In Anticipation of Precipitation . . .
It's raining outside . . . or maybe not. In any case, you have a boating trip in West Virginia or Pennsylvania, and you need to know what water levels are. If you are lucky enough to have one of those internet-enabled PDAs or cell phones, maybe you can pull up real-time water levels. However, if the remote mountain wilderness that your camped on leaves you too far from the closest cell tower, or you simply don't have one of these new electronic toys, just look for a pay phone.
Phone numbers exist that will give you daily readings for selected rivers. Dave and Sharon Seslar have put together gauge sheets that give these phone numbers for West Virginia and Pennsylvania, lists some of the more popular rivers in these states, as well as basic information on these rivers (e.g., the Class rating, river section, gauge station, and generally-recommended runnable levels). These gauge sheets, in PDF form, can be downloaded from the COP Boating page: www.outdoor-pursuits.org/activities/boating/links/gauge_pitt.pdf and www.outdoor-pursuits.org/activities/boating/links/gauge_hunt.pdf
Basically, to use the form, call the phone number listed on the top of the page and write down the given water levels for the different gauge stations. The Pittsburgh number will give automatically give levels for all the rivers listed. The Waterline number requires that the river codes be entered. Rivers and their various sections are listed with recommended runnable levels for each gauge station. Once you get the desired river levels, look at guidebooks to determine if the water level and difficulty for a particular river of interest is appropriate for your skill level and experience. However, it is very important to note the DATE and TIME of the water level reading! A reading several days old may not be useful, and could prove dangerous since the current level is unknown. Remember, river difficult varies greatly with river levels.
Note that this gauge sheet is for planning purposes only! It does not replace research from guidebooks or from reliable internet sites, like American Whitewater. Similarly, it does not substitute for common sense in whitewater boating or from an honest assessment of your skills and experience for paddling any given section of river.
Until internet-cafes become as popular in Appalachia as they are in central Ohio, phone gauges will continue to be an indispensable tool when you're in Anticipation of Precipitation!
Page 1 of the WV/PA Gauge Sheet. Go to the Boating Page of the COP website to download both pages.