only search W.R.W.W.       Island Creek   Obed-Emory System                                      Picture of Dooley Tombras Running "Rockhouse"     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 Zerfos for making the map.   Island Creek-Lower Class III.8   Shuttle Service:   For a fee of around $ 30.00 you can get a shuttle in the Obed-Emory area. Contact Bryson Snodgrass at 865-617-3552       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 Island Creek                                                                                        Island Creek TN from Sean Camp on Vimeo.                                                       LEVEL 1.1 FT           Gradient 120 per mile. Access Issue: The Catoosa road is only open during when it IS NOT HUNTING SEASON. You must check with the T.W.R.A. (Catoosa Wildlife Management Area) to see when you can have access. The T.W.R.A. will fine boaters for breaking the rules. http://tennessee.gov/twra/pdfs/wmaseasons.pdf Shuttle: Remember to always use I-40 and Hwy 27 as your base guideline to get your bearings. Use page 58 of your Gazetteer. Take-Out: Find the Catoosa Road ,leaving Wartburg Tennessee, then once driving, you will come across Nemo Bridge. (Once you paddle Island Creek you will paddle upstream on the Emory to Nemo Bridge for your take-out) You can take-out further downstream at Camp Austin on the Emory. You are better off paddling upstream. Put-in: Leave Nemo bridge and continue driving on Catoosa Road. At the Catoosa Checking station take the fork in the road, to the left. Then in a little bit you will drive by Island Creek. You will cross Island Creek this is your put-in Level: Please see our flowpage. Overview: Island Creek is fun run, once considered hair.(14 ft kayaks and Blue Hole Canoes) With better equipment and techniques has made Island Creek much more manageable. Most of the rapids are straightforward creeking, with the hardest rapid being Compound Fracture. Compound has had a little help. In the past the rapid was dynamited at the turn of the last century, to help in logging. the rock is manky. But on the grand scheme of things it's not that bad, when you compare it to other runs. Suck Creek and the Lower Cullasaja are manky. Compound is short and sweet, and also an easy walk. For the most part, boat scouting can get you by ,some of the drops are tight. You should be conscience of trees. This is a small stream , and now that the Southern Pine Beetle has has its way with the area, and the Hemlocks are the next to have a big die off. You need to be aware. The Rapids: Slip-n-Slide For the first 1/2 mile you beat and bounce down the river bed, until you come to the first rapid, named Slip-n-Slide. This one seems it was lifted off of White's Creek off of Walden's Ridge. Write Yer' Mama: After Slip-n-Slide you will run some Class II.6 water then you will come into the first Class III.8. Your landmark for this one is to be looking for an undercut, beside a cliff wall on the left. This is the longest major rapid on the run, it's a little over a football field long in length. You will pick this one apart by going an eddy at a time. Compound Fracture: Will be coming up, you will keep an eye for boulders/rumble piled up on river left. You can scout Compound on river left. This rapid is straight-forward stuff. It just has penalty points at higher water. RockHouse Rapid: Is the "fun-est" rapid on the river. It's a 10 foot slide,into a pool.                      Picture of Dooley Tombras Running "Compound Fracture"