By SUZANNE WELANDER

Overflow Creek. In the 4-mile section between Overflow Creek Access at Three Forks and the take-out, this run drops 380 feet. The run is for experts only and calls for the exercise of all safety precautions.

Overflow Creek is a high-water run for skilled and intrepid boaters. Located in Rabun County, Overflow Creek joins Holcomb Creek and Big Creek at the headwaters of the West Fork of the Chattooga River, and a requisite stint on the latter precedes the takeout. Not for the faint of heart, the entire 5-mile run is highly technical. The stream is small but very powerful when the water is high. If Section IV of the Chattooga bores you, try Overflow.

FS 86B TO FS 86 (OVERFLOW CREEK ROAD)

SUMMARY: Class, IV-V (V+); Length, 5 miles; Time, 4 hours; Gauge, visual; Level, 0.9 feet; Gradient, 158 feet per mile; Scenery, A+. VIEW INTERACTIVE MAP.

DESCRIPTION: You might want to add a parachute to your safety gear for this one. In the 4-mile section between the Overflow Creek access at Three Forks Road (FS 86B) and the takeout where Overflow Creek Road (FS 86) crosses the West Fork of the Chattooga River, this run drops 380 feet. Rapids of Class V+ difficulty dot the route. Scouting is advisable, but is complicated by dense streamside foliage and nearly vertical banks. This run is for experts only and demands taking all safety precautions.

Overflow starts out as a small stream but soon begins a rapid descent. There are numerous blind drops; once the paddler in front of you passes over the lip, you do not see him again until you enter the drop yourself. Debris and undercuts are the primary hazards, but vertical pins have occurred on Overflow Creek. There are unnamed drops on this run that would be considered significant rapids on another river.

When you decide to run Overflow Creek for the first time, it is in your best interest to accompany someone who knows the run thoroughly and can give you good instructions en route. There are must-catch eddies, some right before or after a drop, that are difficult to pinpoint from scouting alone.

Some of the initial drops are Bushwhacker, Peewee and Roundabout. You may think these are the run’s major rapids at first, but they are not. The first of the big drops is Blind Falls. Scout on the far right; and when you run it, try to stay as far right as you can. Don’t let the nose of your boat turn left before hitting bottom, otherwise you will end up in the hole or against the slightly undercut left wall. Gravity, the next rapid, waits not far downstream, so you don’t want to swim out of Blind Falls. Eddy out on the right as soon as possible and scout Gravity on the right.

Gravity is Class 5.0 because of the pothole at the base of the drop on river right; it almost took the life of an experienced boater. You must decide whether to portage on the right or to move left at the top of the drop to land on river left and run down the left side. The rapid funnels at the bottom, so if you run it, make sure that when coming down the left side, you are not prematurely kicked right. Try to boof the bottom.

Scout and run Singley’s Falls on the left. The total drop is close to 37 feet, and at lower water levels, it is possible to get your boat completely out of the water onto dry rock on the left. If you boof out of Gravity, you will stay on the left side of the drop; otherwise, you will be funneled into the center. You are already better prepared than past first timers; years ago, guides commonly told unsuspecting paddlers to run the next drop with no warning of its height.

The next drop, Twilight, requires a boof off a mid-stream rock to avoid being smashed against the left wall. After Overflow’s confluence with Big and Holcomb creeks at Three Forks, the first rapid on West Fork of the Chattooga is Igore. Watch for undercuts and rock sieves in Igore, and be certain to catch the solitary eddy on river left just after the drop. The eddy must be caught to scout or portage the Great Marginal Monster, the next rapid. Paddling with someone who knows the river and exactly where this eddy is located could be a lifesaver. It is tempting to ignore the eddy and try and take a peak at what lies around the corner. However, missing the eddy normally means you will run the next rapid ready or not, as the current is often too strong to back up.

The entrance to Great Marginal Monster is a little tricky and is normally run on the right, as the hydraulic on the left is stronger than it looks. It can force unfortunate paddlers to swim out of a hole in one of the last places you want to be caught in the water. At normal levels, there is a boat-length flat after the entrance drop and before a boulder in the center diverts the current on both sides into a couple of huge, twin undercuts. A majority of the water in the river goes through these undercuts, and boats have washed through them with up-turned ends. When running this drop, some paddlers boof the rock in the center, while some just continue on the river-left angle with which they finished the river-right entrance drop.

Passing these undercuts without being extruded through them doesn’t signal an end to the fun; another big hole can form where the water shooting out of the undercuts converges. Even if you walk this one, putting in right below the hole is still fun. Given the twist at the bottom, you don’t want to bury your boat too deeply. Marginal Monster, Gravity and Pinball are the “Bit Three” on this run, in order of increasing difficulty.

Run Pencil Sharpener on far river right to avoid the potential undercut on river left. Pinball, Class 5.1, is a big, long rapid in which it may be difficult to remain upright. Because you don’t want to flip over, it’s best not to allow your boat to head straight into the bottom of this drop either.

The last real rapid on this run is Swiss Cheese. This is a blind rapid; even if you have someone leading you down, don’t depend on being able to follow his moves visually. Oftentimes, once the person ahead drops over the horizon line, you won’t catch sight of him again until it is time to eddy out. It’s best to receive verbal instructions on this beautiful rapid.

Longer boats increase the danger level on Overflow. Rapids full of strainers and with no eddies are found above Class V drops. A creek boat, in contrast, allows for nimble maneuvering and more breathing space in the narrow, steep corridors.

In addition to the parachute, bring a flashlight. Unexpected water surges push the creek beyond runnability and have forced seasoned Class V paddlers to hike out.

SHUTTLE: From Clayton, head east on Warwoman Road. Turn left onto Overflow Creek Road (FS 86) immediately after crossing the West Fork of the Chattooga. Turn right at FS 86B. The put-in is at the end of this road. You will pass several potential takeouts along the way, the Forest Service campground on the left being the best option.

GAUGE: There is a gauge in the river upstream of the Overflow Creek Road bridge across the West Fork of the Chattooga. Based on paddler postings on American Whitewater’s Website, 0.9 feet is a recommended minimum; exercise caution at levels above 2 feet. Chattooga levels at US 76 can also be used. When the Chattooga is 2.5 feet and on the way up, it may be worth the drive. Knowing whether the creek is on the way up or down is crucial to gauging the feasibility of a run.

MAPS: USGS 1:24,000 topographical maps: Satolah; County maps: Rabun.

Links:

• Overflow Creek is in the Savannah River watershed. Read more about the Savannah River and its watershed.
• Read one canoeist’s “discovery” of Overflow Creek in the mid-1970s.
• Download a 4-color poster of the Savannah River watershed including Overflow Creek.
• Read about other Georgia Rivers.

A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia is a compilation of paddling guides to over 80 Georgia streams and rivers, plus the Okefenokee Swamp and Georgia Coast, published by Menasha Ridge Press since 1982. Originally written by Bob Sehlinger and Don Otey, it has been extensively revised and updated by Suzanne Welander. Organized efficiently by watersheds, the book contains a wealth of interesting and useful information about Georgia physiography and paddling, in general, as well as the authoritative paddling guides. To purchase a copy of A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia, a book every paddler of Georgia streams should have in their library (and boat), and to see over 75 other outdoor guides published by Menasha, visit the Menasha Ridge Press website.     

This paddling guide to the Savannah River begins at Thurmond Dam and extends for 210 miles to Savannah. The route can be divided into shorter separate trips by using the directions below and referring to the accompanying interactive map.

One of Georgia’s longest and largest rivers, the Savannah originates in Hart County in northeastern Georgia. Flowing southeast, the Savannah travels approximately 300 miles and drains an area of 10,600 square miles before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near the city of Savannah. The journey of the Savannah from source to mouth is a study of contrasts. It originates clear, cool, and free flowing in the Blue Ridge Mountains. However, its mountain tributaries are dammed and impounded many times before even reaching the Savannah. The Savannah itself comes into being not as a surging, vibrant stream, but as a still mass of backwater in the Hartwell Reservoir, into which the Savannah’s parent tributaries, the Tugaloo and the Seneca, empty.

A Savannah River Paddling Guide from Thurmond Dam to Savannah VIEW INTERACTIVE MAP.

SUMMARY: Class, I; Length, 210.1 miles; Time, up to 4 weeks; Gauge, Web; Level, N/A; Gradient, 3 feet per mile, > 1 below Augusta; Scenery, B - C-. VIEW INTERACTIVE MAP.

DESCRIPTION: Released below Hartwell Dam, the Savannah is never again clear or free flowing. As it traverses the Piedmont, it flows reddish to light brown and transports a massive suspension of sediment and silt. Its flow is regulated by a series of impoundments, so there is less than 30 miles of free-flowing river between the Hartwell Dam and Augusta. Below Thurmond Dam, the Savannah averages 350 feet in width and runs through deep, well-defined, sandy, clay banks for approximately 6 miles before entering the backwaters of Stevens Creek Dam. Since Thurmond Dam is responsible for ensuring adequate water for navigation on the lower Savannah, releases are more uniform and predictable than at Hartwell. Runnable levels are therefore assured all year.

Three miles below the GA 28 bridge is the Stevens Creek Dam, followed shortly downstream by a navigation dam with locks. Both of these must either be portaged or locked through. Immediately following the navigation lock and dam, the Savannah broadens, and shoals appear again and run intermittently until the river narrows and winds to the left before passing the city of Augusta. It is at this point that the Savannah emerges from its wooded corridor into a heavily populated and industrialized area. Flowing first past the levees of downtown Augusta and then through the heavy industry and junkyards on Augusta’s southeast river bank, the Savannah leaves the Piedmont behind and begins to change character as it plods irrevocably towards the Atlantic Ocean. River access in the Augusta area is rare at bridge crossings and is better sought at private and public boat ramps.

For paddlers, the Savannah has its good points and bad. On the negative side, the water is usually not aesthetically pleasing. On the positive, there is plenty of that funny-looking water, since upstream dams and hydroelectric plants must release sufficient water daily to support navigation in the Coastal Plain. Further, except in the environs of large cities and at two or three isolated industrial sites, the river corridor is surprisingly isolated and pristine and is rich in flora and fauna. Islands in the Piedmont and meandering bypasses (islands formed when a meander loop is cut off) in the Coastal Plain provide opportunities for canoe-camping.

Below Augusta, as the Savannah sweeps across the Coastal Plain towards the sea, the river is left more or less to its own devices. The river’s character changes markedly as it bids farewell to the rolling hills of the Piedmont and enters the agricultural flats and bottomlands of the Coastal Plain. Here, the river deepens and constricts to an average 250 to 300 feet, and flows beneath well-defined, sandy clay banks of 2 to 6 feet in height. Where the Savannah was shallow and turbulent upstream, it is now deep and calm. Islands are smaller and much less common, and the straight sections give way to broad meanders and horseshoe loops, complete with lowland swamp and oxbow lakes.

While a forest corridor continues to cradle the river, it frequently yields to lowland swamp on the far side of the river’s natural levee. Nevertheless, the streamside forest remains diverse and beautiful. Dominant along the Savannah in the Coastal Plain are bald cypress, tupelo, overcup oak, water hickory, green ash, and swamp black gum, with understory vegetation consisting of swamp privet, swamp dogwood, and swamp palm. Frequently encountered inhabitants of the Savannah along the Coastal Plain include the marsh rabbit, muskrat, several species of bat, mink, opossum, raccoon, gray squirrel, bobcat, long-tailed weasel, red fox, striped skunk, white-tailed deer, beaver, and river otter. Reptiles and amphibians are numerous and include several species of rattlesnake as well as the southern copperhead and the eastern cottonmouth. The many species of birds are too numerous to list.

Paddling is enjoyable and the setting pristine and remote, with the exception of several isolated riverside power plants and industries, including the nuclear power plant located across the river from Burke County. Hazards to navigation are limited to powerboat traffic (which is far from overwhelming) and to a dam 8 miles south of Augusta that must be portaged. The level of difficulty is Class I throughout. Access is good in Richmond and Burke counties but somewhat limited in Screven and Effingham counties.

After passing beneath I-95, the Savannah enters the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. Formerly the site of many plantations, the rice pools have been allowed to revert to grassy marsh and now serve as the wintering grounds for waterfowl. Here begins a series of alternate cuts, canals, and river passages that branch off the main Savannah channel and parallel it to the east, return to the main channel at the southern end of the wildlife refuge, and immediately fork again around Hutchinson Island. Beyond doubt, several days of pleasant paddling can be had while exploring the wildlife refuge.

Moving south beyond the refuge, your choice is to paddle through Savannah city and port or to bypass the harbor on the less-trafficked Back River. While the Savannah waterfront is not without historical, industrial, and cultural interest, it is nevertheless somewhat dangerous due to the busy maritime traffic. Our advice is to view Savannah harbor from the deck of a sightseeing boat.

SHUTTLE: The lowest access is near Port Wentworth at the county park where GA 25 crosses the river. Upriver access points are shown on the map.

GAUGE: There are online gauges on the USGS Website. The Savannah is runnable year-round. For more information on the upper river, contact the Metter Fisheries Office at (912) 685-2145. For the lower river, the Richmond Hill Fisheries Office can be reached at (912) 727-2112.

MAPS: USGS 1:24,000 topographical maps: Clarks Hill, Evans, Martinez, North Augusta, Augusta East, Mechanic Hill, Jackson, Shell Bluff Landing, Girard Northwest, Girard, Millett, Allendale, Hilltonia, Peoples, Shirley, Hardeeville Northwest, Ringon, Port Wentworth, Lime House, Garden City, Savannah, Fort Pulaski, Savannah Beach North; County maps: Columbia, Richmond, Burke, Screven, Chatham.

Links:

• Read more about the Savannah River watershed
• Download a 4-color poster of the Savannah River watershed
• Read paddling guides to other rivers and creeks in the Savannah watershed
  • Brier Creek Paddling Guide
  • Broad River Paddling Guide
  • Chattooga River Paddling Guide
  • Ebenezer Creek Paddling Guide
  • Hudson River Paddling Guide
  • Middle Fork Broad River Paddling Guide
  • North Fork Broad River Paddling Guide
  • South Fork Broad River Paddling Guide
  • Tallulah River Paddling Guide
  • West Fork of the Chattooga River Paddling Guide

A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia is a compilation of paddling guides to over 80 Georgia streams and rivers, plus the Okefenokee Swamp and Georgia Coast, published by Menasha Ridge Press since 1982. Originally written by Bob Sehlinger and Don Otey, it has been extensively revised and updated by Suzanne Welander. Organized efficiently by watersheds, the book contains a wealth of interesting and useful information about Georgia physiography and paddling, in general, as well as the authoritative paddling guides. To purchase a copy of A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia, a book every paddler of Georgia streams should have in their library (and boat), and to see over 75 other outdoor guides published by Menasha, visit the Menasha Ridge Press website.