Wapsipinicon River

McCausland to Rock Creek Marina

River Miles: 12
Counties: Clinton and Scott
Recommended Level: between 6 and 8 ft

Review(s):

Knowledge of this area: Advanced
Date of Paddle: 3/26/05
CFS: 940
Recommended Craft: Recreational
Type of Water: flatwater
Overview of this section: The first half of the trip is your typical lower Wapsi: Flatwater, some snags, lots of trees and wildlife. Halfway through the trip you will start hearing the nearby shooting range, but it's still a pleasant paddle. Also halfway through, you'll come to a "fork" in the river. Take the right channel. I'm told the split is actually because of a really huge island. More on that later. About a mile down from the split is some civilization-some cabins, the Hwy. 67 bridge, and a road that parallels the river for a short time. Then you are back in the wilderness again. About 8 or so miles in, you'll encounter a rather plain and ugly railroad bridge. Off to the left a channel comes in and that is supposedly where the giant island ends and the river comes back together. (Someday when the water is higher I'd like to explore that left channel.) After the RR bridge, the current begins to slow as you approach the Mississippi. When you get to the Mississippi, you'll be looking directly across from the nuclear power plant at Cordova, IL. Go left (upstream) about a mile on the Mississippi, hugging the left (Iowa-side) bank the whole time. You'll only be in the main channel for a very short time. When you get to the orange and white buoy that says "Marina Entrance," go left. Then stay on the biggest water route until you see a point of land sticking out with a park bench on it. Take the left fork. You'll start seeing camping facilities and know that you're approaching the boat ramp.
Hazard and Rapids: Some snags, but fewer than the sections further upstream. Beginners should make sure the Mississippi isn't real choppy. Also watch out on the Mississippi and in the Marina area for big/fast boats with big wakes.
Camping Available?: Yes, at Rock Creek Marina. Also, this whole section of the Wapsi is a meandered stream so sandbar camping is OK (although there are fewer sandbars to choose from this far downstream).
Places to rent/buy outdoor equipment: Rock Creek does rent out tandem aluminum canoes.
Other Launches?: None
Other items of interest: You can paddle all the pretty Mississippi backwaters either at the end of this trip or as a trip in itself (just launch from the Rock Creek boat ramp). There is a concession stand where you can usually pick up maps of the area (but be aware that the routes can change due to how high or low the water is).
Overall opinion of this section: Very relaxing as long as you don't mind the all the bangs and booms from the shooting range. Great for wildlife viewing!

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Recent River Level Readings - taken from NOAA

Location: DeWitt