Chattahoochee River flow rate

Chattahoochee River Flow Rate

November 30, 2020

We raft on the gorgeous Chattahoochee River at the Columbus location of Whitewater Express. Beginning in North Georgia’s mountains, the Chattahoochee River snakes its way through the southeast, forming the southern half of the border between Georgia and Alabama. The river affords a wide variety of recreational opportunities, many of which are dependent on the flow levels. When inquiring about their Columbus whitewater rafting trip, group kayak lessons, and even tube rentals, customers often ask us about the Chattahoochee River flow rate, current water levels, and rapid classes that they will encounter on their adventure. 

Whitewater rafting in Columbus provides a very unique and awesome experience, in part by its many distinct water levels. It’s tough to find a river whose levels do not fluctuate from day to day, but here we get major fluctuations both day to day and hour to hour. Georgia Power generously puts forth a tentative water release schedule, which is available to the general public on a daily basis. The schedule may contain several days at a time depending on the season and will forecast the projected flow rates. We share this information to keep our customers safe and informed during their Chattahoochee whitewater rafting experience.

Chattahoochee flow rate

Flow Terms To Know

It’s important to know and understand some of the most commonly used terms when it comes to our water levels:

  • Turbine – In this instance, these are the machines used to produce continuous power by way of fast-moving water. We use the term to help clarify the specific amount of water that is being released. It may also be referred to as a “Gate” or a “Unit” just know that all of these terms are interchangeable when it comes to water levels.
  • CFS – Stands for “Cubic Feet per Second” and is how we measure the amount of flow by volume. One cubic foot is roughly the size of a basketball. Think about it like this… If the water level is at 900 CFS (Which is our base flow aka one “unit”) that’s roughly 900 basketballs per second of water pushing out of the dam. That’s a lot of water, right?!
  • North Highlands Dam is a Hydro-Electric Dam, meaning it releases its water based on the power needs of the city.
  • One Unit – Anywhere from 750-1000 CFS typically. Averaging at around 900 CFS this is considered the “Base Flow” for this section of the Chattahoochee River. Less water flowing = less power being generated, meaning this water flow is most common in the morning times in the Spring and Summer when the city of Columbus is using less power. Less water also means milder, more technical rapids that offer a more traditional southeastern feel. For this reason, our Classic Rafting trip is run in the mornings to late afternoon and is the best way to get the whole family on the water. .
  • Two Units – This is where the water is getting a little bigger. Most commonly, we are looking at about 4500 CFS. Now we are at one of the most versatile water levels and a great time for kayakers to get a feel for the pushiness that comes with higher volume flow. This increase in water flow is common in the late morning and early afternoon. As the water begins to rise, the river starts to change dramatically and quickly at that. This is the minimum water level needed to run both our Challenge and Carnage rafting trips.
  • Three Units – Getting big here… ~9000 CFS (Georgia Power is creating some serious energy!). This is a fan favorite amongst both kayakers and rafters alike! Good Wave, our notorious competition wave which has been featured in two US National Championships is at its best at this level. This water flow is most common in the afternoons.
  • Four Units – At this point all four turbines are open and operating. Flowing from 12,000 – 13,300 CFS and averages at about 13,000 CFS, this is high flow. At this flow, kayakers will be flocking to Monkey Wrench, a fun play feature underneath the 13th Street bridge.

Max Flow

It’s important to note that while the max flow that can come through the North Highlands Dam turbines is ~13,300 CFS, that does not mean that this is the highest flow we can reach on the river. After all four turbines are opened, additional water can be diverted through the spillway. We’ve seen flows pushing 60,000+ in recent years. At higher flows, the river becomes a world-class playground for expert kayakers who brave some of the biggest waves on the East coast! Typically the extremely high flows come during the dead of winter.

For more information about the Chattahoochee River flow rate, the National Park Service maintains river gauge metrics that are always available!

Any questions? Reach out to us!

Flowing in the shadows of Historic Mills, lining the banks of a sprawling urban city, the Chattahoochee River holds the distinction of being home to the world’s largest urban whitewater course for white water rafting in Georgia and Alabama.

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