Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Flow Projections





















Maybe this is old news to you, but I just came across a great tool for the avid paddler in the upper valley. The National Weather Service provides flow projections for larger rivers in the region a couple of days out, taking into account weather forecasts, ground conditions, recent precipitation and likely precipitation. As a former fluvial geomorphology student I'm totally geeking out. Our region is home to some epic high-water waves (and creeks) that are rather hard to catch. Relying on real-time data online from usgs gauges often leaves you missing out due to the fact that a few hours lag can translate into lost opportunity. The NWS service projects not just the stage height, but the timing of flow peaks etc. So for this most recent rain event you could check sunday when the rain started and determine that the Campbell Hole on the Williams would be in all day monday (especially the morning), the river left wave at Sharon dam on the White would come in for much of the same time (especially the afternoon), the cliff wave and the so-ro waves on the white probably wouldn't come in, and the 302 wavs on the Connecticut River would likely peak slightly later. So awesome! Here's what to look for:

Campbell Hole (Williams R): stage over 5 feet (~1k cfs).
RL Sharon Dam Wave (White R): stage over 7.5 ft (~5k cfs).
So-Ro Wave (White R): stage over 10 feet (~10k cfs).
Cliff Wave (White R): stage over 11 feet (~12k cfs).
302 Waves (Connecticut R): stage over 6.5 feet (~15k cfs).

No comments:

Post a Comment