Class IV-V Sultan River, WA

The Sultan River was one of the Pacific Northwest's premiere whitewater rivers before the construction (1965) and later enlargement (1982) of Culmback Dam. Today, paddling opportunities on the Upper Sultan only occur when the level of Spada Reservoir reaches the overflow tubes at 1450' and water once again returns to the channel (this typically occurs only once every few years) or during extremely heavy rain events (i.e. flooding on area rivers). With the hydropower license issued in 2014, the utility has a goal of providing four whitewater boating opportunities each year with at least two of these scheduled in advance (typically in late April and early September). Check the Snohomish PUD whitewater page for more information on upcoming opportunities and to sign up in advance. The lower Sultan be run most of the year. Throughout the year. Water is most dependable during the months of rain, November-April. (Source: American Whitewater)