Introduction
River Conditions
Tohickon Creek
Weather
Release schedules
Clubs
Instruction
Outfitters
Racing
Events
Books
Videos
Equipment
Ratings
Learning Curve
Terminology
Mailing Lists
Floobydust
Credits

All the flow data for the entire US is available at USGS Real-Time Hydrologic Data, or you can focus on the area around Pennsylvania by checking the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center.

There are some online services which also provide a variety of river readings, including Riverbot! and Riverreport.com - your source for real-time river level reporting. There's also a great resource, the The GAUGE page, which provides annotated level readings for a lot of rivers in the southeast and mid-Atlantic regions. The NOAA Riverwatch site is focused on the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio basins. And still Another page (which has just been started as of August 1999) of useful annotated river level notes is at Rivers.

Most Pennsylvania Current Streamflow Conditions as reported by the USGS can be found via this page, which has links to sub-pages for the Delaware ( Lehigh at White Haven, Lehigh at Lehighton, Tohickon near Pipersville, Schuylkill, Ridley, Chester, Brandywine), Susquehanna (Spring, Swatara, Codorus, Loyalsock), and Ohio (Youghiogheny, Casselman, Laurel Hill, Stonycreek, Slippery Rock) river basins. These readings are also available by phone: Delaware Basin, 800-431-4721; Susquehanna Basin, 800-362-0335; Ohio Basin, 412-262-5290.

One of the prettiest streams in the region is the Brandywine, whose paddling level you can check out via Brandywine River at Chadd's Ford and Brandywine River at Wilmington. It takes at least 200 CFS to make the section from Lenape to Thompson Bridge enjoyable; and at least 400 CFS to make the portage-laden trip from there to Wilmington (11 dams) worth considering.

Here's a link to those wacky dam-builders, the Philadelphia District Corps of Engineers, along with a couple of USACE Lehigh river gauges: flow at White Haven and flow at Lehighton, along with Bulletins for the Lehigh River basin which are posted on Friday mornings (usually). Lehigh Dam information by phone: 717-443-9493. (These level readings are usually not as accurate as the USGS readings.) Some of the river levels in this area can also be inferred by taking a look at the Delaware River basin conditions. There's additional information about the Lehigh River here, including a virtual tour. And you can also call the Lehigh Gorge State Park at 717-427-8161, and the Hickory Run State Park at 717-443-9991.

Another popular local river is Tohickon Creek (gauge correlation info here). Ralph Stover State Park surrounds much of the Tohickon; their phone number is 215-982-5560. Not-so-popular, but still pretty in its upper section is the Schuylkill River.

You'll find an extensive guide to the Susquehanna at the Susquehanna River Page.

If you want to head out to the Yough/Cheat area, then make a note that information on the Youghiogheny and Cheat Basins, Tygart and Monogahela Basins, (among others) and the can be found at this COE site. River levels and camping info via phone: call Ohiopyle State Park, 724-329-8591. 2000 update: Consult the USACE ORP-WC - Yough Weekend Recreation Outlook before heading for the Yough. If you're thinking of camping at the Yough and you have a dog, try the Scarlet Knob Campground, 724-329-5200, which allows them.

Up around Pittsburgh, you'll find the Slippery Rock; it's in McConnells Mill State Park, 724-368-8091. And in the center of the state, you'll find the Loyalsock in World's End State Park: 717-924-3287.

You might also want to check out the work of the Delaware River Basin Commission, who handle all sorts of projects relating to the streams in the Delaware Valley. And Hydra's PA Environment Stuff contains a lot of information about water/river conservation in the area.

Finally, the The Pennsylvania Outdoor Recreation and Information Guide has information on rivers as well as other outdoor recreation opportunities in Pennsylvania. If there's not enough water to paddle, you could always bike. See Keystone Biking - Mountain Bike Resource for Pennsylvania and Mountain Bike Pennsylvania.

The Real-Time Data for Maryland: Streamflow page includes the Upper Yough, Casselman, NB Potomac, Savage, Shenandoah, and others. Or use the phone: Potomac Basin gauge readings are available at 703-260-0305. If you're interested in the North Branch of the Potomac or Savage, check the Baltimore District Corps of Engineers.

David Mackintosh has created the excellent Potomac River Paddlers' Resource.

I've had good luck getting information on the Shenandoah Staircase from Blue Ridge Outfitters; broraft@intrepid.net, PO Box 750, Route 340, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia 25425, (304) 725-3444; they also can assist with shuttles and other logistics.

For Virginia, check Virginia River stages and Virginia river statements.

The National Weather Service provides a hydrological forecasts for Maryland and West Virginia that might be helpful -- they include a number of river stage readings.

You can also pick up the West Virginia Current Streamflow Conditions, and specific information on the New/Gauley/etc. at the Huntington District COE Whitewater page. There are even sites specific to the New River Gorge National River, the Rapids on the New River, the New River Gorge Info (from GORP), and the Gauley River. You might want to take your trip on these rivers with Mountain River Tours. And then there are the folks at the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, 304-472-0025, who spend their time trying to make sure that all these nice rivers are preserved and accessible.

If you're running the Gauley or other rivers in the area, you might want to investigate Rusty's Shuttle Service and Camping -- for a few bucks, they can save you quite a bit of driving time. They're located on Garten-Gatewood Road (Fayetteville, WV, 25840), owned by Thomas and Cathy Miller, and you can call them at the office at 304-574-3475, or at home at 304-574-1198.

A new and highly useful resource for outdoor activities in West Virginia is West Virginia Outside.

Finally, way down south, you can check the North Carolina Current Streamflow Data, South Caroline Current Streamflow Conditions, and South Carolina River Levels, which includes the Chattooga. You can also grab streamflow information on the TVA area from Stream Flows in the East Tennessee Area. An Ocoee release schedule for 2002 is available at here -- which is part of the TVA Lake Information site, and includes Real-time release data. And if you need current local information while in the area, try talking with the nice folks at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, 704-488-6737, or consult the Carolina Canoe Club Home Page. Other area sources of river flow information can be found at the Louisville District COE and Nashville District COE lake information page.

The Northeast River Forecast Center will give you an overview of conditions, including NERFC Hourly Stage Maps. You can get a state-by-state look by checking Massachusetts Current Streamflow Conditions, Connecticut Current Streamflow Conditions, New Hampshire/Vermont Current Streamflow Conditions, New York Current Surface Water Conditions, and New Jersey Current Streamflow Conditions (Rockaway).

Don't forget to check the New England Deerfield River Schedule. For more info on the Deerfield, see Deerfield River Whitewater. Also check with the Vermont Paddler's Club for latest local conditions. There is also useful information on rivers in New England (especially in NH and VT) to be be found via the MVP [kayak club]. And there's useful information on the Hudson river at Hudson River Whitewater. On the Release Schedules page you'll find information about how to confirm releases on the Salmon, Esopus and other New York state rivers.