Potomac Low Water Story

[Sir Adam]

Potomac Low Water Story
by D Miller

A lot of folks on this board have at some time paddled on the Feeder canal in the Potomac. Well as many of you know we are experiencing one of the worst droughts in history. The river gauge at Little Falls is reading about 2.20 feet translating into about 400cfs (Note: we had 1,100 cfs during our North Branch release this spring. Some interesting stats:

1. Metro DC is pulling over 1/2 of the flow of the river out for drinking water (above Great Falls) At this level you can watch the gauge and tell when then are drawing water out to fill the delcarlia resevoir.

2. Dickerson is running about 500 cfs through the power plant (They must be drawing down pools in the river above the plant and those pools are filling up at night when they cut back the generators.

3. I believe this may be the lowest the river has been for the modern canoeing era...ie from the early 60's.

Anyway, here's what the Feeder and surrounding area looks like.
1. Put in: You have to walk almost out into the milddle of the Feeder before you get any water.
2. You can barely get out the top of the feeder. I had to put my paddle on the deck of my boat and pull myself over the rocks to get into the pool above the feeder. The cement bags that were put in back of Brookmont dam are completely exposed and dry.
3. You can't even paddle down the z or back channel into the river (it's a carry all the way down to the main channel) and then you have to carry out into the main channel (about halfway across the river). Davey and Court C. were able to run Little Falls yesterday after they carried into the main channel.

We will paddle up the gorge this weekend and post a report. We were talking yesterday that this is almost as wild and as "I gotta see it to believe it" as when the river floods.

Pray for rain...DM

Posted on Aug 21, 2002, 5:36 AM

Any pics available?
by Ric Taylor

Either here, or on some other site? I used to paddle in that area, and it sounds like, Yeeowch!!
RT

Posted on Aug 22, 2002, 3:45 AM


I'll try and get some pics
by DaveM

If I get a chance this weekend I'll take some pics up in the gorge...DM

Posted on Aug 22, 2002, 5:10 AM

Thanks a lot,, Dave
by Ric taylor Ric taylor

Whatever the flow, it will bring back memories!
RT

Posted on Aug 23, 2002, 7:07 PM