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From: Snstone <snstone_at_aol.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] paddling the potomac river
Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 14:50:46 -0400 (EDT)
Hi

I am planning to paddle the Potomac around DC sometime soon.

What type of currents am I likely to encounter?

Can you put into the river around Roosevelt Island or does one need to find an
"official site"?

How far up from Key bridge is it reasonable to paddle. I know little falls
represents the start of "smooth water".

thanks
sid
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From: Rich Kulawiec <rsk_at_rockandwater.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] paddling the potomac river
Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 15:22:54 -0400
On Thu, Aug 15, 2013 at 02:50:46PM -0400, Snstone wrote:
> How far up from Key bridge is it reasonable to paddle. I know little falls
> represents the start of "smooth water".

I can only answer part of this, because (as a river paddler) Little
Falls is the end of my trip, not the beginning.  You can make a
guesstimate of close to Little Falls you can get from downstream
by checking this gauge:

	http://waterdata.usgs.gov/md/nwis/uv/?site_no=01646500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00062,00054

Just now it's 3.1 feet, fairly typical for this time of year,
and you can probably get up to Chain Bridge, maybe further.

---rsk
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