Look for the new boards by local company Upstream Boards.
They are local, and focus on custom boards.
You never know. You might have some fun, and you might get a t-shirt.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Bulls Bridge at 1 on paint
At 11:30 am this morning, the level was about 1 inch over the block.
At 3:30 pm this afternoon, the level is just a little bit below the block.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ct/nwis/uv?site_no=01200500
(images in this post were left large so you can get a closer look at the gauge)
All of the minimum required flow ("Fish Flow") comes from a gate on the side of the canal, just above the head gates. (See flow at middle-right of picture) Anything that goes over the dam is extra, and starts to make the run more attractive to paddle. (See flow at top left of picture in main drop of Stairway Rapid) The painted gauge was worked out so that, during fish flow, the water level would be about 1 unit (not really feet) below the top of the block. The old schoolers call it "minus one" and the new schoolers call is "zero" or "fish flow". Either way, the top of the block is 1, and that takes water going over the dam.
The level at 3:30 pm today. Photo taken from middle window in the bridge.
Same gauge, same time (3:30 pm), different view (from river left, by the fence)
At 3:30 pm this afternoon, the level is just a little bit below the block.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ct/nwis/uv?site_no=01200500
(images in this post were left large so you can get a closer look at the gauge)
All of the minimum required flow ("Fish Flow") comes from a gate on the side of the canal, just above the head gates. (See flow at middle-right of picture) Anything that goes over the dam is extra, and starts to make the run more attractive to paddle. (See flow at top left of picture in main drop of Stairway Rapid) The painted gauge was worked out so that, during fish flow, the water level would be about 1 unit (not really feet) below the top of the block. The old schoolers call it "minus one" and the new schoolers call is "zero" or "fish flow". Either way, the top of the block is 1, and that takes water going over the dam.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Tree in approach to S-Turn rapid (Bulls Bridge on Housatonic in CT)
The view above is from the ledge that makes S-Turn rapid.
A = rock that makes the center staging eddy.
B = the new tree that blocks the left approach.
C = the rock that makes "Otto" Boof (autoboof)
Below is a closeup of the new tree.
And here is a photo of how it looks from the approach. All photos were taken from the river right side, at minimum/fish flow.
***(July 8, 2015 Update)***
Someone cut out the tree. The story is that it was moving downstream and blocking more approaches to S-Tun. The tree was cut into large pieces. Those large pieces are now center-left in Pencil Sharpener. When we paddled today, the level was 1 on the painted gauge, and the tree pieces were not in the way of the regular lines. That could easily change when the water level changes. Boaters should be aware of this.