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Joe's Brook, Calving Season
Saturday Apr 18, 2026
Participants:
Kayak: Paul C., Jamie D., Ryan K.
Open Canoe: Tony S.
Organizer: Tony Shaw
Difficulty: int-adv WW
Level: medium low
Gauge (ft): 3.3
Gauge (cfs): 437
USGS Gauge Name/Link: Wells River
Author: Tony Shaw
A sunny/warm April day on Joe's with decent flows is not to be missed... or dismissed.
TLDR: We had a predictably delightful run!
Before running we got a heads up from Will Seegers about the covered bridge drop @ Greenbank Hollow, which remains absolutely choked with wood at the bottom.
From our power plant put-in to the takeout on Brook Hill Rd. the remaining wood was avoidable (pond at 5.2’, generator running, bladder down, aka in Will’s words a "decent low"). It was sunny, windy and in the 60's, with ice randomly calving off the walls in the gorge, but luckily not while we paddled through. The one remaining ice-bridge there is sagging and while in-play might be impassable at higher flows. There also was (is?) a fallen ice-shelf (ice-sieve) on river left in the runout.
Some other gauge correlations: The Joe's Pond height was 5.2' on the stick near the dam penstock intake, the dam was spilling (1.5 PSI in the bag overnight), and GMP was generating a full load (125 cfs). The Wells peaked early on 4/17 above 4.4' (1080 cfs). The Passumpsic R @ Passumpsic peaked about that time at 9.3' (5070 cfs). The E Br Passumpsic R had peaked above 5.5' (890+ cfs). The Sleepers R. had peaked early 4/17 at 2.34' (614cfs) and was down to 175 cfs by the time we launched.
In case you wonder why I won't EVER open boat Joe's "in the trees" when the pond is 5.3' or higher, see John Moore's thrilling YouTube video: https://youtu.be/U3FydJyAEHQ?si=laUuItH5bzHVec3w
