Doughnut Bend

[Class III or Class III+ above 900 cfs.]  Below the MD 144/Frederick Rd.(Ellicott City) Bridge, the fun begins again. A major flood occured July 31, 2016 and again May 27, 2018.  Both floods changed the river considerably below the MD 144 bridge.  After the floods, the line below the bridge is to stay river left through the first part of the rapid, moving to center as you pass the flour mill on river left.  Below 3' (828 cfs) stay in the center of the channel for the run-out behind the mill -- there are eddies both right and left at the bottom of the runout.  At higher water, you still start river left, but there is a mid-channel rooster tail that suggests navigating a little to the right, but not too far right. At higher water there is a big, long, bouncy wave train which takes you down the left-turning bend with a couple of rocks to avoid while approaching the abandoned train siding bridge around the corner.   Due to the two Ellicott City floods in 2016 and 2018, there can be significant metal in the river on the right side of the rapid, so don't let the waves push you far right.