Information on Falling Water Cr.
Rating: III
TDCR: 4562
Location: Pope and Searcy Co.; Take Hwy. 65 north of Conway from I-40
and then Hwy. 16 west of Clinton to Ben Hur then north on NFR
1205. Numerous put-ins and take-outs availible off of NFR 1205.
Area Map
Topo Quad(s): Smyrna, Moore
Gradient: 60+ fpm
Length: 6 mi.
Season: RAIN
Gauge: The gauge at Richland Cr. should be between 12 and
0 inches of airspace. You may also be able to determine the
approximate level using the Buffalo R. river and rain gauges
which are linked below.
LINK BUFFALO NATIONAL R. GAUGES (UPDATED HOURLY)
Hazards: strainers, Falling Water Falls
Description: A tributary to Richland Cr., Falling Water is a great
whitewater run in its own right. It's packed full of terrific
scenery and some great drops, most notably Falling Water Falls,
a sheer 10 footer 6 miles upstream of the Richland confluence.
Much of the creek can be scouted from the road that parallels
it 80% of the time. The stream bed is extremely narrow in
the first 3 miles, and at high water the class III rapids
tend to come at you very fast with few eddies to scout from.
Watch out for the ever present deadfalls that can make you
wish you'd worn some hiking boots. While not as punishing as
Richland's gorge, Falling Water is more technical and all
boaters should be strong intermediates. In high water,
be an expert boater and hold onto your hat!
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