A) Five Mile Road to Horlick Dam Pond (7.72 miles)

Quick Facts: Location: about 8 miles northwest of downtown Racine, WI. Shuttle Length: 5.4 miles Character: Flatwater/swiftwater float with a few shoals. At moderate flows some fine 'splishy splash' waves develop. Put-in is approximately 650' elevation. Take-out is approximately 620' elevation. Thus total elevation change is approximately 30' (Gradient: 5.6 feet per mile.). General Overview A very pleasant paddle/float trip may be had on the 'upper' Root River. There are *no real rapids*, but there are *a few areas of shoals* which may create some riffles and waves at moderate flows. The whole reach may be boated virtually any time (other than winter, of course), if one is willing to get out and drag across these shoals (during low flows), since they interrupt otherwise deeper pools of water. Shoals are most prevalent about 0.75-1.0 mile into the run (in the area of the Johnson Park Dog Run), and again at about 3.1-3.3 miles (a bit downstream of leaving Johnson Park Golf Course). High water actually *diminishes* the minimal whitewater here, as the low gradient is essentially swallowed up. There are no major permanent obstructions (rocks, narrows, or complex rapids), so only minimal technical maneuvering skills are required. The exception would be random deadfall and snags, which may be present. High-water runs (levels of 600-800 cfs and higher) should be done only by well-experienced skilled boaters fully aware of the force of swiftwater and the increased danger it presents. Early season boaters should also be aware of water temperatures and should be prepared to deal with the concerns of cold-water immersion. (Wetsuits or drysuits should be worn anytime water temperature is less than 50F. Hint: if nighttime temperatures are averaging under 50F, it a pretty fair bet water temperature will be under 50F!) The most common or recommended trip uses the put-in and take-out points cited due to good access and parking at these locations. Many other 'mile-road' crossings have minimal shoulders or longer carries in and out from where you can park your vehicle. For a shorter trip, reasonable access is possible near Hwy.31 at Four-mile Road (4.3 river miles down from cited put-in, or (used as a put-in) 3.4 miles down to the cited take-out) or at River Bend Nature Center (6.5 miles from cited put-in, or 1.2 miles to cited take-out). Even in the drought of summer, one can paddle the stretch between 4-mile/Hwy.31 and the dam. This may best be done by parking at the boat-ramp above the dam (the listed take-out for this run), paddling upstream (with negligible current) as far as time and interest allow, then paddling back down, eliminating the need to run any shuttle. In theory, the river looks boatable from near its headwaters (just West of Greenfield Park in Milwaukee), and parkland flanks the river virtually the whole way. However, I'm sure any such trip will be far more memorable for the multitude of deadfall, snags, and portages than for any other reason. Even after the confluence with the Root River Canal (near the Milwaukee/Racine County line), while good access exists at many locations on this West-to-East stretch of the river, this area is also *far more* prone to strainers and snags than occur on the reach as detailed here. The gradient upstream (other than the far-upper headwaters area) is well under that of the lower reaches we have described. (From the listed put-in on 5-mile Road, it takes nearly 5 miles upstream (midway between Hwy.V and Hwy.38) to get a total of 10' of drop, thus just 2 feet per mile.)