river usk water levels

[kayakwalker]

I was look earlier at the usk river levels on rainchasers and its showing empty, I am running a club trip to the usk this weekend and have already paid bunkhouse etc. Are the levels too low? Is there a minimum level on the access agreement?
Thanks
Steve

[Poke]

Looking at the gauge on rainchasers, shows that the river is currently on 0.8m, and that the "low level boundary" is 0.85m.

Low is (in theory) the lowest level you can get down it without bashing off rocks/the river bed. Within the last week, Rob has added the ability to calibrate the gauges as a "Scrape", to show where rivers are still navigable, but that they might not be the most enjoyable.

Whilst I don't know the Usk at all (other than it's quite big and wide), I'd say to take a punt and go anyway. it's only 5cm below the calibrated "low" level... and this itself is only based on individual's observations. If you find that the river is still paddleable at 0.8m (or lower!) post your observation in this thread saying whether it was low or a scrape (or empty!) and it should eventually make it's way onto the rainchasers site.

Same goes for any other rivers you paddle at the weekend actually. Happy water hunting :-)

[leerogers]

Hi Steve,

Which section of the Usk are you planning? The Mills Fall section goes at most levels and is pretty short - so a scrape isn't too bad! Sennybridge to the Nant Bran goes pretty low too (I've done it lower than it's currently showing!). Wouldn't bother with the section between Nant Bran and the start of Mill Falls section at Tay-Y-Bont unless it's higher. Check out the webcam: http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/conditions/gauge3.php

Cheers
Lee

[Mike Mayberry]

If it helps this video was made at levels showing only around .10m higher than the EA guages are at the moment.

[TechnoEngineer]

We'll probably also be paddling Talybont-on-Usk to Llangynidr this weekend.

Does anyone have any idea on how 1mm of rain influences river levels? From here:
http://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/brecon

you can see there will be some rain, but will it be enough to push it over .85?

On the wider access issue, is there any support for the funding of the cameras from paddlers in any way, shape or form? (particularly if they're operated by angling associations?)

[kayakwalker]

I have never done the usk before but I am leading the group so I was going by the put ins and tack outs on rainchasers of the Talybont-on-Usk to Llangynidr section. which I believe includes the mill falls section. And I was looking at the sennybridge to brecon stretch although that sounds rather long at 19km of what is going to be low levels. So any sugestions of stretches (put ins and take outs) would be much appriciated.
Thanks guys
Steve

[leerogers]

Yeah, for the Sennybridge section we always get out where the Nant bran joins. There's a layby on the main road and a minor road that goes down the the river with a bridge over. Cuts the section in half - so much more manageable esp. if it's low!
Lee

[shanclan]

Try the Wye & Usk gauge:

http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/conditions/gauge3.php

Anything above 1.5 is OK (as a local), although anything above 1 you can get down (as a tourist ;-) ). Talybont to Llangynidr (ie Mill Falls) is probably your least worst bet on the Usk this weekend.

The Wye may have a little bit more water in it making Hell Hole OK. Builth to Lyswen is a long section, but you can just do Erwood to Lyswen. Newbridge to Builth may also be doable. The rain that is falling on Friday and Saturday looks more like it will hit the Wye than the Usk but check the gauges on the day.


Wye Gauge here:
http://www.wyeuskfoundation.org/conditions/gauge1.php

[morsey]

It is actually raining today in Brecon. The online EA gauges have not been accurate lately, especially Llandetty. (I have read the gauge at the river a couple of times and it is not the same as the reading online!) Anyhow, everything is pretty low. I've seen people on most sections of the Usk recently.

This is the state of play on the Usk in Brecon. This is the upstream side of Brecon Bridge, and you can only get through the two left hand arches.



The two Tributaries into the Usk in Brecon do not have enough water to float at the mo.
This is how low the Honddu has been in Brecon, the current rain might lift it enough to be able to float through the town.






This is the Tarrell section near the Industrial estate by Brecon.

[morsey]

I just looked at the Usk and Honddu and they are both back down to as in the photos.

I note that Llandetty is reading 0.84 at the moment and looked at the WUF gauge, I wouldn't normally bother patronising that site but people seem to be using it so I thought I'd calibrate.

WUF says 1' 2" Llandetty says 0.84 I say Talybont - llandgynidr = Float the whole way (even the shallow sections)

Talybont to Llangynidr
Friday 11th November 2011
get on: 12:30
get off 14:00
Llandetty 0.84m (I read the gauge as we passed)
Low

At 0.84 on the gauge you can float without scraping the whole way down the river, including the shallows below Buckland which still have a floatable channel. The waves are smaller but still playable, mill fall middle wave is still retentive enough to do spins. Other waves were small but you could still surf on most. Llangynidr main wave was grabby, the others were working well.

So one foot and a half below the WUF red cut off is good to go on the Talybont to Llangynidr section without fear of touching the river bed and hence no environmental concern what so ever. :-)

[chriscw]

Thanks Morsey,

We are at the canal barn Bunk house next weekend and I note that there is rain forecast for this week. Does anyone care to hazard a guess at which sections of the Usk and Wye will be reasonably usable. We often use Sennybridge to Aberbran and talybont down to Llangynidr or Crickhowel. If I understand Morsey right the present levels are good to go and I think I recall paddling at those levels before and it was OK.

For what it is worth TalkTalk homesafe things that the WUF site has a virus.

[hereorkayaking]

Thanks Morsey,

We are at the canal barn Bunk house next weekend and I note that there is rain forecast for this week. Does anyone care to hazard a guess at which sections of the Usk and Wye will be reasonably usable. We often use Sennybridge to Aberbran and talybont down to Llangynidr or Crickhowel. If I understand Morsey right the present levels are good to go and I think I recall paddling at those levels before and it was OK.

For what it is worth TalkTalk homesafe things that the WUF site has a virus.

Currently running from what ive seen.

On the usk- (all rather low but runnable)
Aberbran - Brecon
Brecon-Talybont
Tal-y-bont - Llangyndir

On the Wye- (Wye is holding its water and slowly but surely dropping off)
Everything from Newbridge down. (local anti paddler types at Newbridge are active at the moment so beware)

Steve

[morsey]

I think the list Steve gives will still be good for a couple of days. I took a look at the Aberbran to Brecon section today and it looks like the channels are still flowing fine. There was cloud sat on the mountains all day today drizzling, probably only added a couple of mm's but it all helps to hold the levels. I'm not sure what it is going to be like at the weekend, high pressure is no good at the moment, but 10mm of rain is looking possible on Wednesday, which should keep things running for a few more days.

[morsey]

EA Gauges are way off again today! Honddu is still not really up. Usk is flowing well. Tarrell has more colour in its cheeks.

Photos from 4pm today:
Honddu Brecon


Usk Brecon Bridge


Tarrell section near the Industrial estate by Brecon




Should be something still running come the weekend :-)

[chriscw]

Thanks guys.

[morsey]

Llandetty gauge is on 0.90 (I looked at the gauge on the river at 11.30 this morning. I estimate that it will stay above 0.80, without any more rain, for the weekend. :-) Enjoy :-)

Llangynidr the tree across the bridge is pretty much a permanent factor. I can't upload a photo at the mo but it is blocking the number two arch reading from the river left. It is pretty obviously big and blocking! You can go round it left and right.

[morsey]

There is the tree. Photo taken from the get out river left above Llangynidr bridge.

[AlexN]

I used the Gliffaes eggress for the first time yesterday. The car parking area was small and pretty full. If using this eggress is there any where else to park if you've sorted the shuttle and get there and its full? I don't think many paddler's cars were there as we were late and the river was pretty empty and there weren't many roofracks.

[Dave Thomas]

We parked three cars there about 10.45, and it was fullish but not full then. Left about 4-ish. Could be worth wandering down to reception and asking where it would be OK to park if no spaces left - the owners/managers are normally very canoe-friendly. I have previously just parked neatly along the roadside at the bottom of the drive with no comeback when the carpark has been totally full (wedding party or somesuch, I guess)

[AlexN]

Thanks. Have you parked inside or ouside of the entrance gate? We were on from around 2.40 to 4pm, so that was probably your group loading when we got off.

[Dave Thomas]

Yes - sounds as if we may have 'met'!

Inside the gate is a no-no - the 'arrangement' specifies to leave that area clear,IIRC, and even loading can be an inposition - we delayed the lady in the lodge from driving in iuntil we had moved a car! She was very cheerful - asked if we had had a good day, etc, so no animosity, but better not to impose if at all poossible.

Directly outside - I guess one shouldn't churn up the verge any more than people have already done (indeed, preferably not that much!) and space is pretty limited on the tarmac. Maybe one or two spots to park on the verge in the Crickhowell direction, but it'd be pretty tight.

[AlexN]

Thanks.

[morsey]

Levels are really mega low now peeps :-(

These photos are from earlier today:

Upstream side of Brecon bridge:


View across Usk at Honddu confluence:

Honddu weir in Brecon town:

[morsey]

Current water levels:

[morsey]

Just got back in from a bike ride down the banks of the Usk from Brecon to Brynich Aqueduct. WUF Gauge says 0.10, Llandetty 0.69 and there are floatable channels the whole way down the river. The weir section by millbrook farm seems runnable as well. There is a tree wedged under the aqueduct, but there is space to go around it easy enough. I've seen multiple anglers wading in this section the last couple of weeks so there are no real concerns about scraping on the odd section, if you miss the channel. As touring canoeing goes you would be hard pressed to be it the river right now, in all its spring finery. Lots of fat sheep and lambs running around! I'll try and paddle down the full section down to Talybont in the next few days and give a heads up as to whether that section floats the whole way in these super low levels.

From a white water paddlers perspective, CIWW is where the current paddling is to be had in South Wales. :-)

[AlexN]

The WUF 'agreement' has now ended for this winter. Some of the access and parking is across or on private land. Which access/egress points and parking are still useable outside of the WUF dates? e.g. the Gliffaes get out and parking is in the grounds of a hotel and Aberbran is across a farmer's field, which is very nice of them. Presumably the permissions for parking and access across private land only apply during the WUF dates. I am not enquiring about the right to paddle the river, but which access/egress points and parking work outside WUF?

Alex

[morsey]

Honddu does not float through Brecon at the moment EA Gauge "Upper Chapel is 0.09"


0.8 on the WUF gauge is looking close to the physical cut off for the Usk. You can just float the middle section of Brecon weir and through the island. Two channels are just passable, on the gravel section leading to the bridge, where waders have been angling for the passed two weeks. One arch allows you to float clean in and under, the other has water but the entrance is almost dry. The riverwide gravel bed below the weir, again where waders have been angling for the passed two weeks, is very close to being too low, there is no defined channel so if the level drops one more notch on the WUF gauge it will not float.

If I knew the gravel sections were actual breeding grounds I'd personally not paddle over them in this level, having seen anglers on these sections there is no indication to suggest these gravels are an area of concern and the odd scrape from the boat (No paddling or stirring of the gravel with the paddle) would therefore not be of concern.


Brecon Promenade is Public.
Brynich Aqueduct river right below there is a blue gate and access across the land up to the canal has been agreed as it is British Waterways (to change to "Canal and river trust") controlled land.
Llangynidr bridge river right has a footpath.
Crickhowell bridge, council land river left, footpath river right.
Sennybridge has a public bridge over the Senni just before it joins the main river.

Not sure about Aberbran, I'd imagine the farmer would be happy for you to pay to park all months of the year. They seem happy enough with the way paddlers behave to let them use the field.

Did I mention that WUF signs are violating National Park regulations, so you can feel happy ignoring them.

[morsey]

This was how low the Usk got before the recent snow and rain arrived! Not what you expect for March/April.

[morsey]

None of that drought business today in the Usk Valley. :-)

[morsey]

Afon Crawnon feeding into Usk, in Llangynidr at 2pm today: