Black River
Current level
While the scenery on the Black River in Jefferson County, New York, may be schizophrenic, the big-volume, drop-pool nature of the rapids is consistent throughout the seven-and- a-half-mile paddle. Starting off in downtown Watertown, mill buildings, city bridges and urban-associated pollution create a bleak backdrop for the first half of the paddle. Once past the city limits, the scenery changes dramatically, as the river enters a narrow, secluded canyon where great blue herons, cedar waxwings, and even a pair of bald eagles have been spotted. All signs of the city are gone: deer are often spotted watering along the banks, and bard owls hoot majestically from lofty perches.
The water quality of the Black, long tainted by New York State's first paper mill industry, has been improved dramatically in recent years due to a trout and salmon stocking program. The Black is now considered a Class B waterway, which means you can safely swim, eat the fish and drink the water after treatment.
The Black's long, unusual season is its best selling point. It runs during the summer from mid-May to mid-October, when most other northeastern streams have dried up for the year. The Black is too high to be run during the normal spring season; a necessary portage around a 30-foot falls is underwater. Fed through a system of water-control dams that provide an average daily flow of 1200cfs, average water levels during the summer range from 1200 to 2000cfs, well within the Class IV range for this run. Water levels may fluctuate several times during a trip, but there is usually enough water within a few minutes to continue downstream. The minimum level for the run is 944cfs (2.6 feet on the Van Deuzee Street bridge gauge); the maximum is 5500cfs (5.3 feet). Because of the abundance of water and the difficulty of the rapids, the Black is rafted commercially through out the summer.
The upper section above The Falls is anything but straight- forward. Ledges jut at weird angles, holes can hold rafts and hard boats indefinitely, and sight lines are obscured, requiring bank scouting of the major drops. Below The Falls, undercut limestone cliffs line the lower gorge section, adding real danger to an otherwise classic whitewater run. The rapids in the lower stretch are continuous, with standing waves, holes, eddies and readable white water. The Black is a run for the confident and experienced boater, who knows his abilities and limitations.
The put-in (A) is at Adirondack River Outfitters on 140 Newell Street in Watertown. Parking is tight at times, so inquire at the raft company as to the best place to leave your vehicle. The take-out (B) is on Fish Island, a public boat access point in Dexter. An alternate take-out can be made at the Brownville Bridge, but the climb is steep, the land is private, and the safety of your vehicle is in question.
Club House Turn lies just below the put-in, a 50 yard Class III warm-up with a big eddy on the right. Burn's Wall is next, another Class III wave train a quarter-mile below.
The first major rapid is a mile downstream; Hole Brothers features a great side-surfing hole, the site of a recent Eastern Freestyle Championship. Big-water phenomena follow Hole Brothers for the next three-quarters of a mile, with another mile of flatwater before the awesome Class IV+ Knife's Edge.
Knife's Edge Rapid is a nearly river-wide series of three ledges, the last ledge being the actual Knife Edge. A drop over a three-foot ledge into big waves and nasty cross currents sets up the drop, which should be run on the left. To thread the needle, stay left (at levels below 3400cfs), then move to the right of Diagonal Hole, and to the right of Merry's Hole. Diagonal Hole is undercut into the left cliff: and Merry's Hole is a horseshoe-shaped keeper that you do not want to be in. Immediately below Knife's Edge is Shaw's Wall, an undercut limestone rock face where most of the river flows. This entire section can be scouted from the left bank above Knife's Edge.

Section: 140 Newell Street, Watertown, to Fish Island, Dexter Counties: Jefferson

USGS Quads: Watertown, Dexter Suitable for: Day cruising

Skill level: Advanced to expert
Months Runnable: May through late October

Interest Highlights: Whitewater, history, geology, wildlife Scenery: Urban uninspiring to beautiful

Difficulty: International Scale IV (V in high water) Average Width: 140 feet

Velocity: Fast to sluggish Gradient: 28 feet per mile

Runnable Water levels: Van Deuzee Street bridge gauge Minimum: 2.6 feet (944cfs)
Maximum: 5.3 feet (5500cfs)
Hazards: Undercut rocks, scarcity of eddies, waterfalls

Scouting: Knife's Edge, lower Gorge section Portages: Falls, Hadrian's Wall/Poopchute

Rescue Index: Accessible to accessible but difficult
Source of Additional Information: Adirondack River Outfitters (315)788-1311

River Miles 7.5

Shuttle Miles 7.7

The Falls are the next big drop on the Black, found after a mile of Class III and fastwater below Shaw's Wall. The Falls are a 30-foot cascade with a plume at the bottom that must be portaged! The carry is to the right over a low rock island just to the right of a big stand of trees. At levels above 4500cfs, portions of the carry are under water, creating a dangerous situation. Incidentally, The Falls have already been run as a stunt, so save your pioneer spirit for another day.
The lower gorge starts below The Falls, with the sights, sounds and smells of the city replaced by an isolated wilderness setting. Three Rocks Rapid is first, scoutable from the portage put-in. Class III-IV turbulence tumbles through two huge boulders which become pourovers above 3000cfs. Zig Zag is next, two distinct rapids with big waves and strong eddy lines. A large recirculating eddy (Fossil Eddy) lies on the right above Zag. Zag features Panic Rock, which pillows most of the current off its face. Big waves and a few pourovers lead into a hard-left turn, where The Cruncher is found. Below 2000cfs, The Cruncher is a violent, sticky window-shading hole that becomes more possessive as the water level drops. At higher levels, The Cruncher becomes an exploding wave. A huge eddy is found just downstream, a place for picking up the pieces. Hadrian's Wall is next, a ten-foot vertical dam face runnable as "the rocket ride" at levels above 2000cfs. Hadrian's Wall must be portaged to the left below that level. The Poopchute, a broached section of dam to the right of Hadrian's Wall, is another story. Conservatively rated a Class V drop, the Poopchute is a violent encounter with underwater forces of the third kind. Boaters have been known to run the Poopchute regularly, surfacing 25 yards downstream in the middle of the next rapid.
Wailing Wall Rapid lies above the Wailing Wall, so-named because a raft full of customers once was stuffed into a large undercut in the cliff face-luckily without physical injury. The rapid above consists of three two-foot ledge drops through big waves and heavy turbulence. The first and second drop (Ronnie's Run) are run on the right; then pick the chute to the left of the big rock. The Wailing Wall is on the right as the river bends to the left. Common sense should keep you out of the main force of the current that slams into the wall.
Tall Rock Gorge follows another set of standing waves the most beautiful section of the trip. Cedar trees line the steep banks, birds are evident everywhere, and in the late afternoon an orange light pervades the canyon, creating a peaceful setting. Less demanding Class II rapids, Square Rock and Shave-and-a-Haircut, allow for extended glimpses of the impressive sights within the narrow, forested walls.  Brownville Bridge follows, with a risky take-out; then a mile-and-a-half of flatwater (oh, no!) to the Fish Island take-out in Dexter. The island is to the right of a series of dams that span channels on the left side of the river.
The Black is usually a three-and-a-half hour trip, with plenty of time included to scout the major drops. Undercuts are part of the paddling experience of the limestone-laden Black, so be sure of your line and your roll when on the river.