Camera gauge is down till the river goes down and we can replace the batteries…river should hold thru around Oct. 5th.
Lower but still a lot of fun flow is where water just hits the ledge on the center pillar. (See top picture). Moodna can be run much lower depending on your tolerance for scratchiness. The foreground in these pictures is typical of what you’ll be dealing with in picking your way down.
ELF (Extra Low Flow) as much as a foot below the ledge, with some awkward rocks on some of the drops and water quality deteriorating in the summer.
Below are older pictures so you can gauge how quickly the Moodna’s rising or falling.
Green lines at 1 foot intervals above the ledge.
Realtime celular rivercam data and setup thanks to https://rivercam.io/.
Moonda is at it’s best days after big rains when it’s running clear and most flashier stuff isn’t running.
Higher flow – stout, getting into class 4
18″ above center ledge, all ledges covered holes are getting pretty substantial though more sneak routes open up. Running first dam isn’t outright boat abuse. Most rapids have sneaks at higher levels, but pillars, peril and factory are getting into class 4 territory.
Good lower flow:
At about 6″ above ledge (with nearly the entire upstream ledge covered) is the highest level that the great surf hole/wave below the island below the tooth has attainment service. Class 2 upper section has some play but if you like your boat portage the first dam.
With water around the level of the ledge you should be able to get down the whole run but without a ton of play. Class 2 section is scrapy but passable.
ELF (Extra Low Flow):
Significant scraping, little surf but you should be able to stay in your boat is around 1 foot below the ledge is the limit of ELF (Extra Low Flow). Hole below the tooth is a straightforward surf, you’ll get caught at the top of the 2nd dam but be able to slide down. As of 2023 only the last rapid in gorge, the no longer aptly named rootball, (recognized by a hard right turn with an island with most of the low flow going right) had issues with an awkward pair of rocks in the main flow of the drop. Let us know if you find an alternative.
Normally only the gorge (32 to Forge Hill Road) is run at low flows.
Pillars line is normally hitting the eddies on the right of this picture above the far right pillars and then ferrying into the meat to left of the central pillar or dropping off the cheat at the furthest point of the shelf to the right of the central ‘wave’ pillar. From above the sneak looks like a vertical drop into a retentive hole, but is a sloping slide.
Normally only the gorge (32 to Forge Hill Road) is run at low flows.
Pillars line is normally hitting the eddies on the right of this picture above the far right pillars and then ferrying into the meat to left of the central pillar or dropping off the cheat at the furthest point of the shelf to the right of the central ‘wave’ pillar. From above the sneak looks like a vertical drop into a retentive hole, but is a sloping slide.
River Classification *III , IV
Description * This River is listed on the American Whitewater site at https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/1350/main. Class III,IV section begins at the Rt. 94 bridge. and ends at the Forge Hill Rd. Bridge,
For the class 2 section above and below the harder part, 94 parallels the upper section and Forge Hill Road parallels the lower section, both on river right.
Tidewater below 9 with a pretty estuary. Closest accessible takeout if you head down river is Sloop Hill State Unique Area.