Whitewater Run GA Class II-III(IV)

Daniels Bridge to Macon Hwy

Barber Creek

Linked via: Nhdplus discovery 90% confidence Synced 3mo ago

Monitor
Gauge Conditions
Runnable: 800.0 – 10,000.0 CFS

Mulberry Creek is in a separate but adjacent watershed. Please comment on accuracy of this guage.

Run Map
Description
Fun creek that runs often and has numerous shoals. While the creek is wide, there are many riverwide strainers to navigate.  Starts off with a few small ledges. When you see a steel bridge the gradient picks up, dropping about 30 feet in the next 0.3 miles. After about 100 yards of shoals in this section, there is a horizon line. This is a double slide drop. Scout from river left. River left is on private property so act accordingly.  Main line is river right though there are other good lines at higher flows. The double drop is followed by a long flat and scenic section. After passing under the 441 hwy bridge, look for the confluence with McNutts Creek, which comes in from the left. Get ready to scout a dam that can be anywhere from 1 to 8 feet high. The dam can create a powerful low-head hydraulic. 2 boys fell in here and drowned in the hydraulic in the summer of 2018. There is an easy portage on river right.  Running this dam is not worth the risk unless you can comprehend how dangerous it is and are able to dissect where to run it. In other words do not run the dam unless you are an expert and have rescue gear in place. At certain levels the dam can appear to be a standing wave. Do not be fooled. In seconds it can transform into a 50 ft wide hydraulic with a 20 foot boil. It stays that way for several minutes before reverting back to a standing wave. Truly one of the most insidious river features the author has observed in 40 yrs of paddling. There is a painted gauge on the Daniels Bridge Rd bridge, center pylon, that can be see from river right. 0 ft is very scrapy. 1 ft is a realistic minimum. 3 ft is a good medium. Above that the river picks up steam and can be pushy with large holes and dangerous strainers. The AW gauge is from a nearby watershed and does not alway correlate. Put-in is river right, downstream side of Daniels Bridge Road. Take-out is river right under the Macon Hwy bridge. Look for a culvert that makes for a easy hike up. Park discretely in the Mama's Boy lot.
Difficulty
Class II-III(IV)
Length
3.9 mi
Gradient
20 ft/mi
max 80
Rapids
0
Shuttle Info
Put in at Daniels Bridge Road. There is room to park a couple of cars on river right, downstream side of the bridge. Cross the road to the upstream side of the bridge and walk to the creek on river right. This may be private property so act accordingly. Takeout is after the dam, river right under the Macon Hwy bridge. Walk up to the road on a paved drainage ditch downstream of the bridge. It seems to be OK to park in the Mama's Boy parking lot. [Link to shuttle route on Google Maps](https://goo.gl/maps/Yo1WPGjR4xz)
Difficulty Classes
I Easy II Novice III Intermediate IV Advanced V Expert/Extreme VI Unrunnable
Current Conditions
5-Day Forecast
Whitewater data from
American Whitewater