Afon Tryweryn - Whitewater Sports

Whitewater Sports

The Tryweryn river joins the river Dee roughly half a mile downstream from Bala Lake. The reservoir now at the head of the Tryweryn was created in 1965, to provide water to Liverpool. At that time, the 67 inhabitants of the village of Capel Celyn were forcibly removed.

The Tryweryn is the site of the Welsh Canolfan Tryweryn national whitewater centre, managed by the Welsh Canoe Association. It is an important river for whitewater kayaking and rafting. The centre features a Café and superb facilities to support whitewater sports. The natural whitewater rapids of the upper section of the Treweryn have been modified (by placing boulders along the river bed) to make them safer and to build playspots. The upper part of the river is usually considered to be Grade III. Usually between 9 and 12 m³/s are released from the Llyn Celyn dam. The rapids of the lower section remain in a more natural state. These are of somewhat easier grade, with the exception of Bala Mill Falls.

The regular releases from Llyn Celyn in summer mean that kayak events and trips can be planned in advance, and commercial rafting can take place (most whitewater rivers in Wales rely on recent rain to have enough water for kayaking or rafting).

Access to the upper part of the Tryweryn is uncontroversial - this contrasts with recreational access to many of the other rivers in Wales, (see Rivers Access Campaign for more information), and adds to the popularity of the Tryweryn among kayakers and rafters.

In August 2004, John Prescott, deputy prime minister, was on a rafting trip on the Tryweryn and helped to aid a kayaker who had been injured.