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Trip Report

Cataract Canyon — September 2020

Low-water Cataract Canyon dory trip at 4,692 CFS with Lake Powell at 3,597 ft. Five days from Potash with Greg and Charlie Madsen. Big Drop 3 proved unavoidable at this level — rock hit damaged the chime front right regardless of line. Rapid 5 hesitation resulted in a high side. Conclusion: avoid Cataract in the dory at flows this low.

5 days 4,668 cfs 3 people dory
Season fall
Launch 9-15-2020
Flow 4,668 cfs
Water 68°F avg
(USGS)
Weather 48–92°F
Lake Powell 3597.72 ft
Conditions

4,692 CFS at Cataract; 2,600 CFS at Potash; 2,000 CFS on the Green River — low water

5 days
4,668 cfs
16 ft/mi
1 boats
Day 1 9-15-2020

Day 1

4,900 cfs (USGS daily mean), water 68°F | Moab, UT: 48–92°F

Day 2 9-16-2020

Day 2

4,740 cfs (USGS daily mean), water 68°F | Moab, UT: 50–91°F

Day 3 9-17-2020

Day 3 — Big Drops

4,770 cfs (USGS daily mean), water 67°F | Moab, UT: 62–91°F

Ran the Big Drops at low water. Normal run in Big Drop 3 results in a rock hit no matter what — damaged chime front right. Rapid 5 hesitation resulted in a high side. Better to avoid this level in the dory; not sure you could clean BD3 without a rock hit.

Day 4 9-18-2020

Day 4

4,700 cfs (USGS daily mean), water 67°F | Moab, UT: 76–91°F

Day 5 9-19-2020

Day 5 — Take-Out

4,610 cfs (USGS daily mean), water 67°F | Moab, UT: 55–91°F

Scenes from the River

Moments the crew logged on this run.

  • Entering the Rapid

    The threshold moment where the river stops being something you are reading and becomes something you are inside. The horizon line drops, speed builds, and every decision made upstream starts collecting interest.

    • anticipation
    • focus
    • commitment
    • adrenaline
    • tension

  • Low Water in the Dory

    At the bottom of the runnable range, the Big Drops stop being a big-water problem and become a rock problem — and in a rigid dory, where hesitation costs a high side and even a clean line can end in a hull-cracking rock hit, low water turns out to be its own kind of hazard.

    • frustration
    • focus
    • commitment
    • grit
    • humor
  • Normal run in Big Drop 3 results in a rock hit no matter what line is taken at this flow. Damaged the chime front right on the dory.
  • Hesitation in Rapid 5 resulted in a high side. Commitment to the line is critical at low water.
Lessons
  • Big Drop 3 at ~4,700 CFS: cannot clean this rapid in the dory without a rock hit. The normal run results in rock contact regardless of line choice.
  • Rapid 5: hesitation leads to a high side. Commit to the line.
  • Avoid Cataract Canyon in the dory at flows below ~5,000 CFS. Not enough water to clear Big Drop 3 without hull damage.
Gear

Dory sustained chime damage front right in Big Drop 3. Repair needed post-trip.

Data

Colorado at Potash: 2,630–2,900 cfs (avg 2,708)

Green at Mineral Bottom: 1,940–2,000 cfs (avg 1,960)

Combined: 4,570–4,870 cfs (avg 4,668)

Lake Powell: 3597.72 ft at launch (3597.27–3597.72 ft during trip). USBR RISE API — Lake Powell at Glen Canyon Dam

Weather: Moab, UT, 48–92°F. NOAA GHCN-Daily

Field Sources

Evidence behind the claims on this page — agency rules, maps, gauges, books, and field notes.

Permits

Hydrology

Access

Rapids

Management

Books

Safety

  • book-excerpt Cataract Canyon (Webb / Belnap / Weisheit) — Selected Pages — University of Utah Press (2007)
Explore
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Recommended Gear
  • NRS Otter 140 Self-Bailing Raft NRS · rafts 14-foot self-bailing raft built for multi-day river expeditions. The Otter 140 is the workhorse of private permit trips on the Colorado Plateau — big enough for a full gear load, nimble enough for technical water. NRS Direct
  • NRS Stern Frame NRS · frames Standard stern frame for oar-powered rafts. Mounts behind the rower for gear platform rigging on multi-day river trips. NRS Direct
  • Cataract Oars SGG 11ft Cataract Oars · oars 11-foot composite oars for big water rafting. The SGG blade shape delivers power in heavy hydraulics without excess weight. Cataract Oars Direct
  • Partner Steel 2-Burner Stove Partner Steel · kitchen Heavy-duty 2-burner propane stove designed for river trip kitchens. Wind-resistant burners and a removable drip tray built for camp cooking at scale. Partner Steel Direct
  • Canyon Coolers Outfitter 75 Canyon Coolers · coolers 75-quart rotomolded cooler sized for raft bays. Built in Arizona for desert river conditions — keeps ice 5+ days in canyon heat. Canyon Coolers Direct
Gear Systems
  • Big Water Raft System Complete oar rig for Class III-V multi-day river expeditions. Raft, frame, oars, and rigging configured for big water on the Colorado Plateau. 3 products
  • River Kitchen System Camp kitchen setup for multi-day river trips. Stove, cooler, and dry storage configured to feed a crew from the back of a gear raft. 2 products
Service Providers
  • Tex's Riverways shuttle · Moab, UT Shuttle service for Green River and Colorado River trips in eastern Utah. Covers Desolation Canyon, Labyrinth Canyon, Stillwater, and Cataract Canyon put-ins and take-outs. Tex's Riverways