Rapids

Which river has the fastest rapids?

Some segments may be slower and most of the time the rapids may be slower. Some slower rapids may have more dangerous segments. This is about which river has the fastest segments, sometime during the year, probably after heavy rains, upriver..

Public Comments

1. Hard to say. Any river at flood stage is going to be moving very quickly. The water from a tall waterfall like Niagara Falls is going to be moving quickly when it hits the bottom. Another way to look at it is in terms of volume. In that case, Inga Falls on the Congo River has to be one of the largest, with an average flow of 1.5 million cubic feet per second (cfs). One thing to note, though, is that flow and speed, while related, aren't directly proportional. For instance, the Mississippi river can flow at 10's of thousands of cfs, but because it is so wide and deep, you won't move very quickly floating down river. On the other hand, a small, steep creek flowing at 300 cfs can be super fast.
2. Rapids are created as water flows in a river bed with too little capacity for the water flow. The degree of elevation change will determine part of the rapids 'speed' or rate of flow. Obstructions in the rapids will slow the water flow and toss the water up. Some rapids 'flatten out' if the water flow is high. One thing to know: Rapids are constantly changing. They move upstream as water flow erodes their downstream end. Inquire of the USGS about river flows (USA).