Renee Clark on the section above 278: This Duck is all class I and II. There are several possible put-ins and take-outs. The run is pretty consistent from two bridges upstream of 278 (CR 1669) to two bridges downstream of 278 (CR 703). The first section from CR 1669 to CR 1651 has the least gradient, so the best run is probably from CR 1651 to CR 703 for a total of about 6.2 miles.
The river has a fairly narrow stream bed, about the size of the Cartecay in Georgia. It is scenic with nice sized bluffs along the banks. At 4.7' on the internet gage it has good current. There are several logjams which can be negotiated. This run would be suitable for beginners. -
When we ran the section below 278, we did not have to portage. This section is also nice I and II, but in general is less fun than Mulberry 67-278. It would however be a good change of pace for those who want some II, it has its own gage, and runs fairly often. You could run a tad lower than 4.5', but needless scraping would result. Surprisingly little civilization imposes itself on this section except for the bridge at CR 78, which is an alternate access. The take-out at CR 703 is not easy, by the way. If you put in or take-out at Hwy 278, there is good access a few feet east of the bridge on the north side of the road. You could certainly run farther down to CR 91 or beyond, but it looks like the gradient down there is pretty minimal.
This run may be dammed in the future. In fact, that is the only reason for the USGS gage, which currently is intended to give an idea how fast the water comes up after rains. The above dam website seems to give the indication that the dam is a done deal. I'm not sure if this is true since a lawsuit is in the courts. The dam would be above the section described, so its impact would be to decrease flows unless it spills. Amusingly, there are something like 200+ chicken houses in the Duck watershed, and it is a 'threatened' stream or something, yet they are building a drinking water lake/dam on it. Hmmm......