| Author |
Message |
canoedog
Member
Post Number: 45
Registered: 03-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 - 7:59 am: | 
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Anyone have any idea or info on the present water levels in the smaller rivers/creeks such as South Lady Evelyn, Ames and Pinetorch. Heading out next week and with our early spring and lack of rain I'm curious as to what I may find. |
chris
Member
Post Number: 123
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 - 8:34 am: |
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My guess, using the Sturgeon River as an indicator, would be that just as ice-out was a month earlier, the hydrograph is also advanced by a month - so expect early June like levels with a pronounced downward trend. With no significant rain forecasted - get out while you can!
(Message edited by Chris on May 2, 2012) |
jonebgood
Member
Post Number: 16
Registered: 06-2010
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 6, 2012 - 12:12 pm: |
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A potential canoe route has me paddling down the Sturgeon River from Stull Creek to the 680 m cross-over portage into Stouffer Lake.
Does anyone have a correlation between the flowrate measured at the Upper Goose Falls station and the type of canoeing that would be expected on the river (running rapids, lining, dragging, portaging everything - a long walk etc). I see that spring run-off flow often exceeds 100 m3/s, while after mid June water flows drop below 20 m3/s and dry summertime flow is down around 5 m3/s. Is there a minimum flow rate that would make canoeing this section of river more of a agonizing drag than a pleasurable paddle?
I am looking at trip in July or August so I am not expecting a completely "runnable" waterway, but at the same time I would like to know that the river is still "passable". By looking at the realtime flowrate of the Upper Goose Falls gauge, I could then decide to change my trip should the water flows drop below a certain rate given my planned trip dates. |
grncnu
Member
Post Number: 216
Registered: 08-2010
| | Posted on Thursday, June 7, 2012 - 1:12 am: |
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we did that stretch last august in what i would describe as EXTREME low water conditions.
definitely still passable and very enjoyable, no major delays at least going downstream.
no, you shouldn't count on much whitewater action. where you would normally run, you track, where you would normally track you drag, where you would normally drag you portage...
so i wouldn't worry about it unduly... |
jonebgood
Member
Post Number: 17
Registered: 06-2010
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 3:14 pm: |
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This was posted on MYCCR and is repeated here for information:
I am planning a "summertime" canoe trip that includes paddling down the Sturgeon River from Stull Creek to the cross-over portage into Stouffer Lake below Kettle Falls. Because the Sturgeon River water levels drop considerably from June through to end of August, I wanted to get a correlation between the Upper Goose Falls water gauge readings and what canoeing experience to expect while paddling down the river. By limiting my trip to the summer months of July and August, I am not expecting a lively white water experience, but would like to know how much lining, dragging or portaging must be done should water levels drop below a certain rate. After digging through some on-line trip reports and reviewing the last 9 years of historical flow data, I have come up with the following observations:
• On average the flow rate at the beginning of July is 15 m3/s and it drops to 5 m3/s by the end of Aug.
• On average the flow rate before Aug 8 is still above 10 m3/s.
• 5 out of 9 years have flows rates above 10 m3/s before Aug 8
• 4 years out of the past nine have had very low flow rates from July 15 to end of Aug ranging from 8 m3/s down to 2 m3/s.
• Years 2005, 2006, 2010 & 2011 were LOW flow years
At extreme low levels (down to 4 m3/s) this section of the river is passable but expect lining and dragging through some sections.
At levels 10 to 15 m3/s, the river should be quite enjoyable with all C1’s runnable and possibly even the two C2’s between Eaglenest and Lyman Lake.
Thus if a trip is planned before Aug 8, there could be a good chance for reasonable water levels unless it is a LOW year. By looking at this years flow rate for June, perhaps this is another low flow year ?
The Upper Goose Falls online water gauge can be monitored before you plan your trip.
http://www.wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/index_e.html
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brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1437
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 9:14 am: |
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Great work and a valuable resource. I added a link to the post on the Water Levels page in the Current Conditions section:
http://www.ottertooth.com/Temagami/conditions.htm
I agree that the Sturgeon is still doable at 4 m3/s, but if you have a heavyly loaded or wood canoe, consider going to Florida instead. |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1438
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 11:57 am: |
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It is disturbing to note that the flow is 4.6 m3/s today. If we don't get some serious rain, there will be a lot of routes to cross off the dream list.
Now, I am only talking about the backcountry. The big-lake routes in the frontcountry will be okay. |
jonebgood
Member
Post Number: 18
Registered: 06-2010
| | Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 1:25 pm: |
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The water level today is 4.62 m.
The water flow (discharge) is still 7.5 m3/s.
This is still low for mid June and doesn't bode well for the summer unless we get significant wet weather.
 |
ed
Moderator
Post Number: 1179
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 6:23 pm: |
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Much more interesting to run the Sturgeon in early May.
That is when you get to see the wild beast that lives there. |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1440
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 10:22 am: |
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I hear you are the beast master. |
canoedog
Member
Post Number: 46
Registered: 03-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 12:37 pm: |
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I did the route in question this past May. Put in at the Sturgeon R crossing above Paul Lk on May 10th and headed up to Stull Ck and used the Nastawgan to Hamlow Lk and pushed up to Woods Lk where I camped. I spent the 11/12th hiking Ishpatina and area. On the 13th I headed back down through Hamlow and canoed Stull Ck back to the Sturgeon. From here to the Stouffer portage I found that the C2's were getting boney and more technical and I did a bit of bump and grind in some of the C1's with a couple that I had to get out and walk through. I was on the river on the 13-15th and the water level dropped a few inches each day. If you check the graphs for those dates you can see what levels I had while on the river. FWIW we haven't had much rain since then in the area (I live in Sudbury)and creeks and rivers have continued to drop and dry. |
ed
Moderator
Post Number: 1180
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 1:48 pm: |
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No, not really....There are more skilled beast masters out there than I am. |
lkl
Member
Post Number: 1
Registered: 02-2013
| | Posted on Thursday, February 21, 2013 - 9:13 pm: |
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We are looking at doing a trip from Mowat Landing to River Valley eventually taking the Obabika river down to the Sturgeon and on to River Valley.
We are familiar with the route except the portion south of Wakimika Creek (aka mud flats). Some of our party are timid regarding whitewater, but are OK with short stretches of CI.
We would prefer an August trip. Is this even possible or practical? Also, any advice regarding shuttles would be very welcome. |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1513
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Friday, February 22, 2013 - 9:27 am: |
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The trip is very doable. There are no mud flats on the Obabika River below Wakimika Creek. It may be shallow, though not muddy, at the mouth of Wakimika Creek but this is just a few canoe lengths long and can be waded easily. The only whitewater would be on the Sturgeon River below Grassy Creek. Check Hap Wilson's book for info. |
lkl
Member
Post Number: 2
Registered: 02-2013
| | Posted on Sunday, February 24, 2013 - 9:50 pm: |
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Thank you Brian! I think we have our trip  . |
Temagami canoe routes & backcountry travel