St Croix River - low water levels?

[AnneinMpls]

Good morning folks!

We're planning a very short paddle on a very calm uninteresting part of the St. Croix (I've paddled it before and am just getti my feet wet in planning float trips with our troop - oh dear...pun unintended!) weekend after next.

 

We're looking at Soderbeck landing to Hwy 70 - yup, told you it was short!. Anyway, water level is around 3.25. Is that way too low??? Our outfitter is of course perfectly happy renting to us no matter what the water level is!

 

Thanks!

Anne in Mpls

[CalicoPenn]

Good Evening, Anne,

 

I checked the National Park Service website for the St Croix Riverway and this is what they had to say - in red letters on their "river levels" page:

 

"Notice: Water levels are at near record low levels on the St. Croix and Namekagon. Paddlers will need to stay in river currents to find the deepest water and use caution to avoid rocks, tree limbs and sandbars. Wading may be required to move between shallow spots."

 

For the section you plan to canoe, they add:

 

Interpretation of gauge readings:

 

Depth in Feet Canoe and Kayaking Conditions

Below 4.4: Conditions are challenging. Avoid Kettle River Slough Channel - stay on Wisconsin side. Too shallow for small motors above Paint Mine Campsite. Canoeing from Riverside Landing to Nelson's Landing is good. Nelson's Landing to Soderbeck Landing is challenging with many exposed obstacles. Some walking may be required.

 

(I redacted the rest of the interpretation numbers for various depths since the river levels are around 3.25' which means the rest aren't needed).

 

So, the Park Service is saying there are record low levels on the river, that river levels below 4.4' present challenging conditions, and links to a site that confirms a current gauge reading of about 3.25'.

 

Yes, the river is quite low. Now to answer the question - is it TOO low? And the answer to that really is up to you - it can be done, it will be a challenge, it could possibly mean as much walking along the bottom of the river dragging the canoe behind you, as actual paddling time. A good outfitter won't rent out their gear if the river was impassable, or if canoeing was impossible - the potential cost of damage to their gear would be a bit much.

 

I would say that if the outfitter is still renting out the gear for this stretch of the river, that it is canoeable - but still be prepared for challenges such as having to walk through areas that are too shallow - stay to the deepest part of the channel and you should be ok - but if the goal is to spend as much time paddling as possible, this might not be a good time to go. Again, it's really up to you to decide if the river level is too low.

 

Calico

 

[Beavah]

Yah, Anne, it's been a while since I paddle that stretch, eh?

 

I can say that the upstream stretch from Norway to Soderbeck ain't much fun below 5' on the gauge. 3.25 is pretty durn low. I think you'll find that the Class I riffles below Soderbeck will might well be a "get out and walk"/"scrape along da bottom", but other stuff will be navigable if you're payin' attention to where the current is goin'.

 

So the rest just depends on your kids, eh?

 

Beavah

 

[AnneinMpls]

The rest depends on the kids indeed! Yha, we meet tomorrow night, and I am leaning towards postponing till late August when water levels tend to rise a bit. (but this darn drought might decide to stick around even then...)

 

With water levels this low, I might even get away with calling it wading instead of canoeing on our trip plans

 

I've been staring at the durned water guage charts for 2 weeks straight now. Keep hoping this off and on rain we're getting might *do* something. And I was hoping you all might magically see something other than what I'm seeing on it

[Eagle69]

Just come down to Little Rock, Arkansas and put in on the Arkansas River. It is currently running over 200,000 cfs, normal for this time of year is about 30,000. You would get a heck of a float at that level.

[Stosh]

If the St. Croix is a problem, there are other rivers in the area with plenty of water and plenty of float for inexperienced canoeists. There are some nice challenging whitewater for the more experienced boys, too. The Brule is spring fed and always within an inch or two of normal even during a drought. Flambeau is dam controled and has nice rapids. Backwaters of the Mississippi are good for an easy float and the Chippewa is a nice easy float as well.

 

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to adjust your location than reschedule?