Packrafting the Forth River – Cethana Bridge to Lake Barrington

On Saturday the 17th of July 2021 I set out on a flat water paddle along the Forth River from the Cethana Bridge, just below the Cethana Dam, to the rowing course at Lake Barrington. Apart from some moving water at the put in point, this was a flat water paddle, but down a lovely tree-lined valley.

• Distance: 6½ km

• Grade: Flat water

• Time: 1½ hrs

• Water level: K/N

Entry Point

I entered the river on the northern side of Cethana Road, at the eastern end of the Cethana Bridge over the river. There is a track here leading down to the water.

Warning: I didn’t know before I got to my put in point, but there are signs here warning about going down to the river. The bridge is only a kilometre down stream from the Cethana Dam and power station, and the signs warn that river levels can rise quickly due to the operation of the power station. A bit further down the river there was also a sign pointing up river warning of dangerous currents. That said, I didn’t experience any concern, and I’ve seen several other videos of people kayaking or canoeing up to this point from Lake Barrington.