Kayaking the Savage River: The September 2022 Savage River Whitewater Release (870cfs)

The September 2022 Savage River Whitewater Release...in the Heart of Western Maryland & Mountain Maryland's Appalachian Region: Kayaking the Savage River at 870cfs, at the South Savage Mountain Natural Area of the Savage River State Forest, from Swanton, MD to the Confluence of the North Branch of the Potomac River in Bloomington, MD.
This release was the third of the three annually scheduled whitewater releases for the Savage River, and was the release that came close to not happening. Just three days beforehand and after a grim prediction and thorough monitoring of the conditions of the reservoir and weather, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that the release would indeed be a go, changing their earlier assessment of an expected likely cancellation. Although it wasn't the standard 1,000cfs, 870cfs was much better than no release at all, and still very much had that 1,000cfs rollercoaster feel. The yearly schedule for the releases are comprised of the: first Saturday of June, first Sunday of July, & the fourth Saturday of September, with the ramp up, window of peak flow, and ramp down, lasting from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM., with a set peak flow ranging from 800cfs to 1,000cfs. As with the five scheduled releases of the Jennings Randolph Lake for the North Branch of the Potomac River, each release is dependent on sufficient hydrologic & reservoir conditions, sometimes resulting in the later two releases being cancelled due to impacts from low lake levels from insufficient rainfall & significant use of water quality storage within the reservoirs.
This trip reached a peak flow of 870cfs. The ramp up began at 8:30 AM, reaching 865cfs at 9:15 AM, & holding to 4:00 PM, which ramped down until 7:15 PM. The minimum runnable level began at 9:15 AM (865cfs) & dropped below the minimum runnable level at 5:30 PM (237cfs). This was the only release of three where either a shredder or a raft did not get abandoned and wrapped around one of the bridge pillars at the first Savage River Road Bridge, just downstream of the Put-In. During both of the June and July releases a STAR Slice shredder (separate ones) went overboard and fell victim to the bridge, staying wrapped in place until the water "was turned off." Also during the July release, a large yellow commercial raft had become lodged into a rock outcropping near Hutch's Demise. This time, at the start of Hutch's Demise, above the iconic unearthed tree, was a blue commercial raft that had become pinned and stuck on a prominent rock. As we waited at the bottom of the rapid (the closest eddy to the rafters), two other rafts of the outfitter's party said they were with the pinned raft, which after around ten minutes eventually broke free and safely made their way down to resume their group. Thank you to friend Mike Z. ‪@mikelzinn1085‬ for his footage & for being a top notch leader.
"Let Heaven And Earth Praise Him, The Seas And All That Move In Them." - Psalm 69:34
Date: September 24, 2022
Trip Length: 4.40 Miles
Class: III (IV)
Elevation/Avg Gradient:
- Put-In: 1,337ft.
- Take Out: 961ft.
- Avg Gradient: 85 feet/mile (1.4%), with sections being 100 feet/mile (1.9%)
Level (flow rate): 3.10ft./870cfs
Water Temperature: 66°F
Stream Gauge: USGS 01597500 SAVAGE RIV BL SAVAGE RIV DAM NEAR BLOOMINGTON, MD
Location: the section of the Savage River from below the Savage River Reservoir/Dam, along Savage River Rd to the confluence of the North Branch of the Potomac River
- Garrett County Maryland: Swanton, MD to Bloomington, MD
- Savage River State Forest: South Savage Mountain Natural Area
Put-In:
- The short footpath upstream from the concrete Savage River Road Bridge (39°30'10.4"N 79°07'33.4"W)
- See American Whitewater reporting for information on the primary & official upstream Put-In locations for the three releases
Take Out:
- the MD 135 Bridge, at the Confluence of the North Branch of the Potomac River in Bloomington, MD (39°28'50.5"N 79°04'04.9"W)
- the spacious Upper Savage Woodyard gravel parking area off of MD 135 just before the bridge (39°28'53.1"N 79°04'04.9"W)
- Alternate Take Out: Beryl Bridge, on West Virginia Route 46/Beryl Road, at the Confluence of the North Branch of the Potomac River (39°28'47.7"N 79°03'58.3"W)
- Per American Whitewater: “Paddle under the bridge & take a right to paddle upstream on the North Branch Potomac for 50 yards or so. Take out just downstream of the old bridge, & carry your boat across the main road bridge over the Savage to reach the parking area.”
Featured Kayaks:
- Wave Sport Recon
- Pyranha Ripper ‪@mikelzinn1085‬
Featured Scenes:
Mapping (0:11)
Put-In to Piedmont Dam (1:09)
Piedmont Dam & Garrett Bridge/First Suspension Footbridge AKA Swinging Bridge Dam (2:40)
Observation Deck & Second Suspension Footbridge (3:55)
Crisscross/Double Hydraulic (4:34)
Triple Drop & Memorial Rock (6:01)
Savage River Outfitters (6:58)
Hutch’s Demise (8:13)
Savage River Road Bridge (13:01)
First Island (14:40)
Take Out (16:12)
Maps (16:31)