only search W.R.W.W.           Crooked Fork   Obed-Emory System   Class IV.6                                                                                      Paddler Justin Owens firing up Lamance Falls                Photo by Mark Hammock                    Water Quality (1 bad 3 good) Scenery (1 bad 3 good)            Map:   Watershed Map (to find location and size of creek) Click Here Special thanks to Steve Zerefos for making the map.   Crooked Fork   Class IV.5   Camping:   This isn't free but it is VERY paddler friendly   Here is Erik's hostel and is his contact info is on Facebook.   Here is his link   Click Here for Erik's hostel and camping       Video: If you would like to see some nice video footage of the Obed-Emory streams and other East Tennessee streams please enjoy Chris Arp's website CLICK HERE.                                                           Here is another video showing Crooked Fork             Here is Brandon Hughett's Video:                                                  Gradient Avg min: 68 Gradient Avg max: 180 Flowlevel: Please see our flowpage.                                                          Here is a picture of the put-in and the gage                                                                                 Photo by Mike "Louie" Lewis, Paddler Carol Westwood Overview: Crooked Fork is noted to be one that holds it's water fairly well, due to its bigger watershed, and is one of the last to drop out in the area. And it also noted for it's three big drops and its polluted water. Most people paddle it once and never come back due to a sewage treatment plant being located upstream of the put-in. YACK! "The solution to pollution is dilution" So on high water days, more  turbulence is released in the stream. Guess when you paddle. Yep "high water" days.   Shuttle: Remember to always use Hwy 27 as your base guideline to get your bearings. Put-in:#1 Is a piece of cake. It's on U.S. Hwy 27. (You avoid Lamance Falls) Put-in# 2 Upper Potters Falls put-in. Find Wartburg, look for road Potters Falls Drive. Drive on it leaving Wartburg. It will cross a bridge. he bridge crossing is Crooked Fork. This area is full of meth heads and it is not recommended to park here.                  Paddler Curt Ruffing enjoying Lower Potter's Falls          Photo by Mark D'Agostino                    Take-out: Is Camp Austin: Drive on U.S. Hwy 27, then at the intersection of Tenn. Hwy. 29 turn right. From here you will go to Oakdale. From here turn right, onto the county road that follows the Emory. You will park at Camp Austin. The Creek: The first 1/2 mile is fairly flat, plenty of time for you to notice the crappy water quality. You will paddle for awhile then you will come to an island, most of the water is heading river left. You are now approaching Lamance Falls. Lamance Falls: Is the biggest drop on the river and about 30 feet down. You need to scout this one due to its landing. The crux move is to land between two rocks, while trying to land in the soft water and not the green hard water. A Oregon Tuck doesn't help here due to the landing. Look for a flake on the top of the drop to help guide you for your bottom landing. You can portage on river left. A flat landing in the green water has broken backs, so be careful here.                       Lower Potters Falls , Paddler  Mike "Louie" Lewis , Photo furnished by the GDI Canoe Club Rock Jumble Area: After Lamance you will paddle thru the hardest part of the creek. The rocks are known to hang you up and for the most part most are undercut. Not bad for undercuts, but really bad for foot entrapments. Stupid pins and broaches can happen in this section also. Shot of rOCK jUMbLE being run.........................................................................................................................                                                                            Paddler Mick Knox Photo by Stu Thompson Upper Potter's Falls: Upper Potter's is a 17 footer that is beyond easy to run. You scout it on river left. You can run it down the middle or on the river left side of the falls. Shot of Upper Potter's being run.........................................................................................................................                                                                                      Paddler Jim Wei Photo by Stu Thompson            Picture of Andrew Westwood running the center line of Upper Potter's Photo furnished by the GDI Canoe Club Lower Potter's Falls: Lower Potter's lands on rock and is about a 12 foot drop. The trick to running it is, first of all not to land flat. DUH! To run it, take your approach on river left and be mindful of the sticky holes above the drop. Use the big tree on river right for your air traffic control to line yourself up. Slowly go off the drop, at a 45 degree angle, you want a glancing blow to hit the rock slab with.                 Bottom view of Lower Potters, photo furnished by GDI Canoe Club Run-out: After Lower Potter's it slows down to Class III, and before long it turns into flatwater. Crooked has a little more for you, it narrows up and near the end you have a 5 foot drop to deal with. Nothing over the top. Once you hit the Emory you have 2 miles of paddling/floating to Camp Austin.  Last Ledge on Crooked Fork                                  Stu Thompson in the Barbie boat" :-)