2009 Rafting Flows Confirmed!

Rafting Stimulus Package: Recent Storms Guarantee Great 2009 Rafting!

A wise old river rafter once told me that the snow pack in the Sierras is largely built by three major storms each season. One storm more or less often determines whether a particular season is normal, below normal, or wet in nature. Attempting to predict the outcome is therefore a risky business. It is wiser to relax and just see what happens. It isn't over 'till it's over.

Once again this observation has proven true. While just a few weeks ago the concern was about critical drought conditions, now, one big storm later, the snow pack that feeds the American River is at 101% of normal. Once quiescent, all three Forks of the American River are swollen bright red with runoff. In fact, the North Fork briefly peaked at 11,000cfs. That’s three times safe boating flows. Folsom Lake filled to 92% of capacity virtually overnight!

Bottom line: It is going to be another great season for rafting on the American River! It is time to get out your river gear, Spring boating has arrived.

This is another example of why drought conditions in California as a whole do not prevent rafting on dam-controlled rivers such as the South and Middle Forks of the American River. The South Fork, for example, has multiple reservoirs upstream of Chili Bar that are controlled by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and are collectively referred to as the SOFAR Project. Because of the FERC re-licensing process that ended in 2007 with the acceptance of the Alternative Proposal, the South Fork was guaranteed to have good rafting flows this season, even before this recent storm. In fact, this agreement now provides for predictable recreational flows for rafting for the next 50 years.

Now here is the truly great news, while climate change may diminish snow pack levels in the future, and population increases will undoubtedly increase demand on dwindling water supplies, even in "super dry" years there are 5 days a week of guaranteed water flow for boating on the South Fork. That means Thursday through Monday, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we can count on good flows that begin and end at specific times of the day, even in the worst drought years ever recorded! Furthermore, 90% of boaters would choose the period in which the flows are guaranteed anyway. That means that even in the worst of times, boating is great on the South Fork of the American. This river has the most reliable water flows of any Class III whitewater river in the West!

One more remarkable fact: The total volume of water that flows down the river is not affected by rafting. No one will go thirsty as a result of your boating the river. The only effect of this agreement was to alter the timing of the release of a relatively small amount of this water, approximately 2% of the total, with the result that a huge amount of recreation results from a relatively small change in the release regimen. This is a win, win situation that benefits recreation, fish, wildlife and also SMUD itself by building a reservoir of valuable community support. Thank you SMUD! We all hope for a similarly favorable outcome on the re-licensing of the Middle Fork of the American, which is currently under way with PG&E.

See you on all three Forks of the American River this season,

Scott the River Doc and the MaLode Crew

Thanks to Scott Underwood of Mother Lode River Center for this spring 2009 update!

Map to the North Fork trails

Got an email yesterday from someone wanting to hike along the North Fork of the American River. She was asking how to get to the North Fork from Sacramento.

Obviously there are a lot of different trailheads and trails along the North Fork, so I was initially stumped for a response. But then I remembered the wonderful new American River Confluence Parkway Map that Protect American River Canyons (PARC) recently posted. It's a great introductory guide to the popular trails and flora and fauna of the area around the confluence of the North and Middle Forks of the American River. If you can find your way to Auburn on I-80 or Hwy 49, you can find your way to some short hikes along the Middle and North Forks of the American.

You can view the map online or purchase a copy of the map and brochure for $7.50. Go to the PARC map page for more details. And say "hi" to the river for me, okay?

American River Whitewater Assured for 2008!

Thanks to Scott Underwood of Mother Lode River Trips for this snowpack report and 2008 whitewater outlook.

Those of you who have visited Lake Tahoe recently know that something exciting is happening in the Sierras. Whether you were chaining up and crawling along in traffic, hunkered down waiting out a blizzard, sliding over a slope, or like my Dog Charlie, just sitting enjoying it, snow is happening up here! For those of us who are anticipating the spring thaw, the recent snow survey just pegged the water content at 125% of normal. It is going to be a great season for whitewater somewhere on the American River in 2008.

The North, South and Middle Forks of the American River all benefit from one of the heaviest annual snowfalls in the Sierras. Blue Canyon, their primary watershed, averages among the highest annual precipitations in John Muir's "Range of Light." Combine this with a system of large reservoirs on the South and Middle Forks of the American and you have the most reliable source of whitewater fun on the West Coast.

In 2006 the Sacramento Municipal Utility District finished a re-licensing process on its Upper American River Project (UARP) on the South Fork that made recreational flows a mandated priority for the first time. What this means is that the snow we are currently enjoying is more than sufficient to provide reliable, exciting flows on the South Fork from Memorial Day to Labor Day—guaranteed! This will be true most years in the fifty-year duration of this license.

The Middle Fork of the American also has a large upstream reservoir, Oxbow, which will also provide reliable flows if the current trends continue. I would be willing to bet a lot on it being a great season, but unlike the South Fork, there is no formal agreement that guarantees it. We will have to wait a bit longer to be absolutely certain.

The North Fork of the American has no reservoirs upstream of the whitewater runs. The melt on the North Fork is notoriously fickle and anyone betting heavily on the outcome now should probably stay away from the gaming tables. Nevertheless, all indications are this river will have a good season too.

What about the other rivers in the Sierra? They need to be addressed on a river-by-river basis depending on the location of their drainage, whether there are large upstream reservoirs or not, etc. Suffice it to say that if the snow keeps falling, it stays cold and the pineapple express doesn't show up—it looks good.

So if you are interested in boating on the Forks of the American this spring and summer, Mother Nature has just refilled your prescription of aqua-Prozac. Make sure your gear is ready, or call an outfitter to book your reservations, the rate limiting factor is not likely to be water this season!

Scott Underwood, Mother Lode River Trips

The American River Flows Free Again!

The American River near Auburn is flowing free for the first time in 40 years after local agencies closed the tunnel and rebuilt the riverbed around the Auburn Dam site. Since it is likely that the Auburn Dam will never be built (after years of controversy and $400 million dollars) government agencies have returned the river to its original bed, with a few manmade improvements paddlers will love. An architecturally designed permanent river bottom – a series of pools lined with stone embedded in concrete – will create a swirling stretch of class III rapids as long as the water is up, according to the agencies that spent $30 million to restore the riverbed. Because of the attraction, the designers also created a concrete "portage" path alongside the river where paddlers can easily portage their kayak, canoe or raft, perhaps to carry it back for another ride down the rapids.

Boaters accessing this newly opened recreation area will likely put in at the confluence and take out at Rattlesnake Bar, 6 miles downstram, flows permitting. Although the stretch does not rival the exciting class IV and V stretches on the upriver forks of the Middle and North American, this mellow stretch will be perfect for families, paddling instruction, and anyone looking for a scenic, mellow river trip. According to Bill Center, former El Dorado County Superviser, owner of Camp Lotus, and longtime paddler, "It really does open up a sweet section of the river."

The restoration work also included a water-pumping station on the riverbank that will serve 55,000 homes a year for the Placer County Water Agency. Builders created a chute alongside the left bank that will channel a stream into the pump station. The $30 million price tag for the entire river restoration work includes the high cost of the pumping station.

Boaters could begin using this stretch of river as early as next spring, although there are some challenges faced by Auburn State Parks and Recreation Department regarding parking. Jay Galloway, Park Superintendent, expects to hold hearings and invite public comment on the revised recreation plan sometime next spring. Stay tuned so your voice can be heard. For more information, click Friends of the River article, or Sacramento Bee article. Photo courtesy PARC.

American River Canyon Hikes- Our New Favorite Book!

Boaters, hikers, equestrians, and shuttle bunnies alike will appreciate the newly revised: American River Canyon Hikes: Practical Guides to Trails in the Canyons of the North and Middle Forks American River. In its fourth printing, this book presents 24 trails in well researched detail, with trail length, difficulty, slope elevations and trail profiles, as well as parking and trailhead information. Hikers will enjoy reading about significant points of natural and historic interest chronicled in the book. The book is full of interesting tidbits such as the Foresthill Bridge's height, which at 730 feet, makes it the tallest bridge in California.

Hiking along the American River canyons is a year round enjoyment, but particularly so now that fall is here. The deciduous oaks turn yellow and drop their leaves and the earth is wet and green from the most recent rainfall. This book is available at REI and other local retailers. For more details about the book and hiking in the American River Canyons check out http://www.canyonkeepers.org/.

New Auburn Dam report estimates $6-10 billion cost

In today's Sacramento Bee, Matt Weiser reports:

A new study puts the cost of constructing an Auburn dam somewhere between $6 billion and $10 billion—at least twice the cost of earlier estimates.

The report, released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, yielded other sobering revisions to previous assessments of building a concrete dam on the American River near Auburn: As originally designed, the dam would provide far less drinking and irrigation water than once believed and would cause more harm to adjacent recreation areas. The study also found the dam would not protect Sacramento from a worst-case flood.

And according to the Auburn Sentinel, "State Assemblyman Ted Gaines spoke at the Gold Country Rotary club last week. Gaines said the Auburn dam is a 'dead issue' and alternatives to the project are being sought. Gaines was on the Placer County Board of Supervisors, representing District 4, until his November election to the state Assembly."

For images and more details, see the Sacramento Bee article, "Auburn dam price tag soars." You can download the complete report from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Auburn-Folsom South Unit Special Report page.

SMUD accused of diverting too much water from Rubicon

Matt Weiser of the Sacramento Bee reported today that the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) "has been taking more water from the Rubicon River in the high Sierra than its state permits allow, prompting complaints that the power supplier has harmed fish and neighboring water users."

The Rubicon River originates in eastern El Dorado County, but soon flows north into Placer County, becoming a tributary of the Middle Fork of the American River. (See map on our American River page.)

Weiser explains:

The two agencies are neighbors in the western Sierra, and share the Rubicon River. SMUD's Rubicon Reservoir, at 6,545 feet elevation, diverts a portion of the river's flow, via tunnel, into the south fork of the American River. SMUD uses that water to make electricity at several points.

The Placer water agency holds its share of Rubicon River flows at Hell Hole Reservoir, where it is stored for domestic and agricultural customers and used for power generation.

The result is that any excess Rubicon flows diverted by SMUD are not available to the Placer County Water Agency.

Complaints have been filed by the California Department of Fish and Game, the Placer County Water Agency, Friends of the River, and other fishing and environmental groups.

For details and an explanatory graphic, see "High Sierra diversions put SMUD in hot water" in the Bee.