Havasu current water level

[bammbamm]

I have never been to Lake Havasu before. I am coming down there Saturday for the day to pick up my boat. Is there a map of the safe way to travel the gorge? Is it worth it to travel up to pirates cove and how long does it take?
Thank you

 

[Rbcconst]

This link shows the water release. Someone told me lower then 3 units is bad. Not sure if it means 3 units most of the day?

I will say that the water has been extremely low from late november-january. If its anything like what it was 2 weeks ago i would have to say hard pass and double hard pass seeming its your first time. The docks were sitting on mud at topock and the water level in the channel at pirates was lower then ive ever seen it.


https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/DavisParkerSchedules.pdf


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[WildWilly]

I'd consider myself pretty experienced running the entrance to the river and I don't bother from about thanksgiving until March or maybe April. I'm in a 25' V. Maybe if I was in a toon and low draft outboard setup but defnitely not if its your first time

 

[n2otoofast4u]

I am by no means an expert, but 99% of my Havasu boating is during the winter. I use this chart, and 447 is my target number, but have ran up in a 29' V bottom at 446.5 without issue. If you can't find someone to follow, Id study the maps that are on this site, work your way up there slow, so you understand the line, get back out in the lake, get on plane, and send it. Pick yore feet up as you go over the shallow stuff, and $72 membership to Boat US is your get out of jail free card. The gorge IMO is the best part of boating Havasu.

https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/yester.html

 

[DWC]

Here’s a pic one a day shot awhile back of the mouth of the river. Left is no wake. Somewhat dredged and safer if water levels are ok. To the right is a bit tricky. Best to follow a similar size boat through the first couple times. Once you get past there it’s smooth sailing. Stay in the middle at pirates. It can get real shallow on the right going in. Topock could be tough this time of year. Either way, you could run down the lake to the Springs. Great place to grab a bite. Plenty of quiet coves to pull into and relax also.
PS. Takes a little over an hour cruising upriver to get to Pirates. No wake zones slow it down quite a bit.

 

[Rbcconst]

Here’s a pic one a day shot awhile back of the mouth of the river. Left is no wake. Somewhat dredged and safer if water levels are ok. To the right is a bit tricky. Best to follow a similar size boat through the first couple times. Once you get past there it’s smooth sailing. Stay in the middle at pirates. It can get real shallow on the right going in. Topock could be tough this time of year. Either way, you could run down the lake to the Springs. Great place to grab a bite. Plenty of quiet coves to pull into and relax also.
PS. Takes a little over an hour cruising upriver to get to Pirates. No wake zones slow it down quite a bit.

View attachment 841686

That path on the az side is interesting. A bit safer then the path ive always taken to get back onto the river. Seems like every time I have tried that path its real shallow? Is there a deep section there?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[J&k beer can]

have always used this route and never had any issues..
been doing it since mid 80's..
but once again check ahead for water levels and watch for sand bars..

 

[QC22]

And of course I do a combo of Green/Red. Green below the island, then I switch to Red where the lines cross. The issue with my method is downriver traffic

The lake level notes above are good for the entrance, but doesn't help once you're in current. The low flows out of Davis can get you in trouble no matter what the lake level is, right?

 

[DWC]

That path on the az side is interesting. A bit safer then the path ive always taken to get back onto the river. Seems like every time I have tried that path its real shallow? Is there a deep section there?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I’ve never had a problem going the California side. It’s been shallow a few times but never too bad where trimming up a bit didn’t solve. We don’t boat much from Nov thru Feb though. Maybe it’s too shallow then.

 

[mash on it]

The lake level notes above are good for the entrance, but doesn't help once you're in current. The low flows out of Davis can get you in trouble no matter what the lake level is, right?

Right.

The water releases, out of Davis Dam, (river mile 276) have 45 miles to go @ the stream gauge (RS 41) at rm 231. (Down river from Topock)

Comparing RS 41 water flows and Davis flows, RS 41 can be up to 12 hours later. With higher water flows, the level is up sooner, ~8 hours.

For reference, the mouth of the river @ Havasu is rm 217 or so.

Hope this helps.

Dan'l

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

The green line works great until your heading down river and someone is coming up river and does not grasp the concept of passing port to port.

 

[King295]

There is an unmarked sandbar prior to where the river makes a hard right towards The Sandbar which can be worse than clearing the entrance from the lake to the river.

Be careful out there.

 

[prorider]

There was a real nice F29 ran aground half mile up from mouth of river on Saturday

 

[Wheeler]

This might be of help.

https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/threads/safewatersapp.197591/

I have never been to Lake Havasu before. I am coming down there Saturday for the day to pick up my boat. Is there a map of the safe way to travel the gorge? Is it worth it to travel up to pirates cove and how long does it take?
Thank you

@rivergames

 

[rivergames]

To All Havi RDP'rs. Please mark up the route BammBamm needs to take on SafeWatersAPP!

BammBamm, tale screen shots of your routte on SafeWatersAPP in case you loose service. All cell service is spotty through that area.

 

[wettrthebettr]

I have never been to Lake Havasu before. I am coming down there Saturday for the day to pick up my boat. Is there a map of the safe way to travel the gorge? Is it worth it to travel up to pirates cove and how long does it take?
Thank you

Bammbamm you got pretty good reponse, here is the reponse when I asked,
https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/threads/colorado-river-navigational-charts.210882/

 

[Racer56]

I still can't believe that with all of the government agencies regulating everybody's "Safety" on the water, the mouth of the river doesn't get dredged every year. How many incident's have to occur before our tax money gets spent on something meaningful, like providing deep water access to the river year round. This Shit totally baffles me.

 

[QC22]

I still can't believe that with all of the government agencies regulating everybody's "Safety" on the water, the mouth of the river doesn't get dredged every year. How many incident's have to occur before our tax money gets spent on something meaningful, like providing deep water access to the river year round. This Shit totally baffles me.

You forgot about all the government agencies regulating everybody's environment...

 

[mash on it]

I still can't believe that with all of the government agencies regulating everybody's "Safety" on the water, the mouth of the river doesn't get dredged every year. How many incident's have to occur before our tax money gets spent on something meaningful, like providing deep water access to the river year round. This Shit totally baffles me.

It's a river. Not a shipping corridor.

Use a river boat. Not an ocean boat.

Problem solved.

Dan'l

 

[wettrthebettr]

I still can't believe that with all of the government agencies regulating everybody's "Safety" on the water, the mouth of the river doesn't get dredged every year. How many incident's have to occur before our tax money gets spent on something meaningful, like providing deep water access to the river year round. This Shit totally baffles me.

like Mash on it said Not a shipping corridor AND no one has Died from the Sand bar, To my knowledge

 

[Boat 405]

I want less government intrusion into how I spend my weekends. If you are worried, go up the no wake zone side of the river mouth. Otherwise run it hard and trim it high along the reeds on the east side of the island at the river mouth.

 

[QC22]

Could you imagine the size and cost of an operation to dredge every navigable river, and all routes? Heck the Mississippi has shallow spots. I don't believe we're thinking clearly here.

 

[bammbamm]

Thank you everyone for your info. I decided to just run down to Springs for breakfast instead of going the other way.

 

[mash on it]

Thank you everyone for your info. I decided to just run down to Springs for breakfast instead of going the other way.

This is what the freeboard challenged boaters prefer the ocean boats do.

Dan'l

 

[Headless hula]

It's a river. Not a shipping corridor.

Use a river boat. Not an ocean boat.

Problem solved.

Dan'l

Didn't have any trouble with my little eggbeater boat while doing 75+.....


I wouldn't recommend any path I took with a sterndrive boat......


I value my prop dearly... dont go upriver till the water comes back up. I'd say its 2' low as of yesterday.

 

[Headless hula]

Topock gorge is closed till May. Too shallow to navigate safely. ☹

 

[mash on it]

Didn't have any trouble with my little eggbeater boat while doing 75+.....


I wouldn't recommend any path I took with a sterndrive boat......


I value my prop dearly... dont go upriver till the water comes back up. I'd say its 2' low as of yesterday.

I don't have a prop. (BIG ASS GRIN EMOJI HERE)

Dan'l
Ditch pump degenerate

 

[checkrd past]

The green line works great until your heading down river and someone is coming up river and does not grasp the concept of passing port to port.

Thank you for this reply. The same reason I don't go thru desert center is the same reason I don't go up river on the right side