The Cheoah River is located in the extreme southwestern corner of NC, near Robbinsville. For 77 years the nine-mile section between the Santeetlah Dam and Lake Calderwood was dewatered. American Whitewater along with the Western North Carolina Paddlers advocated for releases for over 6 years. Whitewater releases on the Cheoah began in the fall of 2005. Each year there are at least 18 releases for paddlers to enjoy.
The 9.25 mile section of the Cheoah River, from Santeetlah Dam to Calderwood Lake Boat Launch, is continuous class IV-V whitewater.
To learn more about the Cheoah River, visit the Cheoah River information page on the American Whitewater website.
| Stretch: | Above Lake Calderwood |
| Difficulty: | Class IV (the lower is a harder than the upper, and gets harder with higher flow) |
| Distance: | 6.0 mi for the Upper/Middle, 1.7 mi for the lower, 0.5 mi lake paddle |
| Flows: | Upper: ~600 to ?,000? Lower: ~400 cfs to ~2,500 cfs for most. American Whitewater's flow page. |
| Gradient: | Upper: 72 fpm. Lower: 91 fpm (from The Splat to the end of Yard Sale it is 134 fpm) |
| Put-in: | Either at the Cement Slab on Santeelah Dam Rd or downstream 0.8 miles at the field for a small fee. |
| Take-out: | The boat ramp at Lake Calderwood. |
| Shuttle: | 8.2 miles, 15 minutes one way. |
| Season: | Spring and Fall from Dam Release |
| Written: | © 2015 A Wet State |
2025 Cheoah River Release Schedule
February
Saturday
- 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. at 1000 cfs
- 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. at 600 cfs
- 5 p.m. - 12 a.m. at 400 cfs
Sunday
- 12 a.m. - 8 a.m. at 400 cfs
- 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. at 200 cfs
- 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. at 100 cfs
March
Saturday
- 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 1000 cfs
- 4 p.m. - 12 a.m. at 600 cfs
Sunday
- 12 a.m. - 12 p.m. at 600 cfs
- 12 p.m. - 12 a.m. 300 cfs
Monday
- 12 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 300 cfs
April
Saturday
- 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 1000 cfs
- 4 p.m. - 12 a.m. at 350 cfs
Sunday
- 12 a.m. - 8 a.m. at 350 cfs
- 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. at 1000 cfs
- 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at 850 cfs
Monday (for 3 - Day Releases)
- 12 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 300 cfs
May - July
Saturday
- 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 1000 cfs
- 4 p.m. - 12 a.m. at 350 cfs
Sunday
- 12 a.m. – 8 a.m. at 350 cfs
- 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. 1000 cfs
- 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at 850 cfs
August - November
- 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 1000 cfs
Cheoah River Put In
Cheoah River Resources
- https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/3146/main
- https://noc.com/events/cheoah-river-release/
- http://www.awetstate.com/Cheoah.html
- https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=81839
- https://www.visitsmokies.org/smoky-mountain-blueways/cheoah-river-nc/
