South Fork of the American River News & Flows
News, rumors and flow predictions are now posted in the main American River News page. If you have news to share or an event to announce, please contact us. South Fork Flows for Fall-Winter 2007
SMUD and PG&E have agreed to supply predictable recreational releases through 2007 even though the agreements are not yet in place.Fall and winter releases will ensure flows of 1300 cfs below Chili Bar Dam, from 9 a.m. through noon. In September, these flows will occur every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In October, November and December, they will be Saturday and Sunday only.
During the week, there may or may not be boatable flows, depending on power needs and maintenance schedules.
Interpreting the Levels
Wondering how to interpret the CFS numbers on the river flow graphs? See this chart of South Fork River Levels.Releases from Chili Bar powerhouse on the South Fork of the American River. Graph from the California Department of Water Resources Division of Flood Management. Warning! This has not been reviewed for accuracy.
South Fork of the American River Flow Resources
Caution: Flows fluctuate depending on rainfall and temperature, and the gauges may not always be accurate. Refer to the daily flows to see the pattern, but don't make your final boating decision until you've looked at the water.
Thanks to the California Department of Water Resources for providing web pages linked to real-time gauges for the South Fork and many other California rivers.
El Dorado County Parks & Recreation South Fork Hotline - The County Hotline at 530-621-6616 is normally updated through the summer at 9:00 a.m., seven days a week.
SMUD's climate and reservoir information - Sacramento Municipal Utility District page lists climate and reservoir data, including temperature, precipitation and reservoir storage information.
South Fork at Kyburz - Updated weekly, with infomation on interpreting the gauge.
South Fork River Levels - Chart from the El Dorado County Parks & Recreation department explains the levels of difficulty at different flow levels.
South Fork Quarterly Newsletter
El Dorado County Parks & Recreation - publishes this newsletter for local residents, paddlers, and commercial outfitters. It includes reports of the River Management Planning activities, information about river use regulations, and more. To get on the South Fork Quarterly mailing list contact Noah Rucker-Triplett at (530) 621-6052 or write to County of El Dorado, General Services Division, Parks & Recreation Branch, 3000 Fairlane Court, Suite 1, Placerville, CA 95667.
