BLACK RIVER (Jackson Co., WI, 10 mile northeast of Black River Falls)

LENGTH 3.2 mi., CLASS II-III (V), GRADIENT:

SEASON: The first river to open up at the end of winter. The river can sometimes be boated in the early summer right after intense rainstorms. The scheduled dam releases also provide summer boating opportunities.

PUT-IN: W. Clay School Road at the base of Hatfield Dam which forms Lake Arbutus. There is a dirt road, recognized by a sign that warns about river level fluctuations, that goes down to the river. Hike through the woods less than 100 yds. to get to the river.

TAKEOUT: At the Powerhouse off of Powerhouse Rd.

GAGE: The old gage to check on this section was the USGS gage at Neilsville upstream from the dam. The USGS gage at Black River Falls is now available online and located downstream from the powerhouse. Call the boater information number at 1-888-HYDROWI to learn the release schedules. You can contact the dam operators directly if you want more information than the recorded message provides. Robby and Lisa McDonald are the operators and they can be reached at 715-333-5521.

FUN FACT: First river to open in the spring, sometimes runnable after heavy summer rains. Dam releases have begun and provide good beginner whitewater boating in the summer.

SHUTTLE: From the put-in at W. Clay School Road head south to Co. Hwy. K and go west across the river into Hatfield. Turn south onto Co. Hwy. E and then take a left on Powerhouse Road. The powerhouse is 1.2 mi. down this road.

ISSUES: Boating opportunities in this stretch of river were greatly enhanced with the flood of 1993 which blew out the channel to the power station and allowed water to flow through the main river channel. Hatfield Dam has recently been reliscensed by the FERC and power production will begin once repairs on the channel to the powerhouse are completed. Boater interests were considered during reliscensing and scheduled releases in the main river channel began in the summer of 1997 on the third Saturday of the month in April (2,350 cfs), May (1,595 cfs), June (895 cfs), July (1,070 cfs), and August (835 cfs). Be sure to call ahead because the releases only happen if they have enough water. Some people at the public scoping meeting expressed a concern that releases for whitewater boating were not needed (apparently boaters did not make it to the meeting). So if you use this river, make that fact known to Midwest Hydraulic Company, the American Whitewater Association, and Angie Tornes with the National Park Service. In five years they will determine whether releases should continue. For current information on the status of this issue contact Angie Tornes with the National Park Service (414-297-3605 [voice], 414-297-3127 [fax], Angie_Tornes@nps.gov). Be sure to thank her and your Congressional Representatives for her input on behalf of recreational kayakers.

Boaters from all over Wisconsin and Minnesota make their annual pilgrimage to the Black after the first few warm days of spring clear the ice. Boating season officially opens in the upper midwest with the first trip on the Black and offers many intermediates their first taste of coldwater boating.

The Black offers a little something for everyone--it is a nice beginner run but with plenty of play spots and a hair section to challenge experts. Just below the Hatfield Dam a series of falls and monster holes can hold the attention of any whitewater enthusiast for several long minutes. Few end up running this short stretch at the top that usually rates class V, but every boater will take time to pick his imaginary line through the drops. If you do run these drops be respectful of them as they form some really nasty hydraulics.

Most put on just below the expert section (a couple hundred yards below the dam) where a beautiful pair of front surfing waves forms at levels between 5,000 and 10,000 cfs on the Neilsville USGS gage. At some water levels you also get a nice ender spot on the river right side of this drop. Spend all afternoon here if you like because this is the best drop on the run. If the flow is too great for you to get your boat on the waves, be prepared for a very fast trip down the river. The water can be big and pushy but it mellows out considerably at lower flows. It's a rare treat and a challenge for some to boat a river above 1,000 cfs in Wisconsin.

The next set of rapids is just downstream of the county highway K bridge to the right of an island. If the water is in the trees here, you can check this from the bridge, you are probably at an action level with a few nice surfing opportunities. After the longest stretch of flatwater on the river you come to another set of rapids. Stay to the left and grab an eddy at the big rock which has enough space for a half dozen boats. Take turns surfing a really sweet wave--at high flows (>5,000 cfs) you can hop on for an aggressive front surf and at low flows (1,000 cfs) you can crank some really sweet 360's. While most of the rapids below the short top section rate class II, the next rapid called Stairstep can rate class III. You can sneak around it by taking the river left channel which is the only sane route at less than 1,000 cfs unless you like to piton. Look for really sticky side surfing holes that start to form around 5,000 cfs. Shortly after this rapid you will come to the last drop and a view of the powerhouse on your right. One more rapid can be found further downstream if you want to paddle the flatwater to get there. It's a short paddle when the river is cranking and there is an alternate takeout (actually a put-in for canoers doing the sections further downstream) just after it at the mouth of Hall's Creek.

A note on the gage: Currently, we only have the Neilsville gage above Lake Arbutus to determine the approximate flow rate. The only problem is that this gage is above the dam that forms Lake Arbutus so during the summer its difficult to tell if the dam operators are letting the water through or filling up the lake. If you can't get the information you need from the recorded meessage try calling the dam operators. They have always been friendly with kayakers and will tell you whether they are opening gates or shutting them down. Don't bother though unless we have had several days of heavy rain. A staff gage will be installed at the County Hwy. K bridge soon.

19 July 1997, 30 boaters from around the state and 25 spectators, 1070 cfs dam release