02/11/2003 17:21

Paddling in Belgium

Note that you can only paddle some rivers due to very strict laws in Belgium. (Info follows soon, meanwhile check the NKV-site.

Waterlevels in Belgium

Links

- You can find info on the Dutch NKV-site about the waterlevels in the Ardennen (Daily update).

-  For info on the 'Hoge Venen', check the Rur-level in Monschau on the German NRW-pegeldienst, if it's higher then 90 cm the upper part of the Rur, and some rivers over there, will be on ( update Tuesday and Friday).

- Another great source is the automatic gauge on the Lesse in Houyet. Phone 082/666318. Minimum level is 80 cm to paddle the upper part, but  100 cm is much better. 

Water Levels (Waterlevels 2000-2001)

If there's any water and I know the levels or the forecast , I'll put them online.

2000
Vrij 12/05 12:00 Prüm, Echters. (D) 75 cm Heavy local rain in the Irrel-Trier area, so there will be water this weekend on the Wasserfälle.
    12:00 Ahr, Müsch (D) 87 cm Heavy local rain, unfortunately these local showers pump up the levels but they don't last long, so hurry ...
don 11/05 14:00 Zwalm, Nederzwalm (B) 120 cm Heavy rain has turned this little Flemish river into a playboating feast, considering this is normally flatwater. Low level is 60, nice winterlevel is 80. Had a great spinning time, sunshine, over 25°C ... The levels drop very fast :-(

2000
zat 15/04 20:00 Ahr, Müsch 48 cm pretty loooowwww
    20:00 Lesse, Houyet 78 cm  
vrij 14/04 16:45 Rain forecasted, but still little info on the gauges. The nkb-water page gives no info 'cause their source, Met Wallonie, is down. Holidays?
The Lesse is almost reaching the winter level, so there is water. Although the nwr-pegels aren't high.
      Lesse, Houyet 79 cm  
don 13/04 16:00 It's finally raining a bit again in Belgium, but the the nkb-water page is down, so we don't know if the levels are going up. There is rain forecasted for Friday to Saturday night. So maybe this weekend some playspots will be on.
      Lesse, Houyet 69 cm  

2000
vrij 31/03 12:00 Maas, Dinant 196.2 m³ Will the hole in Donchery be worthwhile?? If it goes up over 200m³, it 'll be  better.
      Ourthe, Hamoir  38.4 m³ Lots of playspots on the Ourthe: Barvaux, La Roche and a great breaking wave situated one automatic weir upstream from the Mava-hole near Sauheid-Tilff
      Ahr, Müsch 82 cm The wave in Bad Neuenahr should be on, more water would be nice.

2000
zon 26/03   Somme (Fr) I guess surfing will be  possible 'till 15u00, check the tide table.
zat 25/03 12:00 Maas, Donchery The water in Donchery on the Meuse/Maas is low, there still is a little wave that is breaking a bit, but not big, surfing is possible, spinning apparently not ...
don 23/03 18:00 It's been dry for some weeks now, several rivers are almost reaching their summerlevel, so it will take a lot of rain to pump up those levels, if we still wanna run any rivers this spring.
      Lesse, Houyet 67 cm pretty low, isn't it 
      Maas, Ampsin 206.4 m³ some possibilities?
      Maas, Dinant 164.6 m³ Is Donchery still on? Apparently very small ...

Holidays, no forecast for a while. -  Belgian paddling season is over, upper-rivers are closed. - Go for the playspots.

2000
don 02/03 15:00 Lesse, Houyet 136 cm rising, rain expected tonight, so there 'll be water.
      Lesse, Gendron 58.1 m³ rising
      Maas, Ampsin 592.3 m³ rising
      Maas, Dinant 415.4 m³ rising, spot Donchery on...

 
vrij 25/02 13:45 It has rained a lot Thursday night 'till Friday morning, so there 's water everywhere, but it going to be sunny this weekend, so the levels will drop very fast! If you wanna paddle some stretches, Saturday would be better, Sunday might be low, of course Friday would be the best.
It isn't going to be cold, so maybe this will be a good weekend to go to that playspot that needs a lot of water, 'cause spring is arriving and those high-water-weekends are going to decrease in numbers ...
I won't paddle, I'm of to somewhere else...
vrij 25/02 13:45 Lesse, Houyet 108 rising
      Rur,Monschau 77 --, can be paddled, but don't wait.
      Ahr, Müsch 81 --, the wave is on, but again don't wait.
      Prüm, Echtersh. 83 rising, water enough
      Maas, Dinant 399,1m³ rising, the wave in Donchery should be on ...

 
zon 20/02 16:00 Amblève, TroisPonts 84 Paddled the Ambléve, was great, but the upper parts of little rivers in the neighborhood had not enough water.
zat 19/02 12:45 Lesse, Houyet 161 Water enough, should be fun, ...
vrij 18/02 02:30 Lesse, Houyet
   
  

Prüm,Echtersh.
Ahr, Müsch
Maas, Dinant

131
   
   

90
74
472.1

Rising, the weekend brings rain, melting snow  and snow, so there will be some rivers on, a bit cold, but hey...  For the moment there is 4-5cm of snow on the Fagnes.
Irreler Wasserfälle(G) at 90 is grade III+,IV-,
The wave in Bad Neuenahr(G) is on at 70cm.
The wave in Donchery(Fr) should also be on. 

2000
zon 10/02 15:00 Lesse, Pont des Barbouilons 120 Bright, as expected, it started raining saturday afternoon 'till sunday morning, so all little rivers in the Lesse valley had sufficient water. There were some paddlers from Brussel, Leuven and Luik and had a time.
zat 12/02 19:00 Lesse, Pont des Barbouilons 120 Raining, water rising 
vrij 11/02 13:00 Lesse, Houyet 120 Bright

Despite the rain this week, water is at minimum level, but there still is some. If it doesn't rain this weekend it's gone be scrapy. (Then you might look for a low-water-playspot.)

A bit of rain and melting snow is expected on saturday afternoon, but we 'll have to wait 'till sunday morning for rain of any importance.

don 10/02 14:00 Lesse 96 Raining
 
zon 07/02    As expected, water was low, but there was some. So paddled a river at mini-mini level. Also played in La Roche and Barvaux. Short report  
zat 06/02   Lesse 92  
don 03/02 15:00 Lesse 98 It isn't raining a lot, but it seems that there was enough water last weekend to last 'till next. So maybe some paddling at minimum level. Otherwise you might look for a  low-water-playspot.
2000 
zon 30/01 10:30 Hoègne, Belleheid 95 Great  paddling in Hoge Venen, also in the Ardennes and Eifel 
zat 29/01 19:30 Hoègne, Belleheid

Lesse

80


115

The snow is melting and it's raining on the Hoge Venen. Lots of rivers are ON in East-Belgium. The Rur (G) should be possible.
water is rising
elsenborn000129.jpg (8473 bytes) monschau000129-29.jpg (19705 bytes)
Elsenborn saturday 29/01 15:58
Rain, snow is melting.
Monschau saturday 29/01  15:00
vrij 28/01 17:30 Still freezing, Elsenborn-7°C, Spa -2°C. There isn't a lot of snow anymore in Eupen, couple of cm's and only 10cm in Elsenborn (source KMI). When is the rain going to come?   
woe 26/01 23:00 Still no water, but there is over 20 cm of snow on the 'Hoge Venen', that is going to melt this weekend, and it's also going to rain. So there 's a very good chance of water.
In the Ardennes, there might be water on saturday, it's very likely that in the Hoge Venen the water will be a day later, 'cause it's colder over there.

This is just a forecast, if it melts a bit later, the water won't come 'till monday or so... If it melts on friday then saturday will be fun... ???

2000
zat 22/01       little rain and snow, little water :-(
go playboating on a wave :-), played on the Zwalm

   
zat 15/01          Maas, Dinant (Heer) 259.7m³ no rain, little water :-(
go playboating on a wave :-), 've been to Donchery, super, but cooold
vrij 14/01 18:00 Ahr, Müsch (G)
Prüm,Echtersh.(G)
Lesse, Houyet
46
60
82
 

2000
zat 01/01 20:00 Lesse, Houyet 129  

1999
zon 19/12 13:00 Lesse, Pont des Barbouillons 138 Paddled the Upper-Lesse, nice waterlevel, lots of snow, very beautiful, great playspot the crocodile, wave(hole) with stopper, almost a little Rabioux
zon 19/12 05:00 Lesse, Houyet 198 snowing lightly
zat 18/12 19:00 Lesse 208 dry
vrij 17/12 21:00 Lesse 129?? raining 
vrij 17/12 12:00 Arh, Müsch
Prüm
Rur
71
82
62
But it started raining again
woe 15/12 12:00 Maas  1017.8m³ Flood, every weir on the Maas in France is totally overflowing and forms beautiful big waves, some with stoppers. BEWARE if the waterlevel drops again, the weirs become dangerous. 
di 14/12   Rur
Ahr
Prüm
105
143
132
 
di 14/12 10:00 Houille, Fellenne 140 Paddled the Manise(Fr), ... was good, lots of water, some rocks.
di 14/12 6:00 Lesse 226 (descending)
zon 12/12 15:00 Rur 155 Hotel Stern Monschau, in Kalterherberg bridge 75cm
Paddled upper Rur(G), heavy shit, lots of fun,...
zon 12/12 19:00 Lesse 230  
zon 12/12 1:15 Lesse 115 Seems likes it's gone be fun tomorrow!
zat 11/12 19:00 Lesse 105 Heavy rain
vrij 10/12 21:00     What about?  vague de Donchery??, Barvaux to low, Fonds des Quarreux to low, ...
vrij 10/12 21:00 Lesse, Houyet 87 cm Going down again, hopefully heavy rain on Saturday and maybe Sunday fun, but it's gone be a tight one ... 
vrij 10/12 12:00 Prüm 102 cm Wooow, fun, surely III-IV
vrij 10/12 12:00 Ahr, Musch 77 cm The wave in Bad Neuenahr should be on. Phone.
vrij 10/12 12:00 Rur 67 cm  A bit water down from Monschau, 
do  9/12 7u Lesse 95 cm  
woe  8/12 23u Lesse 85 cm  
woe 8/12 21:00 Lesse 83 cm Raining and more rain is coming on Saturday,  so maybe finally some ww-paddling this weekend.

You 've got more info, mail me.

Birdy

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