Bulls Bridge: Painted Gauge & Internet Gauge Correlations

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)
12/27	ON	4	5.36  (3810cfs)	2.42  (413cfs)	5.12  (3030cfs)

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.

http://youtu.be/d1Nt0s2_n6U

http://www.totalwhitewaterfun.blogspot.com/2006/06/stairway-is-getting-kind-of-funny.html

http://www.totalwhitewaterfun.blogspot.com/2006/06/georges-hole-at-1-12.html

http://www.totalwhitewaterfun.blogspot.com/2006/06/creek-practice.html

http://www.totalwhitewaterfun.blogspot.com/2006/05/fun-in-sun.html

http://www.totalwhitewaterfun.blogspot.com/2006/04/spring-has-sprung.html

http://www.totalwhitewaterfun.blogspot.com/2007/05/flume-housatonic-river.html

http://www.totalwhitewaterfun.blogspot.com/2007/05/stairway-rapid.html

http://www.totalwhitewaterfun.blogspot.com/2008/09/no-need-for-kayak.html

http://www.totalwhitewaterfun.blogspot.com/2009/05/bulls-bridge-video-just-for-fun.html

http://youtu.be/ec74KZygMpI




View from observation deck between Dead Horse and the main flow, looking down at The Flume.  This can be run direct, but setting up in the river-right eddy is often more accurate.  Note how Sollie hits the rooster tail at the lip of the drop and follows it down with right to left momentum.  He hits the line perfectly.