I just got into inland of flatwater kayaking here in RI and wanted to know about the safety of these dams. What I mean is the put in is just upstream, do I risk getting sucked in if I want to paddle upstream?
The internet raves about the Pawtuxent River in Hope to the reservoir, I guess this might not be too bad to go upstream but a 19ft dam has me scared so I want to hear it from someone that's been there and lived to tell the tale that it's not dangerous.
Same with Manville Dam. I'd love to do the Blackstone River upstream, is this possible? Has anyone put in at Manville, gone North a ways then turned back? Is the river flow so fast you'll get swept downstream no matter what?
Hello Attilio, I've paddled upstream from the Manville Dam put-in multiple times with the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club and encountered no issues with the dam. It is not on the schedule this year and I do not know why. Unless the river is running very high, the current is almost negligible. Of course one should never paddle near the dam but it is easy to avoid. You can walk from the parking to view the dam before you paddle. Also, before you paddle, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with a map of the river (google maps is fine) as there are several dead-end channels as you head up the river. I am fairly certain I have paddled from Hope Furnace Rd on the Pawtuxet but have no specific recollection so I'll leave that one for someone with a better memory to comment.
If you are looking for places to paddle, check out the BVPC and RICKA flatwater calendars for opportunities to paddle some new places with people who have done it before.