The Gauley River

The Gauley River

Gauges 101 – The Gauley River
By Chuck Brabec

Introduction

This document is an attempt to help boaters understand the overall hydrology of the Gauley River and, hopefully, give them an understanding of how to interpret the various USGS gauges. The information is based on my personal knowledge of the Gauley Watershed and my observations over the past 10-15 years.

Please send any feedback to me at chuck@thebrabecs.com.

Watershed Overview

The Gauley River can be divided into 2 major sections – above and below Summersville Lake.

The headwaters of the Gauley River begin in Pocahontas County, WV near Jerryville. On its way to Summersville Lake, the Gauley is joined (in order) by the Williams River (near Cowen, WV), the Cranberry River (near Craigsville, WV) and the Cherry River (also near Craigsville, WV). Several smaller streams and creeks add their water to the Gauley upstream of Summersville Lake. These rivers and streams are all natural flow and are dependent on snowmelt and rainfall.

Below Summersville Lake/Dam, the flow is determined largely by the how much water is released from Summersville Dam by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and how much water is flowing into the Gauley from the Meadow River. Other smaller streams also add their flow to the Gauley in this section.

The Gauley River merges with the New River in the town of Gauley Bridge, WV. From that point downstream, the river is known as the Kanawha River.

Important Gauges above Summersville Lake

The most important gauge for determining how much water is coming into Summersville Lake is the USGS gauge near Craigsville, WV. This gauge shows what has come down the Gauley, Williams, Cranberry and Cherry Rivers. The gauge is located where Route 20 crosses the Gauley River (at the confluence of the Gauley and Cherry). However, this gauge doesn’t tell us what the flow/level is on each of the major tributaries. We get that information from the USGS gauges on the Williams at Dyer, the Gauley near Camden-on-Gauley and the Cranberry near Richwood. The only gauge on the Cherry River is the painted paddler’s gauge on the old bridge piling on river left behind the Fenwick Post Office.

Important Gauges below Summersville Lake

The most important USGS gauges are the ones below Summersville Dam, on the Meadow River at Mt. Lookout (just upstream of the confluence of the Meadow and Gauley Rivers) and the Gauley River above Belva. Another USGS gauge of importance (especially during periods of moderate to heavy rains) is the one on Peters Creek near Lockwood.

How the USACE manages the flow from Summersville Dam

Summersville Dam is used primarily for flood control. The lake level is held at approximately 1575 feet elevation in the winter and 1652 feet during the summer. The USACE monitors the level of Summersville Lake and adjusts how much water they release through the dam on a day-to-day basis. The minimum flow is 100 cfs. Additional water is released in the fall to bring the lake down to winter pool and less water is released in the spring to bring the lake up to summer pool.

“Gauley season” marks the beginning of the fall draw-down of Summersville Lake. The season begins on the first weekend after Labor Day and runs for 6 weekends. You can find the release schedule and projected flows on the USACE web page at http://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wc/wwsched.html. After that, there is approximately 3 weeks reserved for fishing and fish stocking. During this timeframe, the USACE releases approximately 250-700 cfs from Summersville Dam. The month of November is used to finish bringing the lake level down to winter pool. Normal flows during this period are approximately 1100 cfs.

During the spring, beginning on about April 1st, the USACE starts bringing Summersville Lake up to summer pool. Their goal is to have the lake at summer pool by June 1st. During this time, the USACE releases less water from Summersville Lake than is coming into the lake, bringing the lake up to summer pool. This process begins around April 1st and ends when the lake is at summer pool, with the goal being to reach summer pool by June 1st.

When the lake is at the appropriate pool level (summer or winter), the USACE holds the lake close to that level by using the basic principle “What comes in goes out”. The USGS gauge on the Gauley River at Craigsville shows roughly what is coming into the lake. If the lake level rises to about .35 feet above the desired pool elevation, the USACE will release more than what is coming down the Gauley at Craigsville. Exceptions to this rule do occur, especially during periods of significant rainfall and extreme drought.

Exceptions to the rule

During significant rainfalls, the USACE may hold back water at Summersville Dam to prevent flooding downstream. This is especially true when the Meadow and/or New Rivers are also high.

When drought conditions exist, more water is released from Summersville Dam to augment the low flow on the New River. This usually occurs when the New River at Thurmond is running below 1000 cfs.

How to Interpret the Various Gauges and their impact on the USACE release from Summersville Dam

At winter or summer pool
Look at the USGS gauge on the Gauley River at Craigsvillle and the lake level. If the lake level is within the desired level + .35 feet, the USACE will most likely use the “what comes in goes out” rule and release approximately what is coming into the lake (the flow at the Craigsville gauge). If the lake level is over the desired level + .35 feet, the USACE will most likely increase the flow from Summersville Dam to something more than the flow that is coming into the lake (the flow at the Craigsville gauge).

If you watch the gauges above Craigsville and the actual and predicted rainfall totals in the Gauley watershed, you can get a feel for the USACE might do to the release from Summersville Dam a few days into the future.

You also need to examine the flow on the New River. If it is extremely low (generally below 1100 cfs), the USACE will probably release enough water from Summersville Dam to ensure an adequate flow on the Kanawha River (below the confluence of the New and Gauley Rivers). One way to check for this possibility is to look at the USGS gauge on the Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls. It should be at least 2,000 cfs. If it is lower and there is no expected increase in the flow coming down the New River, the USACE will increase the flow from Summersville Dam.

During the Fall Draw-down
Use the information from the USACE web page at http://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wc/wwsched.html to determine how much the USACE will release from Summersville Lake.

During the Spring (starting around April 1st)
This is the most difficult time to predict releases from Summersville Dam because the USACE is holding back water to bring Summersville Lake up to summer pool. It is also normally when there is plenty of water in the New River. Therefore, the “what comes in goes out” rule does not apply. About the only thing that you can do is watch the level at Summersville Lake and see how close it is to summer pool.

Resources

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Huntington District - Latest River and Lake Data
(includes lake elevation levels and release flows for Summersville and Bluestone dams)
http://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wc/whitewater.html

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District - Whitewater Schedule of Releases
(shows the scheduled release dates, times and flows for the Gauley during the fall draw-down)
http://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wc/wwsched.html

USGS Real-Time Data for West Virginia
(includes all USGS gauges for West Virginia)
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wv/nwis/current/?type=flow&group_key=huc_cd

American Whitewater River Summary
(summary page for all WV rivers in the AW database, with a link to each reach)
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River_state-summary_state_WV_

West Virginia Automated Flood Warning System
(rainfall totals for the past 24 hours, by station within county)
http://www.afws.net/data/wv/wvdata.htm

NOAA 5-Day Precipitation Forecast
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/p120i00.gif

“A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to West Virginia” (formerly Wildwater West Virginia) by Paul Davidson, Ward Eister, Dirk Davidson; Revised and Edited by Charlie Walbridge with Bobby Miller and Turner Sharp

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Viking Canoe Club Louisville, Kentucky est. 1969

Copyright © 1969-2010 Viking Canoe Club

Gauges 101 – The Gauley River
By Chuck Brabec

Introduction

This document is an attempt to help boaters understand the overall hydrology of the Gauley River and, hopefully, give them an understanding of how to interpret the various USGS gauges. The information is based on my personal knowledge of the Gauley Watershed and my observations over the past 10-15 years.

Please send any feedback to me at chuck@thebrabecs.com.

Watershed Overview

The Gauley River can be divided into 2 major sections – above and below Summersville Lake.

The headwaters of the Gauley River begin in Pocahontas County, WV near Jerryville. On its way to Summersville Lake, the Gauley is joined (in order) by the Williams River (near Cowen, WV), the Cranberry River (near Craigsville, WV) and the Cherry River (also near Craigsville, WV). Several smaller streams and creeks add their water to the Gauley upstream of Summersville Lake. These rivers and streams are all natural flow and are dependent on snowmelt and rainfall.

Below Summersville Lake/Dam, the flow is determined largely by the how much water is released from Summersville Dam by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and how much water is flowing into the Gauley from the Meadow River. Other smaller streams also add their flow to the Gauley in this section.

The Gauley River merges with the New River in the town of Gauley Bridge, WV. From that point downstream, the river is known as the Kanawha River.

Important Gauges above Summersville Lake

The most important gauge for determining how much water is coming into Summersville Lake is the USGS gauge near Craigsville, WV. This gauge shows what has come down the Gauley, Williams, Cranberry and Cherry Rivers. The gauge is located where Route 20 crosses the Gauley River (at the confluence of the Gauley and Cherry). However, this gauge doesn’t tell us what the flow/level is on each of the major tributaries. We get that information from the USGS gauges on the Williams at Dyer, the Gauley near Camden-on-Gauley and the Cranberry near Richwood. The only gauge on the Cherry River is the painted paddler’s gauge on the old bridge piling on river left behind the Fenwick Post Office.

Important Gauges below Summersville Lake

The most important USGS gauges are the ones below Summersville Dam, on the Meadow River at Mt. Lookout (just upstream of the confluence of the Meadow and Gauley Rivers) and the Gauley River above Belva. Another USGS gauge of importance (especially during periods of moderate to heavy rains) is the one on Peters Creek near Lockwood.

How the USACE manages the flow from Summersville Dam

Summersville Dam is used primarily for flood control. The lake level is held at approximately 1575 feet elevation in the winter and 1652 feet during the summer. The USACE monitors the level of Summersville Lake and adjusts how much water they release through the dam on a day-to-day basis. The minimum flow is 100 cfs. Additional water is released in the fall to bring the lake down to winter pool and less water is released in the spring to bring the lake up to summer pool.

“Gauley season” marks the beginning of the fall draw-down of Summersville Lake. The season begins on the first weekend after Labor Day and runs for 6 weekends. You can find the release schedule and projected flows on the USACE web page at http://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wc/wwsched.html. After that, there is approximately 3 weeks reserved for fishing and fish stocking. During this timeframe, the USACE releases approximately 250-700 cfs from Summersville Dam. The month of November is used to finish bringing the lake level down to winter pool. Normal flows during this period are approximately 1100 cfs.

During the spring, beginning on about April 1st, the USACE starts bringing Summersville Lake up to summer pool. Their goal is to have the lake at summer pool by June 1st. During this time, the USACE releases less water from Summersville Lake than is coming into the lake, bringing the lake up to summer pool. This process begins around April 1st and ends when the lake is at summer pool, with the goal being to reach summer pool by June 1st.

When the lake is at the appropriate pool level (summer or winter), the USACE holds the lake close to that level by using the basic principle “What comes in goes out”. The USGS gauge on the Gauley River at Craigsville shows roughly what is coming into the lake. If the lake level rises to about .35 feet above the desired pool elevation, the USACE will release more than what is coming down the Gauley at Craigsville. Exceptions to this rule do occur, especially during periods of significant rainfall and extreme drought.

Exceptions to the rule

During significant rainfalls, the USACE may hold back water at Summersville Dam to prevent flooding downstream. This is especially true when the Meadow and/or New Rivers are also high.

When drought conditions exist, more water is released from Summersville Dam to augment the low flow on the New River. This usually occurs when the New River at Thurmond is running below 1000 cfs.

How to Interpret the Various Gauges and their impact on the USACE release from Summersville Dam

At winter or summer pool
Look at the USGS gauge on the Gauley River at Craigsvillle and the lake level. If the lake level is within the desired level + .35 feet, the USACE will most likely use the “what comes in goes out” rule and release approximately what is coming into the lake (the flow at the Craigsville gauge). If the lake level is over the desired level + .35 feet, the USACE will most likely increase the flow from Summersville Dam to something more than the flow that is coming into the lake (the flow at the Craigsville gauge).

If you watch the gauges above Craigsville and the actual and predicted rainfall totals in the Gauley watershed, you can get a feel for the USACE might do to the release from Summersville Dam a few days into the future.

You also need to examine the flow on the New River. If it is extremely low (generally below 1100 cfs), the USACE will probably release enough water from Summersville Dam to ensure an adequate flow on the Kanawha River (below the confluence of the New and Gauley Rivers). One way to check for this possibility is to look at the USGS gauge on the Kanawha River at Kanawha Falls. It should be at least 2,000 cfs. If it is lower and there is no expected increase in the flow coming down the New River, the USACE will increase the flow from Summersville Dam.

During the Fall Draw-down
Use the information from the USACE web page at http://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wc/wwsched.html to determine how much the USACE will release from Summersville Lake.

During the Spring (starting around April 1st)
This is the most difficult time to predict releases from Summersville Dam because the USACE is holding back water to bring Summersville Lake up to summer pool. It is also normally when there is plenty of water in the New River. Therefore, the “what comes in goes out” rule does not apply. About the only thing that you can do is watch the level at Summersville Lake and see how close it is to summer pool.

Resources

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Huntington District - Latest River and Lake Data
(includes lake elevation levels and release flows for Summersville and Bluestone dams)
http://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wc/whitewater.html

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District - Whitewater Schedule of Releases
(shows the scheduled release dates, times and flows for the Gauley during the fall draw-down)
http://www.lrh-wc.usace.army.mil/wc/wwsched.html

USGS Real-Time Data for West Virginia
(includes all USGS gauges for West Virginia)
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wv/nwis/current/?type=flow&group_key=huc_cd

American Whitewater River Summary
(summary page for all WV rivers in the AW database, with a link to each reach)
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River_state-summary_state_WV_

West Virginia Automated Flood Warning System
(rainfall totals for the past 24 hours, by station within county)
http://www.afws.net/data/wv/wvdata.htm

NOAA 5-Day Precipitation Forecast
http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/p120i00.gif

“A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to West Virginia” (formerly Wildwater West Virginia) by Paul Davidson, Ward Eister, Dirk Davidson; Revised and Edited by Charlie Walbridge with Bobby Miller and Turner Sharp