River Park flow question

[flyman]

at what point should the flow become a concern for safely launching a boat? What is normal flow and what is considered high?

 

[Carl]

Riverpark is fine until the dock is not usuable. They will shut it down at that point. Usually over 60k

 

[silvertalon]

Its a good idea to get the TVA app for your smart phone so you can monitor the hourly water flow. Be sure to tie off at the dock when launching and loading. Once when loading out a month ago, by the time I got in my boat to power up on the trailer, my fenders were under water. I thought my truck had somehow rolled back . Then I realized the water was rising fast. I had a hellofa time getting on the trailer because of the current and had my hull up on a fender at one time.

 

[gobigorange]

Prediction is around 20K I would prefer about 26K for fishing

 

[Creekrunner6]

good question, I was wondering the same thing

 

[rsimms]

When all four generators are going full blast flow will be about 47,500. Obviously it goes higher if flood gates open (which is rare).

There is absolutely no safety factor launching at any flow rate, unless flood gates are open. You just need to use common sense and as previously mentioned, learn to use the TVA App or web page: https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Lake-Levels/Chickamauga

It takes some time and effort to fully understand how to interpret everything... but if you fish the tailwaters regularly, it's worth doing some homework.

 

[flyman]

thanks for the help ... so i shouldn't worry until its over 46000. I see where its currently around 20000 is this normal or is it low ? sorry. i just don't fish much up on this end and im trying to learn.

 

[davisjeremy1981]

20k is a little low usually its around the 25k-28k/hr but they seem to slow it down on the weekends. https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Lake-Levels/Chickamauga Looking like we can expect a slow river sat. Just have to pay close attention to what your boat is doing and especially what everyone else is doing around you cause they not be. Be mindful of surges in the current and if you go up to the face of the dam you better keep your life jacket on at all times.

 

[Smalliefan2]

Also watch wind direction. Launched couple of years ago with very good current and higher water, a south wind. My boat banged into the dock with push from the wind, and hit the still exposed power screw heads. Chipped the top rail in seven places.

 

[TNTall]

I quit using the TVA app because it doesn't show the release history like the web site does. I always just use the web site now.

 

[rsimms]

flyman - 3/10/2017 2:55 PM

thanks for the help ... so i shouldn't worry until its over 46000. I see where its currently around 20000 is this normal or is it low ? sorry. i just don't fish much up on this end and im trying to learn.

There is really no such thing as "normal." It can be as low as zero, high as 47.5K and all points in between. "Normal" varies from season-to-season, week-to-week, day-to-day or even hour-to-hour. It is all totally dependent upon rainfall (to our north), tributary lake levels, local lake levels, power demand, temperatures and other variables.

For instance, rainfall has different impact in different seasons... in winter basically every drop of rain that falls runs into the river. But in the summer vegetation sucks up rain before it reaches the river. That means 3-inches of rainfall in January will have a very different effect on the river than 3-inches of rain in the summer.

TVA has an entire department of people who do nothing but monitor, predict and calculate how to best manage the entire 650-mile (app.) Tennessee River drainage.

Study that TVA Lake Level page mentioned above... glance at it every day. Not just for a week... but make it a habit. Over a year's time you will come to better understand how to use it.

 

[silvertalon]

Also note, The dam flow could be shut down and up river could still be flowing before it catches up- a couple of hours? I often wondered why its off so far from the hourly lake levels. Took awhile to realize that. Still trying to figure it out.

 

[flyman]

thanks again for the info ..