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New York | St. Lawrence County / Russell
Grass River
Downerville State Forest / North Branch confluence access to Russell Route 24 bridge access
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
A planning-only 2.7-mile Grass River moving-water section from the Downerville State Forest / North Branch confluence access to the Russell Route 24 bridge access. American Whitewater describes a beginner-friendly Class I–II reach with one manageable rapid and a clear endpoint pair. NYSDEC documents public Downerville Forest parking, river frontage, designated campsites, and high-water/ford cautions; local access guidance identifies the Russell bridge, but the launch and landing remain access-area anchors requiring field verification.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Downerville State Forest River PFAR Parking Area / North Branch confluence accessThe Downerville coordinate is the DEC River PFAR parking/kiosk anchor near the North Branch confluence, not a surveyed dock; the Russell coordinate is a Route 24 bridge/access-area anchor corroborated by route and regional access guidance, not a guaranteed boat landing.
Take-out
Russell Route 24 bridge Grass River accessNYSDEC warns that the North Branch ford is closed to motor vehicles during dangerous high water and that roads can be damaged or seasonal. Do not use the ford as a vehicle crossing or assume the access road is passable on the day of the trip.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The Downerville coordinate is the DEC River PFAR parking/kiosk anchor near the North Branch confluence, not a surveyed dock; the Russell coordinate is a Route 24 bridge/access-area anchor corroborated by route and regional access guidance, not a guaranteed boat landing.
- NYSDEC warns that the North Branch ford is closed to motor vehicles during dangerous high water and that roads can be damaged or seasonal. Do not use the ford as a vehicle crossing or assume the access road is passable on the day of the trip.
- The route ends at Russell Route 24. A visible downstream channel, roadside pull-off, or private shoreline does not establish a public landing, camping right, or emergency bailout.
Watch for
- USGS 04265432 unavailable, rapidly changing, or inconsistent with the Downerville/Russell visual; historical 0426475505 has no current discharge series
- North Branch confluence turbulence, one stronger Class II rapid, low-water rock, fast rain response, wood/strainers, cold water, anglers, and limited bailout options
- Downerville PFAR/kiosk, ford and road status, Russell Route 24 bridge traffic, safe landing, parking, private banks, and the mandatory downstream boundary
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Data and sources
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Grass River at Chase Mills, NY |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | Not calibrated yet |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | No numeric go/no-go threshold is published for this reach. American Whitewater describes Class I–II moving water and reports a different watershed gauge; use the live Chase Mills Grass River station as broad downstream context only, then rely on local visual level, recent rain, wood, temperature, and paddler/boat fit. |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Named moving-water corridorDownerville to Russell; 2.7 miles; Class I–II
American Whitewater publishes the distinct section, endpoint descriptions, beginner-oriented character, and moving-water progression.
- Public upstream access and campingDownerville State Forest River PFAR parking/kiosk, river frontage, and designated campsites
NYSDEC documents the public forest access road, two parking areas, Grass River frontage, designated campsites, and high-water/ford warnings.
- Russell endpoint contextRoute 24 bridge / Russell public access context
American Whitewater describes the Russell endpoint, while regional access guidance identifies the bridge in Russell as public access context; verify the current landing and parking in the field.
- Proxy flow contextUSGS 04265432 Grass River at Chase Mills
This is downstream same-river telemetry and not a local threshold. The nearby historical North Branch station 0426475505 has no current discharge series.
- Camping postureNearby designated Downerville State Forest sites; no on-route camping claimed
NYSDEC documents designated sites along Downerville Road and the River PFAR and states the current primitive-camping rules.
- Route imageUSGS Grass River station photograph used as clearly labeled same-river context
The presentation image is river context and does not claim to depict the Russell bridge, one stronger rapid, wood, or current runnable conditions.
- Same-river proxy gaugeUSGS 04265432, Grass River at Chase Mills, NY
USGS 04265432 at Chase Mills is a downstream same-river proxy and is not a route-local threshold. The historical North Branch mouth station 0426475505 is nearby but has no current discharge series; recent rain, branch inflow, wood, water temperature, and the actual Russell reach control.
- Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch
American Whitewater / NYSDEC Downerville State Forest / St. Lawrence County access context and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.
- Image decisionApproved watershed/proxy-gauge context image used for route presentation
The image is clearly labeled as watershed/proxy-gauge context and does not claim to depict this exact reach.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- American Whitewater / NYSDEC Downerville State Forest / St. Lawrence County access context route record
- NYSDEC Downerville State Forest and St. Lawrence County Grass River access context
- American Whitewater Grass River Downerville to Russell flow and feature notes
- NYSDEC Downerville State Forest access, camping, and high-water safety guidance
- USGS 04265432 monitoring location
- USGS 04265432 current conditions
- Grass River context image
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Grass River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Grass River?
Paddle Today watches Grass River at Chase Mills, NY and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Grass River route start and end?
This route starts at Downerville State Forest River PFAR Parking Area / North Branch confluence access and ends at Russell Route 24 bridge Grass River access, about 2.7 moving-water river miles on the water.
Is this Grass River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.