If you’ve paddled with us and have started your trip at Kinzua Dam, you’ve heard the safety speech about the “rapid” behind United Refining. If you haven’t paddled with us and are digging around for information, welcome, we’re glad you’re here.

The Allegheny is Class I river, meaning it has moving water with riffles and small waves. Few obstructions, all fairly obvious and easily missed with little training. Risk to swimmers is slight; self-rescue is easy. That sums up just about all of the 107-miles of the Allegheny we cover at AO, with the exception of a few wild spots along the way. The caution area behind United is one of them.

Locally, you’ll hear this area called “flare rapids” after the giant metal barrel-type flare structure on the downstream island (that oftentimes has fire coming out the top); or “united rapids”. Seeing the flare downriver is an excellent indicator that you’ve arrived, while passing it lets you know you’re leaving the caution area.

Over the last 18 years, we’ve helped tens of thousands of people of all skill levels and abilities safely paddle through this area. (Our oldest paddler coming in at 95.5 years young!) And yes, we’ve had folks go over here as well. We’ve had Cub Scouts come back after paddling this section and say, “Aw, lady, that was it??”, and experienced paddlers come back saying, “Wow! That had way more kick than I thought it would! I can see how that could give folks a run for their money!” We mention this because we hope you’ll keep in mind that we’re all a mashup of our own unique experiences. What may seem simple and no big deal to one paddler, could be completely outside the comfort zone of another. This blog post is written and the area explained in a way for paddlers of all experience levels to hopefully gain a better understanding of what to expect.

Let’s dig in.

Getting organized prior to approaching the United Caution Area.

Take a look at Aerial A above (clickable for larger view). Coming downriver, you’ll reach Glade Bridge (the first bridge after departing Kinzua Dam) at mile 7. Once under the bridge, paddlers have a long stretch of deep, slow-moving water as you float behind United. This is the area where you want to get organized. If you’ve chosen not to wear a PFD (shame on you!), now would be a great time to reconsider this. Anything you don't want to get wet, you'll want to stow away. Be sure everything is tied down or latched to something that floats for the just-in-case scenario.

What we call the Dip Marker is just that, an underwater pipe that extends from the shoreline that’ll feel like a little dip down as you go over it. You want to have all gear organized and secured, PFD on, and paddle in hand by this point. Once past it, you’ll quickly realize everything starts moving a little faster. With your boat organized, you can now focus on getting a better look downriver, lining yourself up in the middle of the narrow opening.

Maps show passage around the left side of that small island before Flare Island. Why not just go that way and miss this spot entirely?

Although maps depict a small channel running on the far left, the water is just a trickle through this section, requiring a fairly lengthy 1,000’+ portage on slick rocks. (Yep, we’ve done it.) Photos below show this small channel, as does Aerial B below. Chances are, if there’s enough water to paddle the left side channel, the river is most likely very high and you shouldn’t be on it.

Navigating the United Caution Area.

In its simplest form, you want a PFD on, paddle ready to steer, and to keep that kayak or canoe facing downstream, going right down the middle of the narrow opening.

This area is an excellent spot for teaching about water features on a Class I river system. Although much better done in person to answer questions and be sure folks have a solid understanding, we’ll do our best to breakdown the features you’ll find.

As you approach the narrow channel, you’ll find a normal riffle - shallow, quick-moving water. (Depicted in green on Aerial C below.)

That riffle quickly changes as the depth of water changes. This area has been dredged to roughly 35’ deep. Due to hydraulics underneath the water, this transition in depth brings a patch of small waves, usually 1’ - 1.5’ in height (orange). These small waves come at your boat from all directions, almost as if they’re working to get you catawampus and off balance. Keeping your boat facing forward is key to staying upright.

Next, a series of periodic standing waves over the next 400’ will be a bit bigger, usually 2 - 2.5’ in height. These can be a ton of fun! If you hit ‘em just right your boat will come clean out of the water in the front. In a canoe, this has potential to drench the person up front, so plan accordingly. If you decide to hit these standing waves, the key is to be sure you’re doing so head-on. It’s rare that even an experienced paddler makes it through this area upright if they go into a standing wave sideways. Use that paddle to steer and you’ll be just fine.

It should be noted, the stretch of river after the standing waves that extends to the left-side of Flare Island, includes boils that are never the same twice. A boil is best described as a giant swirl in the water that resembles boiling water. This happens when deep water is being ruffled from the swift water entering it below. These boils can turn your boat quickly without notice.

Start to finish, from the beginning riffles to the left-side of Flare Island, lasts roughly 90 seconds. Just as you decide “oh my gosh, I love this” or “oh my gosh, I do not like this” - it’s over.

What should I do if my boat goes over?

First and foremost - don’t panic. You have a PFD on, let it do its job. You’re not the first and you won’t be the last to go over here. You want your nose and toes to the sky. Simply float on your back with your legs extended in front of you and enjoy the next 20-30 seconds of quick moving water. Don’t worry about your gear, it’s replaceable, you’re not. Plus, you got everything organized before you reached the Dip Marker, so you’re all set.

Once you near the end of Flare Island, the water will become super slow-moving. Everything will be waiting for you - boat, paddle, and all the gear you organized. If you chose not to organize your gear, anything that does not float or isn’t attached to something that does, is most likely, unfortunately, 35’ below you. Due to water depth, collecting and swimming gear to shore is most likely your best option.

Is there another option besides those standing waves?

If you don’t want to take the standing waves, you can skirt just to the left of them. Just remember, this swift water brings really clean eddy lines.

If you’re not familiar, eddy lines are usually created by an obstruction in the water like large rocks or bridge abutments. In this case, the combination of swift water, dredge of 35’, and narrowing of the waterway creates an eddy line. It’s an imaginary line in the water where the current either stops or slowly flows back upriver.

Take a look at Aerial D below. Between the eddy lines the water is flowing swiftly downriver (blue arrow). On the outside of those lines, the water flows very slowly upriver (orange arrow). If you decide to skirt to the left of those standing waves, just be sure you don’t cross the eddy line. Doing so will give you a quick spin as you enter the water flowing slowly upriver. This quick spin has been known to catch folks off guard and send ‘em over. (Understanding there’s a potential for the quick-spin is half the battle!)

The slow-motion video below shows the change in direction of water. You see the swift water flowing downstream on the left. Notice the water on the right of the screen flowing slowly back upriver. The eddy line is the break where this transition happens.

Are there any big rocks or boulders we have to dodge?

We’ve always told folks, this “rapid” is not one where you’re dodging big rocks and boulders. However, there is one very large rock in the United Caution Area, along with a pipe that will be exposed during times of low water levels. These are all far river right. At normal water levels, you may not have enough water to even reach them as the left and right sides get very shallow.

Over 2,000 cfs outflow from Kinzua Dam, you can reach them. After 16 years of folks paddling with us through constantly changing water levels (ranging from 1,000-5,000 cfs), we had our first ever canoe pinned at this spot. Please, even if you are experienced and have paddled rivers all over the country, respect the power of water. Even in the shallow riffles, the volume of water, and the force behind that volume, is much more powerful than most realize. Plan ahead. Don’t pair inexperienced paddlers together. (Thankfully, this elderly couple was unharmed.)

What happens when water levels change?

There are several variables that go into how feisty this section is. One of the largest is outflow from Kinzua Dam. As water rises, this area flattens out. At 15,000 cfs it’s as flat as a board. As the water drops, it gets more feisty. Below you’ll find runs through at 1,090 cfs, 1,300 cfs, and 1,580 cfs.

What is the best route to take through the United Caution Area?

Down the middle. Be mindful and steer clear of the large rock on the far right. Be prepared for the potential quick spin. PFD on and properly fitted.

After the rapid section, the main flow of water will take you to the left of Flare Island. We recommend this route as well to be respectful of United Refining property and operation. (Please do not trespass onto Flare Island.) Plus, it’s shallow on the right side of Flare Island to the point it will most likely require getting out of your boat.

In conclusion…

The caution area behind United is a great place to learn about water displacement, flow, and river features. For our ACA Level I and II Kayak Instructor Certification, we were required to be in this spot for several hours, ferrying, wet exiting, and doing maneuvers. A new found respect and love for this small stretch of river we’ve never really cared for due to its industrial backdrop. With the proper understanding of it, we now think of this area as “one of the safest dangerous spots” in terms of river systems and their rapids in our region.

It’s also become one of our favorite spots to hear about when folks return from their river adventures every summer, with most all of them including hearty laughter!

But please remember, with water 35’ deep, standing waves, a narrowed path, and swift current, this short stretch of the Allegheny should be respected. Be smart. Wear a properly fitted PFD. Know your limitations and those that are with you. If you keep these things at the forefront, it might just be fun!

The only thing constant on the river is change. Want to learn more about the Allegheny River? Check out our winter workshops on Planning a 100-mile Canoe Trip, DNA of a River, and Monitoring Water Levels. Our 2024 On-water Safety Course schedule will be available March 1st. Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed.