
|
5
|
6.5
|
6
|
7.0
|
7 (or a little higher)
|
It’s not perfect, but is an easy correlation that works within a couple of inches on the gauge. Close enough for boating!
If you don’t have Alden’s book, then I recommend picking it up. It’s a great resource!
According to the limited data from this past month, when the power plant is off, the following correlations exist.
Internet gauge at Gaylordsville
(power plant is off)
|
Painted boater’s gauge on river right, below the bridge at regular put-in
|
3.4
|
1 ½
|
3.7
|
2 ½
|
4.0
|
3
|
5.15
|
4 ½
|
7.5
|
7
|
Bulls Bridge gauge records from December 2014
(a bunch of numbers that don’t make perfect sense, but do have rough correlations)
Chronological Record
Date
|
Powerplant OFF/ON
|
Painted Gauge
|
online gauge
Gaylordsville
|
online gauge
TenMile
|
online gauge
Falls Village
|
11/30
|
offline
|
1 ½
|
3.40 (997cfs)
|
1.52 (154cfs)
|
3.05 (842cfs)
|
12/5
|
offline
|
2 ½
|
3.70 (1680cfs)
|
1.89 (246cfs)
|
3.43 (1230cfs)
|
12/6
|
offline
|
3 (low)
|
3.89 (1900cfs)
|
2.24 (352cfs)
|
3.62 (1379cfs)
|
12/7
|
offline
|
4 ½(high)
|
5.28 (3700cfs)
|
3.32 (793cfs)
|
4.67 (2470cfs)
|
12/8
|
offline
|
4 ½ (low)
|
5.00 (3320cfs)
|
2.77 (546cfs)
|
4.40 (2150cfs)
|
12/10
|
offline
|
7
|
7.53 (7510cfs)
|
5.47(2140cfs)
|
6.40 (4840cfs)
|
12/11
|
ON
|
6 ½
|
7.32 (7090cfs)
|
4.52 (1470cfs)
|
6.34 (4750cfs)
|
12/12
|
ON
|
5 ½
|
6.63 (5770cfs)
|
3.83 (1060cfs)
|
5.89 (4110cfs)
|
12/13
|
ON
|
4 ½
|
5.94 (4650cfs)
|
3.39 (828cfs)
|
5.09 (2990cfs)
|
12/14
|
ON
|
3 ½
|
5.31 (3740cfs)
|
3.12 (698cfs)
|
4.55 (2320cfs)
|
12/15
|
ON
|
2 ½
|
4.98 (3300cfs)
|
2.94 (618cfs)
|
4.30 (2040cfs)
|
12/16
|
ON
|
2
|
4.75 (3000cfs)
|
2.77 (546cfs)
|
4.16 (1900cfs)
|
12/17
|
ON
|
2
|
4.72 (2960cfs)
|
2.87 (588cfs)
|
4.06 (1790cfs)
|
12/19
|
ON
|
2 ½
|
no info
|
2.74 (534cfs)
|
4.16 (1900cfs)
|
12/20
|
ON
|
2+
|
4.60 (2820cfs)
|
2.55 (460cfs)
|
4.09 (1820cfs)
|
12/21
|
ON
|
1 ½
|
4.40 (2570cfs)
|
2.47 (431cfs)
|
3.94 (1670cfs)
|
12/22
|
ON
|
1 ½ (low)
|
4.28 (2400cfs)
|
2.42 (413cfs)
|
3.84 (1580cfs)
|
12/23
|
ON
|
1 ¼
|
4.21 (2300cfs)
|
2.42 (413cfs)
|
3.83 (1570cfs)
|
12/24
|
ON
|
1 ½
|
4.32 (2460cfs)
|
2.48 (434cfs)
|
4.01 (1740cfs)
|
Compared levels: powerplant ON vs powerplant offline
Date
|
Powerplant OFF/ON
|
Painted Gauge
|
online gauge
Gaylordsville
|
online gauge
TenMile
|
online gauge
Falls Village
|
12/21
|
ON
|
1 ½
|
4.40 (2570cfs)
|
2.47 (431cfs)
|
3.94 (1670cfs)
|
12/24
|
ON
|
1 ½
|
4.32 (2460cfs)
|
2.48 (434cfs)
|
4.01 (1740cfs)
|
11/30
|
offline
|
1 ½
|
3.40 (997cfs)
|
1.52 (154cfs)
|
3.05 (842cfs)
|
12/16
|
ON
|
2
|
4.75 (3000cfs)
|
2.77 (546cfs)
|
4.16 (1900cfs)
|
12/17
|
ON
|
2
|
4.72 (2960cfs)
|
2.87 (588cfs)
|
4.06 (1790cfs)
|
12/20
|
ON
|
2+
|
4.60 (2820cfs)
|
2.55 (460cfs)
|
4.09 (1820cfs)
|
12/19
|
ON
|
2 ½
|
no info
|
2.74 (534cfs)
|
4.16 (1900cfs)
|
12/15
|
ON
|
2 ½
|
4.98 (3300cfs)
|
2.94 (618cfs)
|
4.30 (2040cfs)
|
12/5
|
offline
|
2 ½
|
3.70 (1680cfs)
|
1.89 (246cfs)
|
3.43 (1230cfs)
|
12/6
|
offline
|
3 (low)
|
3.89 (1900cfs)
|
2.24 (352cfs)
|
3.62 (1379cfs)
|
12/14
|
ON
|
3 ½
|
5.31 (3740cfs)
|
3.12 (698cfs)
|
4.55 (2320cfs)
|
12/13
|
ON
|
4 ½
|
5.94 (4650cfs)
|
3.39 (828cfs)
|
5.09 (2990cfs)
|
12/7
|
offline
|
4 ½ (high)
|
5.28 (3700cfs)
|
3.32 (793cfs)
|
4.67 (2470cfs)
|
12/8
|
offline
|
4 ½ (low)
|
5.00 (3320cfs)
|
2.77 (546cfs)
|
4.40 (2150cfs)
|
Power plant is alleged to take 1800 cfs, but only seems to take 1200 – 1600 cfs. If they keep fixing the systems, they might actually take 1800 cfs again in the future.
1 comment:
Thanks for the great data Scott!
Basic linear correlation appears to work from BG 5' and down and it assumes the powerplant (PP) is ON.
Correlation: Bg = .0024*Fv - 2.33
where Bg is boaters gauge
Fv is falls village gauge in cfs
If PP is on then Fv = Fv + 800
in plain engrish:
1. from Fv 1000cfs every 400 cfs = +1" on Bg
2. PP off is +2' on Bg
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