Cheoah–riffic
One of North Carolina’s finest reliable releases. Put me in coach!
Words and Images by Sarah Ruhlen
The Cheoah — the first release weekend of the year for the Southeast (this year February 22 @1000cfs 8am-12pm, 600 12pm-5pm, note 2/23 is @200cfs). In a dry year, this release can be the first time boaters have been out on anything that isn’t just scraping down wet rocks. What feels like the entire Southeast will be at the takeout by the time you show up. During wetter winter seasons, everyone shows up primed from the already juicy flows they’ve had so far. Sometimes, there’s already natural flow, and the Cheoah gets quite fluffy. Regardless, the Cheoah draws in a diverse crowd, and has a bit of fun for everyone. It’s one of those runs where you can hit water boofs all day long, or get those good fader boofs off the slanted rocks, and keep your bow up off the waterfall. Only brought a slicey boat? There’s tons of seams to check out and reckless verticality to be had.
Lay of the land
The Cheoah riverbed below Santeetlah Dam to Lake Calderwood was dewatered for 77 years! Recreational releases began in 2005, due in large part to the efforts of both American Whitewater and Western Carolina Paddlers. Presently, there are at least 18 scheduled whitewater releases for boaters. This section of water is nine miles long, with rapids ranging from class 3–4+, and can be run at a variety of levels. It is generally divided into the “upper” section, which starts at O’Henry’s parking lot, and goes a full seven miles down to the Forest Service bridge. The “bridge down” section starts here, and ends at Calderwood Lake.
Pro Tip: Make sure you bring enough cash for parking, and for a permit. If you don’t get a permit at O’Henry’s, you can get one at the little convenience store just up the road.
Where to put in, what to expect
Individual Rapid descriptions can be found at: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/3146
PUT IN: On release days, O’Henry’s parking lot is like the locker room before the big game. Everyone is there, joking around, gearing up, getting ready to hit the court for a warm up. The Upper section of the Cheoah provides a great introduction to the flow and feel of the river, without having quite as much gradient as the Bridge Down. Paddlers here will immediately hop into some good flow moving between trees and rocks, with somewhat limited visibility. The feel of the river would be very similar to a smaller Ocoee, except in flood stage. Expect small eddies, lots of holes, and trees and brush in the riverbed. Be ready for this with a super solid roll, and the ability to catch smaller eddies and read water on the move. Expect everything on this section to be more read and run style, and for it to go by quickly.
Pro tips: Do the seal launch at the put in. Remember to bring cash for parking and a river permit. Boof at God’s Dam. Keep ‘er straight at Land of a Thousand Holes.
PUT IN 2: Putting in at the bridge is the equivalent of the coach throwing you in the game with one quarter left and the score tied. You want to know what the plays are, and what you need to make them happen. The rapids are steeper and the flow gets a little faster. These are the more classic, defined rapids. The biggest, Bear Creek Falls, is 12’ ledge with three main lines. Leading into Bear Creek is Chaos, and following Bear Creek the river splits around an island with Python on the Right, and West Prong on the left. Next is Tapaco Lodge, then the final rapid, Yard Sale. What is neat about this lower section especially, is that most of the rapids can be seen from the road or with a short walk. If you’re feeling spicy and just want to do bridge down laps, it’s easy to check out the rapids on your drive up from the takeout.
Pro Tips: Hit the GIANT boof at the bottom right of Chaos. Drive the boof at the top left of Tapaco. The first hole of yard sale is stickier than you think. If you take the right boof, have a bit of left angle. At Bear Creek, get more rock than you think you’ll need. If you brought something with some slice, make sure to check out the seam below Bear Creek!
TAKEOUT: The easiest takeout is to paddle the .2 miles across the lake to the boat ramp. Plus, this is where all the best stories are being told. There’s lots of parking, and portapotties, and camping!
Pro tip: The portapotties don’t latch particularly well. Watch yourself. If you had a glorious wipeout, the time to prepare the story is during the lake paddle. Also look upstream as you hit the lake, the giant dam is the one Harrison Ford’s character jumped off in “The Fugitive.”
Final notes
The scheduled release amount is 700. Most of the descriptions for rapids and feel of the river are written for this flow. If there’s natural flow coming in, the river is likely to be higher. As the Cheoah gets bigger, the holes get munchier, and some of the drops definitely get pushier. If this is the case, use the roadside feature to your advantage and drive down to take a look at how some of the rapids have changed. As always, be on the lookout for wood, keep an eye out for your fellow boaters, and shred hard!
Pro tip: For earliest access and more time with friends, camp at Lake Calderwood the night before. Chilly, but worth it!
Coordinates for O’Henry’s: 35°23'43.2"N 83°51'54.9"W
Coordinates for Calderwood Lake: 35°27'08.8"N 83°56'41.4"W
