Gaula water level report for April 30th.

I was in Gauldalen today to take pictures for the first water level report, season 2011. It was really good to come down to the river again. It was a long time since the last time now, and it will be very good to get back to the real life again - in fact salmonfishing.

The river rose quite early this spring, already 17th April the Gaulfossen was over 180 cubic meters. And it's up to this water level salmon manage to come through the waterfall, which means that the river should be below 180 cubic meters for the salmon to deal with the waterfall gorge. This is somewhat dependent on water temperature as well, so it cannot be much above 180 cubic meters with the temperatures being in a spring flood due to winter snow is melting. Gaula has actually been above this water level since April 17th at all times until now. Today it is 277 cubic meters. This means that there has not been some salmon through the waterfall yet.

The first salmon come into the fjord to continue up the river in late April, so from about 25th April to the first days of May, it is important that the river is not over 180 cubic meters. This is so the first salmon can be able to come up the waterfall. It did not happen this year. The river was higher, and thus there will be a delay in relation to the first step with salmon that manage to pass Gaulfossen. But this does not affect the middle part of the Gaula and the fishing there yet. Fishing in this area, it would be too early to say anything about yet, in relation to flood in the river the rest of the spring.

It is in the upper parts of the valley that this delay will be felt first, the first salmon taken up there early in June, is from the rise in April / May. For fishing in Singsås / Haltdalen to get started early, it is important that the river drops below 180 cubic meters as early as possible in May. But it is clearly that the speed of the salmon up the valley is affected by water level and temperature in the first part of the season as well.

The river was 620 cubic meters in the biggest so far this spring, this occurred 25 April but 620 cubic meters is not really considered a flood water level in Gaula. But compared to "normal" I would say that a lot of snow has already melted. But there are even some snow left in parts of the catchment area of the Gaula. In the last period there have been colder nights in this area, so it does not melt as quickly in those days. It can be seen on the water level in the morning too. Spring has arrived a little earlier than last year here in central Norway, there are already green in many places, so we are probably a little ahead of schedule in relation to snowmelt and the water level in Gaula. If the river remains so high forward too, it will probably be medium water levels early in June, but this is dependent on the weather in general. And if there is some rain, the Gaula react positively to it right away.

It will be exciting to follow the water level later in May. The longer it goes above 180 cubic meters, the more salmon will be concentrated in Gaulfossen and in the areas below. But there comes a period of lower water levels during May, so many salmon will stick up the canyon pretty quickly. But for the river to come down in the water level, we need cold weather. The weather in the next few days has been reported quite hot, so this will not happen the first 3 days.

Stay tuned, the next report comes 9 May.

Jan Erik.

Upstream "old" Melhus bridge.

Downstream "old" Melhus bridge.

Downstream Kvåls bridge.

Upstream the bridge at Lundamo.

Downstream the bridge at Lundamo.

Gaulfossen at 277 cubic meters.

Above Gaulfossen.

Quiet at the Valdøyan camping yet.