Do you know any information about dam release rivers? Let us know by emailing info@wheresthewater.com
Release information for 2010 is now available - see below
Remember all these dams can and do have unscheduled releases, usually over the winter months but even in the summer if there is sufficient rainfall. These tend to be considerably bigger than the summer releases but runs such as the Garry and Tummel can give cracking boating for the more experienced paddler. The Moriston and the Meig are probably best avoided when they are cranking but that should be obvious from one look at the river!!
River Awe
A classic beginner's trip (Grade 2/3), the River Awe usually has at least some water in it in the summer due to compensation flow from a dam. In the winter, the river will come up like any other, with sufficient rainfall.
Releases in addition to the compensation flow will run from 16th April – 30th September in 2010. The dam usually releases once a week Saturday night 21:00 to Sunday morning 09:00. Although there is basic compensation flow most days which makes the river navigable, the SCA negotiates a number of Sunday daytime releases to replace the usual release overnight which added to the compensation flows makes the river a better paddle.
The 2010 dates are:
2nd May Sun 09:00 – 21:00 (replaces 2nd release for period 16th April – 1st May)
19th September Sun 09:00 – 21:00 (replaces freshet for 11th Sept)
17th October Sun 09:00 – 21:00 (replaces freshet for 18th Sept)
Please Note: Oban Canoe Club were doing a regular Tues night trip on the river over the summer. They cleared a tree hazard upstream of the campsite but noted (28th June 2008) that "the metal spikes that are all that remains of the old weir about 150m upstream of the power station are still there and paddlers should be wary when in that area. They are marked by gabion buckets of rocks on both banks and at that point the river should be taken dead centre."
River Moriston
The summer 2010 Moriston releases have started and it is business as usual.
The Moriston is one of the harder dam-release rivers - usually clocked in at Grade 4 (read the guidebook). Releases are once a week, Tuesday through to Wednesday from around the start of May to mid October. The river usually starts rising at 12:00 - 13:00 on a Tuesday and starts falling from 08:30 - 16:50 on a Wednesday. Most people paddle the river late Tues afternoon and evening but it can be paddled Wed morning.
River Garry
The Garry is a good intermediate paddle or playrun (Grade 3+). Since 2009, SEPA are making the dates publically available usually sometime around the end of March for the following summer.
The river runs from March to October on different days, although commonly Thursdays. When releasing, the water usually starts rising 08:00 - 10:00 and starts dropping again in the evening 18:30 - 04:30. Paddling between 10am and 8pm is pretty safe levels-wise.
The 2010 dates are:
March - Thurs 25th March
April - Thurs 1st, Fri 9th, Thurs 15th, Thur 22nd, Wed 28th
May - Sat 8th, Sun 9th, Thurs 13th, Thurs 20th, Sat 22nd, Thurs 27th
June - Wed 2nd, Thurs 10th, Sun 13th, Thurs 17th, Fri 25th
July - Thurs 1st, Thurs 8th, Sat 10th, Wed 14th, Thurs 22nd, Sat 24th, Thurs 29th
August - Sun 1st, Fri 6th, Thur 12th, Thurs 19th, Thurs 26th
September - Thurs 2nd, Thurs 9th, Sun 12th, Fri 17th, Sat 18th, Thurs 23rd, Thurs 30th
October - Wed 6th, Thurs 14th, Thurs 21st, Fri 29th
Releases are also arranged on both the Moriston and Garry for the annual Wet West Paddlefest (the AJ Memorial Weekend). This is usually scheduled for a weekend in September. The 2010 festival dates are the 18th and 19th September (Garry on the Saturday and Moriston on the Sunday). For full details you can go to wetwestpaddlefest.
River Tummel
The Tummel has two sections made paddleable by dam releases during the summer months. The top section is around Grade 3 and the bottom 3(4) due to the Linn of Tummel.
The top section - Tummel (Dunalastair). Releases will run from Wed 10th June - Wed 6th November in 2010. There will be 15 releaseswith release dates switching between a 10 day gap and 7 day gap as specified below.
The 2010 dates are:
June: Wed 9th - Fri 11th, Mon 21st - Weds 23rd
July: Wed 30th - Fri 2nd, Mon 12th - Wed 14th, Wed 21st - Fri 23rd
August: Mon 2nd - Wed 4th, Wed 11th Aug - Fri 13th, Mon 23rd - Wed 25th
September: Wed 1st Sept - Fri 3rd, Mon 13th - Wed 15th, Wed 22nd - Fri 24th
October: Mon 4th - Wed 6th, Wed 13th - Fri 15th, Mon 25th - Wed 27th
November Wed 3rd Nov - Fri 5th
The lower (better known) section - Tummel (Clunie) is from Clunie Dam to the fall at the Linn of Tummel. Releases will run from 1st June – 30th September in 2010. Releases start at half volume at 14:00 then ramp up until 15:30 on Day one. Reducing to half volume at 14:00 and shutting off at 15:30 on Day three.
Releases on the lower Tummel will be once per week Friday 16:00 - Monday 08:00 (1st June to 30th Sept 2010).
River Lyon
The Lyon has two sections but the upper is rain dependent. There were some releases on the main section of the Lyon during August.
River Meig
Read the guidebook for this one - it says it all. Similar to the Awe, there's a compensation flow going all through the summer months. From 1st June – 31st October 2010 there should also be an additonal release above compensation flow once a week 09:00 Thurs – 09:00 Fri.
The compensation flow is enough to make an enjoyable first trip down a very pretty gorge (rated around Grade 4). Don’t be put off when you get to the dam, it really doesn’t need much and as long as there is some compensation flow it should be worth a trip. The additional Thurs release doesn't make the river any harder just a bit more comfy (less rocky!). Be warned if the Meig is really going (and this should be obvious at the put in - water over the dam etc) probably best to walk away. This is a small constricted gorge which doesn't take much water to get seriously difficult and full on!
Upper Spean (Laggan Dam)
The Upper Spean can run at anything from Grade 3 to 4+ depending on the number of pipes releasing, overspill and the volume of it's 2 tributaries (the Trieg and the Laire). The Laggan Dam doesn't have scheduled releases - it actually releases 2 pipes at a time automatically when the water level in Loch Laggan rises to a certain level. It also automatically shuts down 1 pipe at a time. Consequently you can get it releasing at 1 or 6 and everything in between depending on whether the water level is rising or falling. It very rarely releases during the summer and currently (Oct 2008) the loch is still pretty low.
We'll try and keep the site up to date with the loch levels and last known number of pipes releasing. The loch can actually rise and fall pretty dramatically with both very wet and very dry weather. We have ambitions to set up a web cam of Laggan Dam, but this may be some time off!
Doon (Ness Glen)
Hidden away in Ayrshire, the Ness Glen section of the Doon is on a constant release all summer from a dam at Loch Doon and is paddleable all the time. This is another good beginners trip clocked at Grade 2/3.
Maintenance Releases
Dams need maintenance, and when they do the hydro scheme is forced to release water into the river. The River Conon is the classic case of paddlers taking advantage of a maintenance shutdown - quite a few folk had magic trips and minor epics as a result!
For summer 2008 - both the Awe and the Oich dam (feeds into the Garry) were undergoing maintenance work. The lochs above them had to be kept at a set level so the work could continue. This meant when it rained heavily both the Awe and the Garry had been releasing. We think this work is now over but will let you know any news on other dam works if and when we know anything.
We'd love to get more regular info on maintenance schedules, but so far this info hasn't been forthcoming - we live in hope!