Let the river be your guide
We’re students of the river and each other.
Members of the Lower Columbia Canoe Club frequently use the resources and links provided below. If you have suggestions for additional online resources, please reach out to us via email at lowercolumbiacanoeclub@gmail.com.
Water Levels and Gauges
Dreamflows
Pat Welch’s Water Information
The water level information on Pat’s pages is collected from various sources. Please note that some flow estimates are based on calculations using data from other locations, so it's important to consider this when reviewing the figures.
Kalama River Gauge
USGS: National Water Dashboard
USGS Water Watch Pages are ideal for getting a general sense of water conditions across large areas, with an emphasis on comparing current data to historical norms.
USGS Current Conditions Pages are best for accessing real-time, site-specific data, with a focus on detailed measurements and localized information.
American Whitewater River Info
NOAA NW River Forecast Center
NOAA National Water Model
Parking Passes
Northwest Forest Pass (Federal Lands in Oregon & Washington)
Oregon State Parks Recreation Passes
Washington State Recreation (Discover Pass)
River Permits and Lotteries
Weyerhaeuser Recreation Permit Search
Recreation.gov
Rogue River
Rogue River (last minute permits)
Lower Deschutes
John Day River
Grand Canyon
Invasive Species Permits
Oregon Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program
Idaho Invasive Species Boat Stickers
Local Gear Retail, Rentals & Services (Classes, Trainings, Instruction)
Next Adventure Paddle Sports Center
Wet Planet Rafting & Kayaking (White Salmon, WA)
Gradient River Essentials (Eugene)
Immersion Research (Hood River)
Express Dry Suit Repair (Beaverton)
Other Paddling Based Clubs, etc.
OKCC (Oregon Kayak and Canoe Club - Portland)
BCC (Beaver Canoe Club - Vancouver, British Columbia)
League of Northwest Whitewater Racers (NW Slalom)
WKCC (Willamette Kayak and Canoe Club - southern and mid-Willamette Valley of Western Oregon)
Paddle Trails Canoe Club (Washington)
WKC (Washington Kayak Club)
Alerts, Forecasts, Reports
Fire and Smoke
Fire Watch (Watch Duty is a real-time wildfire tracking and alerting app designed to keep residents informed about active wildfires in their area. It’s a community-driven platform that leverages the power of citizen reporting and professional input to provide timely updates on wildfire conditions)
Inciweb (Incident Information System) is a web-based platform managed by the United States Forest Service that provides up-to-date information on wildfires and other incidents, primarily in the United States. The site is designed to provide the public with detailed and timely information about ongoing wildfires, including location, size, containment status, evacuation notices, and other critical details
Fire and Smoke Map (a specialized tool provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with other agencies to offer real-time information about air quality, specifically related to wildfire smoke. The map is part of the larger AirNow program, which provides air quality data across the United States.)
firesmoke.ca (is a specialized website that provides detailed smoke forecasts. It is part of the BlueSky Canada smoke forecasting system, which models the spread of smoke from wildfires to predict its impact on air quality.)
Toxic Algae Advisories
Wind
Precipitation
Weather
Extreme Weather and Hazard Alerts for Oregon
National Weather Service (weather.gov) Portland Forecast Office
Apps, Crowd Sourced Info & Podcasts
RallyCrew (Former LCCC President Deborah Kane’s app will be released in Spring 2025, “RallyCrew quickly and easily connects you to paddlers in your area, plus the world’s top instructors, professional athletes, and five-star businesses.”)
RiverApp (“RiverApp is the most widely used app for monitoring river conditions at over 40,000 sites across Europe, North America, and Oceania. It's the perfect tool for paddlers, packrafters, fishermen, and anyone involved in river-related activities.”)
Podcasts:
The River Radius
Tales from the Cripps (recommend episode: Falling Down on the Jarbidge Bruneau)
The Dirtbag Diaries
Organizations
American Canoe Association (ACA)
Conservation, Water Science, and Advocacy
The Longest List of American River, Lake, and Bay Conservancy Organizations
Books and Publications
For many years, the club maintained a physical library of books, DVDs, and other resources. This collection has now been replaced by a curated list of resources. Take a look!