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Soap Creek Rapid changes in Canyon

Looking across Soap Creek Rapid into Soap Creek Canyon. Photo/Tom Martin

Looking across Soap Creek Rapid into Soap Creek Canyon. Photo/Tom Martin

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - According to River Runners For Wilderness, recent monsoon rainstorms have produced flooding in many of the side canyon tributaries to the Colorado River in Grand Canyon.

Including Soap Creek, where on Aug. 9, 1.5 inches of rain fell in twenty minutes, causing a temporary closure of Highway 89A and a change in Soap Creek Rapid.

The rapid is located 11.4 miles downstream from Lees Ferry, the put-in for river trips on the Colorado River heading through the Grand Canyon.

Prior to the August flooding, the rapid was run right down the middle into a few large waves. Since Aug. 9, there have been a series of holes in the center and left side of the rapid, which have been especially sharp at lower water levels. These holes can easily be passed in a channel toward the right side of the rapid. The new holes are not show stoppers, like the Ledge Hole at Lava Falls or the hole at (river mile) 209. On the contrary, the new holes in Soap Creek are closer to the holes in the center of Unkar Rapid.

The new holes in Soap Creek may be run with momentum in an 18-foot fully loaded raft without serious incident as long as the raft is not floating sideways, according to River Runners For Wilderness.

However, smaller craft may find these holes more challenging.

In the 1-10 desert rivers rapid classification scale, Soap Creek was rated a 5. It now is rated a 7 at low water. Scouting this rapid on river right or left is possible. Until river runners become familiar with the changes in this rapid, scouting is recommended.

The changes in this rapid may evolve, especially after the next High Flow Experiment (HFE), typically conducted in November. At this time no schedule for the next HFE has been set.


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