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Peace
River Water Levels
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800-268-0083, 863-494-1215, 863-494-4391 fax
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Canoe Outpost-Peace River on Twitter! Click
Canoe Outpost for water
levels or
Peace Paddler
for general paddling
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The Peace
River is about
19" above
normal at our dock in Arcadia. May come up a little bit more, from the
rain last Friday. Great paddling height!. See text in
red below for more information and
restrictions. 2/07/2010.
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Note:
Canoeing can be a hazardous sport. Please be careful and follow all safety
rules. Do not jump or dive from canoes, bridges, banks, rope swings, or
trees. It’s not worth never walking again. Swim with caution. Shoes are
recommended.
Click
here to see the overnight camping
recommendations.
-If the water level is 12 inches below normal and lower, river
is good for fossil hunting. Water needs to be fairly clear and below normal for
fossil hunting. Fishing gets good in low water, work the dark water around the
tree stumps. If you stay in the river channel, in the dark water, you can
minimize the number of times you have to get out. If you fall in the river, just
stand up, river is that shallow. Kids of all ages are welcome. Perfect
time to bring the dog. Dogs can run and play in the shallow water.
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-If the water
level is between 12 inches below normal and 24 inches above normal, river
is perfect for canoeing. Kids of all ages are welcome. If the water level
is above normal, fossil hunting is not any good, needs to be normal or
below. At normal, the average depth of the river is about 24". There are
some deep holes, there are some shallower spots. The bottom of the river is
not level but fluctuates.
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-If the water level is at 2 feet above normal to just below 5' above normal
all runs are open, no non-swimmers please.
The water is normal for this time of year with a current of about 2 miles
per hour. If you have been to any of the spring-fed rivers in the northern
part of the state, it's running similar to them. It's higher and moving
faster than most times of the year. Leave
the itty-bitty kids at home unless both adults in the canoe are very
experienced paddlers or good swimmers.
Currents are faster than normal on the runs north of
Gardner
and there are some downed trees under the water. If you tip you'll lose
everything. No hourly rentals. Oak Hill Runs are real short, hour and a half
to an hour if you paddle. Trips north of
Gardner
are for the very experienced paddlers only. When the water is at these levels and
higher, you need to stay in the middle of the river, stay away from downed
trees (strainers). If you hit a tree, more than likely you'll tip and lose the
canoe and all your gear. The biggest problem is there are very few shallow
spots to stand and get your canoe tipped back over. If there are two or more canoes, tie together to
avoid tipping. Bring rope or bungees for tying together. No kids under six years old as paddlers. Kids, 4
years and older in the middle, are o.k. just make sure they keep their
lifejackets on. We suggest that canoes tie together
to minimize tipping.
If you have any question about your paddling or swimming ability in a
current, please wear your lifejacket. We supply the standard orange "horse
collar" on the bus or have fitted vest jackets upon request.
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- -If the water
level is at 5 feet above normal to just below 8 feet above normal, no
non-swimmers, experienced paddlers only. Five feet above normal is typical this
time of year. Trips north of Gardner are not
available (no Zolfo Springs, Wauchula, or Ft. Meade Runs). There is a strong current. No
tipping of canoes, there is hardly anyplace to stop and turn the canoe back
over i.e. no beaches, no sandbars, no shallow spots. No kids under the age of
12 years old as paddlers. Kids, 6 years and older in the middle, are o.k. One
adult and one to two small children under the age of 12 in a canoe that is not
part of a group will not be allowed to go. We suggest that canoes tie together
to minimize tipping. Everyone especially the adults need to be good
swimmers. We recommend everyone wear a lifejacket. If you stay in the middle of the river, you shouldn't
have a problem. Most people tip when they get too close to the trees, don't
grab the tree branch, just duck or lay down. If you
tip, you will lose everything including the canoe.
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- -If the water
level is 8 feet above normal or higher up to just under 11 feet above normal,
no non-swimmers, experienced paddlers only. Everyone is required to wear a
lifejacket. There are very few places to stop. If you tip you lose everything
including the canoe, there's hardly anywhere to flip it back over. Tie your
canoes together! We suggest that canoes tie together to minimize tipping. If
you stay in the middle of the river, you shouldn't have a problem. Most people
tip when they get to close to the trees. Don't grab a tree branch, sure fire
way to tip the canoe, just duck or lie down and go under the tree. There is a very strong current. No
kids under the age of 16 years old as paddlers. Kids, 12 years and older in
the middle, are o.k. The only trip available is the 16 mile/Gardner Run
which is really only 12 miles according to the new GPS mileages from the
state. or
Brownville Run (call first, the Brownville is at the whim of the ranger); all
other boat ramps are closed because of the high water.
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-If the water
level is at 11 feet above normal or higher, Canoe Outpost closes canoeing on
the river.
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http://www.wunderground.com/US/FL/Arcadia.html
Click for local weather report.
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USGS
Streamflow Gage Links:
- Ft.
Meade:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/uv/?site_no=02294898&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060
- Zolfo Springs:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/uv/?site_no=02295637&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060
- Gardner:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/uv/?site_no=02296500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060
- Arcadia:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/uv/?site_no=02296750&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060
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When the river is low, it's great for
fossil hunting, fishing, and playing in the water! Fisherman is sitting in the
middle of the river at Oak Hill, the kid is the middle does seem to be praying to the river gods for rain
and Ollie the three-legged dog can hop-a-long through the shallows.