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Position relative to this access site:Put-in at this locationThis location is on the runTake-out at this location Downstream from hereUpstream from here
First Rapid is a whitewater put-in located on Otter Creek in the Town of Greig, Lewis County, New York. This access point provides entry to a significant whitewater paddling section on what USGS data identifies as a large river system (stream order 6) with substantial gradient and flow characteristics. The creek features an average slope of 14.5 feet per mile and maintains an average flow of 38.85 cubic feet per second, creating dynamic whitewater conditions suitable for paddlers experienced with moving water.
Otter Creek spans 84.98 miles total length with a total elevation drop of 1,231 feet across the watershed, draining an area of 699 square miles. The creek originates as a headwater stream in the uplands and features an average velocity of 1.91 feet per second. Paddlers launching at First Rapid should be prepared for fast-moving water with the technical demands typical of stream order 6 rivers in this region. The site name suggests rapids are present at or near this location.