After the heavy rains of last week, here are a couple of visuals of the Beech Fork and Rowan Creek in Bardstown, KY.

Beech Fork 6500cfs

Above is the Beech Fork at about 6500cfs. You are looking at the rubble dam which is completely washed out at this level.

Below are pictures of the large drop on Rowan Creek. This stream feeds into the Beech Fork near the rubble dam. These falls are about 3 miles upstream of the confluence with the Beech Fork. Rowan Creek almost had enough water in it to be runnable this day.

Rowan Creek

There is a second drop of about 3 feet, downstream of the falls. That spot may be a good park and play feature. It may have been good at this level or with just a little more water. Just needed a little more warmth as well.

Rowan Creek

Fore a look of the Rockcastle River at high water check out these pictures by Josh Carpenter. http://www.flickr.com/photos/21842231@N05

Tags: Water Levels | Beech Fork | Rowan Creek

Spalding Hurst recently hiked to Rowan Creek from the My Old Kentucky Home State Park and has this report on the falls of Rowan Creek.

Rowan Creek has a pretty good set of falls on it, right beside Poettershop Road. But it also has a access by way of the My Old Kentucky Home park. Their is a trail that spans the creek and ends near Pottershop Road where the Falls of Rowan Creek are. After checking this spot out on Sunday morning I think it has the potential to be a nice park and surf after some heavy rains. I was surprised at how much water was moving through the creek on this day. Probably about 50 cfs.

I did not take any pictures but attached is a picture from a few years ago when John Mathews, Jay Thomas and myself hiked the creek. The play spot would be on the lower drop, about a 4 foot drop. There is pretty good access from Pottershop road at this point, so hiking in like I did is not mandatory.

The next time we get some heavy rains and I can get to Bardstown I plan to really check this spot out.

Tags: Rowan Creek | Whitewater Park

Severe thunder storms and heavy rains hit the area this whole past weekend and continue to do so today. Lot's of creeks were going off because of all the rain, but being in Nashville for Jay's bachelor party and the SEC tournament I wasn't able to get on any of them.

I did manage to finally see Rowan Creek with some flow in it. I took these pictures of the brown whitewater at the bridge on Pottershop road.

The creek was moving really fast. The tributaries around Rowan Creek were rolling too. Just beyond the horizon line the creek drops as the picture on the left shows. That picture is from last summer when the creek was dry.

If you were to put on on right around here you would have to commit to running the big drop at the horizon line. There is another drop just below the big one that might be pretty good too.

Next time I'll have to bring my boat, some one to paddle with and run this bad boy from Pottershop to Heaven Hill.

Tags: Rowan Creek