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Subscribers to VPCNews enjoy receiving secure, spam-free email news on a ~weekly basis during the peak paddling season, and infrequently during the dry/cold months.

Subscribers also are free to post messages to VPCNews, including impromptu paddling plans, gear wanted, gear for sale, etc.. And of course, subscribers may unsubscribe if at any time they wish to do so.

A preview of subscribers' latest submissions appears below:

** Fiddlehead Slalom, May 12, 2013
** VPC Novice Whitewater Clinic, June 1-2, 2013
** Upcoming Events and Trips...
** USGS gauge for Mad River (Moretown)
** 'Walk on Water' (NRS Films)
** Quebec Connection - 2012 Wrap up
** What downtown Petawawa (ON) has....and could lose
** Gear For Sale...
** Dagger CFS, Skirt, Paddle for sale
** Dagger RPM for sale
** Dagger Atom C-1

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Fiddlehead Slalom, May 12, 2013

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If you're interested in seeing what serious (albeit class 2) whitewater slalom is like, the Fiddlehead Slalom is being held on the Winooski in Montpelier on Sunday , May 12 (Power Plant Road, just off Gallison Hill Road on the east side of town). Saturday is devoted to practice runs, registration, and setup. Many participants are arriving today [Friday, May 10], and most will be camping along the river. This section is very continuous solid class 2 with a lot of features, and some class 3 whitewater upstream of the race course (where the slalom gates are).

Chris Weed

Upcoming Events and Trips:

	DATE	DAY	PLANNED TRIP	CONTACT	PHONE	EXPECT	COMMENTS
*	May 25th-May 27th	Sat-Mon	*Long Weekend - Maine/Quebec*	Mike Mainer	802-318-5790	int-adv WW
*	May 27th	Mon	Hudson Gorge	Jim Poulin	802-355-4591	int-adv WW	5/23: NO GO; the Indian doesn't release on Monday.
	Jun 1st-Jun 2nd	Sat-Sun	*Novice Clinic*	Paul Carlile	802-658-6657	nov WW

Organizing VPC trips is a great way to put paddling first in your busy schedule and to meet others who share your love for the sport!

Events with an asterisk (*) ARE NOT VPC/ACA sanctioned events. They appear only as a convenience to paddlers looking for compatible paddling partners.

If not a VPC member you can still post your trip plans on the message board. For the complete list of upcoming events/trips see the VPC Events Calendar online.

Event fee of $5 applies to non-ACA members who participate in sanctioned club trips. For information on becoming a VPC/ACA member, click here.

More Announcements:

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USGS gauge for Mad River (Moretown)

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There has been some discussion of this gauge's accuracy in a recent message board thread. The reported flow is somewhat over 500 cfs, but boaters familiar with the Lower Mad run estimate a flow of less than 350 cfs.

I have been in touch with Richard Kiah of the USGS (office in Pembroke, NH). He confirmed Ryan McCall's suspicion that bridge construction just upstream of the gauge has affected the local streambed and flow distribution. The measured flow (carried out by USGS staff) is therefore 36% less than the currently predicted flow—roughly one-third less.

The stage (level) is measured, but the flow is calculated from that number using a flow model. The model is verified with direct flow measurements at a certain point in time, and subsequently relied upon for the daily operation of the gauge. Of course, the streambed can change near the gauge for various reasons, and when this happens the flow model needs to be revised. This is part of the ongoing maintenance and quality assurance that the USGS does.

Since the bridge construction is ongoing and may disrupt the local conditions further in coming weeks, there is little reason for the USGS to revise the flow model just yet. For now, just assume that the readings below 700 cfs or so are quite inaccurate, and the actual flow is roughly two-thirds of the reported flow. Of course, visual reports would be helpful. As a backup it would be good to have a gauge rock or measuring stick that everyone can refer to. There are some logs well embedded in gravel at the Lower Mad put-in to which a vertical rule could be anchored.

UPDATE: I looked at the gauge site on May 4. It's pretty clear what is going on. The gauge is just upstream of the old low-head dam which is about a half mile (?) upstream of the Ward Swimming Hole. (Look for the temporary bridge on the left heading towards Moretown.) The dam and river channel form a nice basin which facilitates reliable measurements and modeling. The upstream section of this basin is framed by the old bridge abutment.

Two new bridge abutments are under construction just upstream of the old abutments. As a result, new material is now constricting the river channel at that location (rip rap, steel concrete form on one side, recently built concrete abutment on the other). That part of the channel contains the upper part of the basin, so the overall surface area of the basin has been reduced. For a given volume of water to pass through the basin each second, the level must therefore be somewhat higher than it was previously. The current flow model doesn't account for this, and so it overestimates the flow for a given level above the dam. In other words, it takes less flow to produce a given level (stage) than before.

PS: Just downstream of the dam is a nice place to hang out on a beautiful summer day at low flow, with a gently recirculating eddy next to a broad gravel bar.

Chris Weed

Gear For Sale:

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