Every river has its seasons. So we have had to learn to live with the disadvantages of a river lately. Periodically, the river rises with heavy rain in the upstate, and occasionally the boathouse floods. Fortunately, we are able to predict with reasonable accuracy how severe flooding will be.
The interactive map below shows the basins of the Broad River, the Enoree River, and the Tyger River. It features links to a collection of water stations (red dots) that are relevant to our club.
Here are some aspects that help you understand this map:
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- This map shows, cities (black), water (blue), water stations (red), the 3 river basins (green), and their boundaries (yellow).
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- Click on the red dots to open a water station. A new window shows the most current data for gage height and discharge (if applicable).
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- The most interesting water station for our club is at the dam of Parr Lake near Alston, SC.
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- During the floods in spring 2003 the water needed about
- 5 hours from Alston, SC,
- 21 hours from Carlisle, SC, and
- 46 hours from Blacksburg, SC to our boathouse.
- During the floods in spring 2003 the water needed about
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- To estimate the gross amount of water that will arrive in Alston, SC add the discharge of the following stations:
- Broad River at Carlisle, SC
- Tyger River near Delta, SC
- Enoree River at Whitmire, SC
- To estimate the gross amount of water that will arrive in Alston, SC add the discharge of the following stations:
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- To determine the current level of the water at our dock:
- Broad River at the I-20 Bridge, Columbia, SC A monitoring station installed at the I-20 bridge, just upstream of the dock, gives us real time data on several parameters including the river level, flow rate and temperature. At 153.55 ft., water is even with the top of the diversion dam. At 157 feet, the ramps to the dock are almost horizontal. Any level over 158.5 feet is going to get the floor of the boathouse wet.
- If the I-20 station is down, one can determine the approximate temperature of the river at: Broad River Temperature near Jenkinsville, SC.
- To determine the current level of the water at our dock:
Remember that a reasonably fit person has a 50% chance of surviving a 50 meter swim in 50 degree water. If you fall out of your boat, get out of the water as soon as possible, even riding your shell like a surf board to the bank.