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Waterfall VA Class III

Fish Ladder

James - 5. Lower James through Richmond (VA)

Gauge Conditions
Runnable: 2.8 – 14.0 FT
Photo
Fish Ladder
Photo courtesy of American Whitewater
Description

Run under the Ashland City Limits sign and watch out for rebar around the pylons. There is a low head dam feature from far river left to center left, but should not be a problem if you go straight downstream from the sign.  At levels below 5ft, there is a slot in the dam on the left that offers a little water boof practice.  Ferry toward river left after passing under the sign and look for a dry, round rock about 15ft in front of the horizon line noting the slight droop in the horizon directly downstream. Pass the left side of rock and get the bow up heading to the right to avoid some rocks below the landing zone.

 

Lower half, after running Fish Ladder or Second Break, there are more than six different lines that can be run. Unfortunately the lines all use the same gradient and you only get to run one line unless you carry the boat back to the top and ferry to the next line. The rapid descriptions that follow start from river right and then go to river right.

Location
Type
Waterfall
Difficulty
Class III
Mile Marker
1.6 mi
Directions
View Full Run
5. Lower James through Richmond
James
III-IV 2.5 mi
Current Conditions
5-Day Forecast
Whitewater data from
American Whitewater