South Fork Silver Creek Releases 10/15 - 10/24

SMUD has notified the whitewater community that they are planning to release 500 cfs down the South Fork of the Silver Creek below the Ice House reservoir from 10/15 to 10/24. This release is due to maintenance on the Union Valley penstock. Flows should start sometime after 9 am on 10/15 and ramp up to 500 cfs over several hours. Flows are expected to stay @ 500 cfs for the entire period.

Silver Creek is a tributary of the South Fork of the American River.

We originally confused this with the class V (experts only) run above Ice House. In fact this is class III-IV whitewater, depending on whom you ask and where you put in and take out. (Thanks, Chris!) Visit Dreamflows for a chart of the expected release. Daniel Brasuell has posted an illustrated description of the South Silver run, from Ice House Dam to Road 31.

This whitewater stretch is rarely runnable, so take advantage of the 10-day window if you can, and thank SMUD for notifying us of the flows.

Mt. Murphy Bridge Repair Warning

The El Dorado County Department of Transportation will be doing emergency repairs on the one-lane bridge over the South Fork of the American River that connects Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park with Mt. Murphy. (The Highway 49 bridge over the South Fork is not affected.) This bridge is just downstream of Troublemaker Rapid, near the end of the Chili Bar run, and before the put-in at Marshall Park.

The repairs, scheduled for Oct. 2 through Oct. 19, 2007, will require closing of the bridge for a minimum of 20 minute delays up to 6 hours at a time on Oct. 8 through 11th, 2007.

All river rafters and kayakers should take caution when going under the Mt. Murphy Bridge while repairs are being completed during this time period. If at all possible, stay to the southwestern side of the river (river-left) when going under the bridge.

20 MINUTE DELAYS EXPECTED
ON OCTOBER 2, 3, 4, and 5, 2007 AND
ON OCTOBER 12, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, 2007

As part of the Mt. Murphy Bridge Emergency Repair Project, Mt. Murphy Bridge will be intermittently closed for bridge deck repairs. The closure is scheduled for 20 minute delays during the hours of 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on October 2, 3, 4 and 5, 2007 and again on October 12, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, 2007.

BRIDGE WILL BE COMPLETELY CLOSED
FROM 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
ON OCTOBER 8, 9, 10 and 11, 2007

The bridge repairs will cause the closure of the bridge for 6 hours on October 8, 9, 10 and 11, 2007. This closure will be from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. each of these 4 days. It is possible that the work will be completed in two days (Oct. 8 & 9, 2007), but this is the anticipated worst case scenario in case repairs take longer than expected.

We have posted a printable PDF flyer with the above details. For more information contact Julie Duchscherer, El Dorado County Department of Transportation, at (530) 621-5922.

American River Festival makes Big Donations

The 2007 American River Festival raised a whopping $3550! The festival took place at several American River-front locations around Coloma over the June 22-23rd weekend. Featured events included the West Coast Rafting Championships, river-boarder cross, kayak slalom race, kids kayak clinics, auction, dinner, and even hot air balloon rides. Thank you to local volunteer event organizer Bobbie Housand, who has spearheaded this for 7 years, as well as her crew of about 50 dedicated volunteers.

The American River Conservancy received one half of all the funds raised: approximately $1,750. Other conservation organizations that were awarded donations included American Whitewater and Friends of the River each receiving $700, the American Canoe Association which received $350, and the Tulomne River Trust was awarded $50.

For more information about the ARF, see americanriverfestival.org. Thank you to everyone who participated to make this fundraiser and community event so successful!