Barnum Whitewater Area

WHITEWATER

The North Branch of the Potomac is a whitewater rafting river for the entire family.  Whitewater releases from Jennings Randolph Lake tumble down a continuous gradient of sand stone ledges and cobbles providing Class I, II and III rapids in close succession and are comprised of waves and rollers up to six feet high.  Short spells of calm water permit bailing, relaxation and swimming.  Trip length is 7 miles.  The launching area is located in the Barnum Whitewater Area (BWA).  Parking and restroom facilities are available at the launch site.  The Mineral County Parks & Recreation Commission has instituted a $2.00 per person fee for all individuals entering BWA on release dates.

Whitewater releases from Jennings Randolph Lake are scheduled in April, May, and early June.  Water flows will reach whitewater levels by 10:00 a.m.  Each release will be six hours in length, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Flow rates will vary from a minimum of 850 CFS to a maximum of 1500 CFS during a whitewater release.  All releases dependent on an adequate supply of water in Jennings Randolph Lake.

Camping facilities are available at Jennings Randolph Lake.  In addition, accommodations may be found at several local motels or bed and breakfast inns.

North Branch Whitewater Release 2012 Dates:

The 2012 whitewater release schedule for Jennings Randolph Lake has been set for the following weekends:

April 7th & 8th
April 21st & 22nd
May 5th & 6th
May 19th & 20th

The schedule has been posted on the web at http://www.nab-wc.usace.army.mil/northBranch.html. The release rate and duration will be announced about one week prior to each event.

Artificially Varied Flow (AVF)

Releases will consist of a river flow between 850-1000 CFS.  An AVF release is not considered a whitewater release, although the boating public can use such a release for recreational purposes.  As with all releases scheduled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer; the release can be cancelled at any time due to a variety reasons ie. drought, environmental concerns, etc.

2012 AVF Release Dates

BWA                   September 3, 2012
                            September 30, 2012    

Savage               June 3, 2012
                            July 1, 2012
                            September 29, 2012