Icicle Creek Gauge - Realtime
Printed From: ProfessorPaddle.com
Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11959
Printed Date: 06 Oct 2025 at 6:31am
Topic: Icicle Creek Gauge - Realtime
Posted By: WA-Boater
Subject: Icicle Creek Gauge - Realtime
Date Posted: 02 May 2012 at 6:45pm
There is a realtime gauge on Icicle Creek: http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?id=ICEW1 - http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?id=ICEW1
Here are some numbers from last season over there:
It would be sweet if we started using the realtime gauge and reported the "feel" of the river so we would have a better tool for future use.
My thoughts:
Upper: 5' to 7' = low to high
Middle: 4' to 6' = low to high
Lower: 5' minimum, but doable lower
Darren ------------- |
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Replies:
Posted By: jP
Date Posted: 03 May 2012 at 12:59am
| Drop that science, Proffesor D! |
Posted By: JeffR
Date Posted: 03 May 2012 at 9:03am
The WA Dept of Ecology also has a real-time gauge on Icicle, and it reports CFS as well as stage: https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/wrx/wrx/flows/station.asp?sta=45B070 - https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/wrx/wrx/flows/station.asp?sta=45B070 . This is the gauge that the http://www.riverlevels.us/ - River Level Text Service returns. Also, the Icicle gauge here on PP is in CFS. This seems like a very accurate virtual gauge that is based on what the rest of the Wenatchee drainage is doing. (I'm sure James can provide more specifics.) For a crude virtual gauge that's better than simply using a percentage of Wenatchee at Peshastin, subtract Plain from Peshastin. The only 2 major contributors between Plain and Peshastin are Icicle and Chiwaukum. BTW - The WA Dept of Ecology also has real-time gauges on the Little Wenatchee and Nason in CFS: Little Wenatchee: https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/wrx/wrx/flows/station.asp?sta=45L110 - https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/wrx/wrx/flows/station.asp?sta=45L110 Nason: https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/wrx/wrx/flows/station.asp?sta=45J070 - https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/wrx/wrx/flows/station.asp?sta=45J070 These are on the http://www.riverlevels.us/ - River Level Text Service too. |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 03 May 2012 at 10:05am
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Jeff, I have recently considered moving to the DOE gauge that you mentioned. The only reason I have not yet, is because I wanted to watch the levels one more year. The DOE gauge for the Icicle is actually down at the Fish Hatchery, and oddly enough although the NWS forcast site says Icicle above snow creek, it is indeed not, it reports and forcasts off the DOE gauge that is at the Hatchery as well. The USGS site is indeed a visual / Non Live staff that is recorded and posted with a delay of up to 1-6 weeks at times. Currently the latest data from the USGS is 4/11/2012. This makes that data almost useless other than historical comparisions to help determine flows from other sources. Regardless never going to use this one because that run changes everyday as the sun shines, clouds roll or rain / snow falls. And it turns off and on pretty durn quick. The DOE gauge is what I am interested in. Currently our virtual gauge does what jeff mentioned. Takes the difference from Plain and Peshastin. Removes a percentage for side creeks that flow inbetween the two locations. Then removes an additional flux amount based on the amount of water being diverted into the irrigation canal and inflow from snow creek. This whole formula was actually made for the lower icicle more than the upper stretches since the diversion for water is done just above the snow creek drop, but there you have it. So what I have been doing, or rather what my computer has been doing is monitoring the outflow of the irrigation diversion so I can take the DOE gauge and post it as the Lower Icicle Value, and then create a virtual value for the upper portions that puts the irrigation diversion back in. Believe it or not that diversion can take quite a bit of water, unfortunately it is not a real time source either. The dept. of fish and wildlife and the BLM both monitor the flow and include it in various reports. I have a couple of old ones that I just used the historical values from in correlation to hot days, peak water use etc.. So there you have it... why aren't we on the DOE yet? cuz I'm lazy :) http://professorpaddle.com/rivers/riverdetails.asp?riverid=468 - http://professorpaddle.com/rivers/riverdetails.asp?riverid=468 There is the lower, I just switched it to the DOE gauge... Still the upper parts should be tweaked to show the irrigation diversion which can be as high and low as 0cfs - 250cfs!!! |
Posted By: JoesKayak
Date Posted: 03 May 2012 at 10:27am
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I like the DOE gauges. But some of them (peshastin, pilchuck) tend to go offline the day before you want to run the crik. DOE!!! |
Posted By: shirepaddler
Date Posted: 04 May 2012 at 9:32am
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Darren yah, trying to get folks to gauge off of the true Icicle flows rather than Wenatchee at Peshastin has been suprisingly tough.
I agree with your thoughts on flows, although I tend to look at the cfs graph rather than the level.
For the Middle (ricochet to the Plunge) - we' run down to about 300 cfs or so end of season and it was still super fun.
300 -1000 low to great
1000-1500 primo for mere mortals (reasonable amt of water over ricochet rock)
1500-2000 getting pretty sporty
2000+ high
Kelly |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 04 May 2012 at 9:41am
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I would have gone with 300 - 700 Low but fun 700 - 1200 primo 1200 - 1500 getting pretty sporty 1500+ egads. I recall one year I think 2007 or 08 when I went up there and the peshastin was only at 5500 and it had been the same the weekend before. got to richochet and thought... man this seems really different than last weekend. Turns out icicle was actually double what it was the weekend prior although Peshastin had not changed more than a few hundred cfs... |
Posted By: FLUID
Date Posted: 04 May 2012 at 11:54am
| It's hard to put a personal target on water levels as our perception of whitewater is changing personally all the time year to year, weekend to weekend. Three years ago I would have called the levels I run the middle now super juicy. Thats why its hard to define a tatget comfort zone of levels for a group census....... I'm visual with Icicle if it looks good and im feeling good, its on. if not ??? I portage my way down or watch darren and rob kayak while I take pics......however the upper and lower can get pushed with levels and can be run pretty high...... |
Posted By: FLUID
Date Posted: 04 May 2012 at 11:56am
| but at the same time I target paddlers with skill sets I admire... If Kelly says it's sporty then it's probably pretty sporty...... |
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 04 May 2012 at 12:18pm
| Yea I am not saying my preference sets the bar either, just thought I would put my 2 centalos out there. |
Posted By: huckin harms
Date Posted: 15 May 2012 at 7:50am
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So if it wasn't clear before, it should be now. The current reading of Icicle on PP is so far off it's comical. It should be tossed out and replaced with the DOE guage which is accurate as far as I can tell from the few times I've been over there this year. ------------- |