2021 Southeast Advanced Release Schedule Set!
American Whitewater and our affiliate clubs have spent the past 25 years working to restore flows to incredible Southeastern rivers impacted by dams. A lot of our work has focused on Class II and III rivers like the lower Nantahala, Tuckasegee, Hiwassee, and Catawba, but we also secured releases in some classic steeper reaches previously dewatered by hydroelectric diversions. Each year we meet with power companies and agencies to schedule future releases, review ongoing ecology studies, and discuss any issues with the release programs.
Below are the 2021 dates for the Class IV/V Cheoah, Nantahala Cascades & Upper, West Fork Tuck, and Tallulah rivers. The most common question we get is why the releases overlap, and can't instead be spread out across more weekends. The answer is that each river's releases have specific requirements for the months or weeks in which they can occur that are written into the dam license based on ecological, recreational, and water supply reasons. For example there must always be some Cheoah, West Fork Tuck, and Tallulah releases in April, and there are too many releases to not have some overlap. American Whitewater strives to reduces overlap as much as possible when we work with our partners to schedule these flows.
It is hard to predict the future of the Covid-19 virus at this point and what it's effects may be on this release schedule. Based on the second half of the 2020 season, we can expect the Cheoah, West Fork Tuck, and Upper Nantahala releases to likely occur without significant risk of cancellation. Spring Tallulah releases are less certain, but we remain hopeful that they will be allowed to occur.
In addiction to these releases, the Green River (Upper, Narrows, and Lower) now have a release schedule. While we don't have a calendar yet for the Green, it will closely follow the 2020 schedule.
Enjoy these releases, big thanks to all the volunteers and agency staff that make these releases possible, be safe out there, and we appreciate your support of this work.
February
2/27: Cheoah @1000 8am-12pm, 600 12pm-5pm (note 2/28 is @ 200cfs)
March
3/20: Cheoah @1000 8am-4pm, 600 4pm-12am
3/21: Cheoah@600 12am-12pm, 300 12pm through 3/22
April
4/3: Tallulah @ 500 8am-4pm, Cheoah @1000 8am-4pm;
4/4: Tallulah @ 700 8am-4pm, Cheoah @1000 8am-2pm & 850 2pm-4pm;
4/10:Tallulah @ 500 8am-4pm; West Fork Tuck @ 250 10am-4pm
4/11:Tallulah @ 700 8am-4pm; West Fork Tuck @ 250 10am-4pm
4/17: Cheoah @1000 8am-4pm;
4/18: Cheoah @1000 8am-2pm & 850 2pm-4pm;
4/24: Cheoah @1000 8am-4pm; Upper Nantahala / Cascades @ 250 10am-4pm
4/25: Cheoah @1000 8am-2pm & 850 2pm-4pm; Upper Nantahala / Cascades @ 350 10am-4pm
May
5/15: Cheoah @1000 8am-4pm
5/16: Cheoah @1000 8am-2pm & 850 2pm-4pm
5/29: Cheoah @1000 8am-4pm
5/30: Cheoah @1000 8am-2pm & 850 2pm-4pm
June
6/5: West Fork Tuck @ 250 10am-4pm
6/11: Upper Nantahala / Cascades @ 250 4pm-7pm
6/19: Cheoah @1000 8am-4pm
6/20: Cheoah @1000 8am-2pm & 850 2pm-4pm
July
7/9: Upper Nantahala / Cascades @ 250 4pm-7pm
7/10: West Fork Tuck @ 250 10am-4pm;
7/16: Upper Nantahala / Cascades @ 250 4pm-7pm
7/24: West Fork Tuck @ 250 10am-4pm;
August
8/6: Upper Nantahala / Cascades @ 250 4pm-7pm
8/7: West Fork Tuck @ 250 10am-4pm
8/21: West Fork Tuck @ 250 10am-4pm
September
9/25:Upper Nantahala / Cascades @ 300, 10am-5pm
9/26: Upper Nantahala / Cascades @ 425, 10am-3pm; @ 250 3pm-5pm
October
10/9: Cheoah @1000 8am-4pm
November
11/6: Tallulah @ 500 8am-4pm
11/7: Tallulah @ 700 8am-4pm
11/13: Tallulah @ 500 8am-4pm; Cheoah @1000 8am-4pm
11/14: Tallulah @ 700 8am-4pm
11/20: Tallulah @ 500 8am-4pm
11/21: Tallulah @ 700 8am-4pm