Whitewater Run MN Class I-II(III)

Harris Lake to Birch Lake (8 miles)

Nira/Denley Creek

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Gauge Conditions
Runnable: ? – ? CFS
Approximate reading: This gauge is 5.3 miles away on Nira/Denley Creek. Use as a general reference only.
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Description
This small creek is not likely to be on too many people's 'to do' list, but should be an intimate little paddle. The shuttle is (unfortunately) a bit long. You start in Harris Lake (elev.1533), out of which Nira Creek flows. More-or-less midway down this run (just prior to encountering FR428) Nira Creek ends as Denley Creek comes in from the left, and the remainder of the run takes this name. (It is possible/likely that this lower section could be runnable more often (with the added flow of Denley) and would have the advantage of a shorter shuttle.) Denley then runs into Stony River not far above the take-out, essentially at Birch Lake (elev.1418). All information provided for this section is strictly conjecture, from online maps and satellite views. We have no first-hand knowledge of what you'll actually find. Have you done this section (or scouted it in some fashion)? Please add a comment below, or furnish a report (with photos/videos, if possible). Let your fellow paddlers know if this is a worthwhile addition to the whitewater options of the area, if it is a total disaster to even attempt, or something you may do once but vow "Never again!"
Difficulty
Class I-II(III)
Length
7.7 mi
Gradient
14 ft/mi
max 25
Rapids
15
Shuttle Info
This shuttle is nearly an hour (each way). We highly recommend meeting at take-out, gearing up, swapping boats and boaters to as few vehicles as possible (to leave 'drop vehicles' there), then driving to put-in to run river. This gets you on water without the delay which would result from meeting at put-in, having to run shuttle down and back up (while some boaters wait somewhere near two full hours) before putting on river! It is possible to do only the first- or second-half of the trip, with obviously shorter shuttle. Each of those still require shuttle of 40-45 minutes (each way), so the above advice would still apply.
Difficulty Classes
I Easy II Novice III Intermediate IV Advanced V Expert/Extreme VI Unrunnable
Current Conditions
5-Day Forecast
Whitewater data from
American Whitewater