Brief River Description

It is a shallow river which can only be run after rain, but it does rise fairly quickly. It is a good river to start on when new to whitewater as it has a reasonable flow but nothing to adventurous. The hardest sections are at the very start down the old mill and then under the first bridge. These can be inspected before starting. The rest of the river is rapids with the odd wave until the very end where there is a small slide and stopper known as the Waterfoot and then faster rapids until take out.

Directions to the Put-in

This is a stretch of river on the Donegal/Fermanagh border about 2.5km long that runs from the actual town of Pettigo to Lough Erne at the Waterfoot.

The put in is just above the old mill, go out the Lough Derg road (R233 North) in Pettigo and take the first road on right, where the bridge is, put in is just above bridge on Fermanagh side (H110672). You can park anywhere in town as put in is on edge of town.

Directions to the Take-out

Take out is where the rapids stop and the river starts to enter lake, on right there is an old lane. This lane leads up to a side road (200m) where car can be left.

To find take out take the Donegal town road out of Pettigo, take the second road on left and go to the end of this road, you should see an old impressive castle on right hand side at the end of this road. (H097650)

River Description

Straight after put in you go down the mill which is a broken weir, which in very high water has a big stopper, after this there is a short length of rapids with a series of drops down under the bridge. There are some overhanging trees here. Just after the bridge there is a fallen tree so need to keep to right of river.

The river then goes down the back of town to the community centre. It then meanders down to the lake with a few faster flowing rapids on the way down with one or two stoppers. The odd tree can occasionally get stuck but there always plenty of places to pull in. The waterfoot is a short slide, if doing this for the first time keep right as to left overhanging trees could catch at bottom. There is a small playspot here. The river then has a short rapid till take out

Local issues

Park anywhere in Pettigo on Mill Street or out the road at put in, which is a gap in hedge by side of road. You do have to walk over land at take out where there is usually horses so make sure gates are closed there is no house at the end of road to ask permission. Fishermen do use this river, but tend to go to Derg river where they can be less agreeable.

River level gauge

If this river is low then it is simple not worth doing, you should be able to see no rocks on riverbed when you look down river at any of the bridges in Pettigo (there are three of them). At the top bridge near put in look upstream there is a pool on left looking up if water is flowing into this pool then the river is fine, if it is too high here you will know by looking at it as this is the most difficult section.

River Hazards

Overhanging trees and large tree across river after bridge which has fallen from height. A few of us who use river have cut away part of tree but the rest would need massive flood or crane.

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