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This is mid-July 2022 when I was there: [ photo ]
The peak of run off can bring water levels as high as 60,000 CFS and late august flows can dwindle down near 3,500 with average winter flow of 7-12,000 in between. The river is dam controlled and protected so there is never a danger of log jams or debris. Kerr dam is a top spill dam so we get the warmest water off the top for a much warmer river than the rest of western Montana, especially in early fall. Big run-off years with water exceeding 50,000 can be tricky with a few new rapids showing up and the entire river can be pretty squirrely. This is an 8 mile stretch, the first 2 miles are pretty flat followed by 4 miles of rapids(drop pool), and 2 more miles of flat water after.
The peak of run off can bring water levels as high as 60,000 CFS and late august flows can dwindle down near 3,500 with average winter flow of 7-12,000 in between. The river is dam controlled and protected so there is never a danger of log jams or debris. Kerr dam is a top spill dam so we get the warmest water off the top for a much warmer river than the rest of western Montana, especially in early fall. Big run-off years with water exceeding 50,000 can be tricky with a few new rapids showing up and the entire river can be pretty squirrely. This is an 8 mile stretch, the first 2 miles are pretty flat followed by 4 miles of rapids(drop pool), and 2 more miles of flat water after.