BRT Insights - WW Kayaking & Hiking

Exploring a "new" section of whitewater river in our kayaks.

BruceH, EricaM, JimH & I drove up to Rattlesnake Bar access on Lake Folsom and met up with DustinH to kayak the Auburn Confluence Run on NF American River (whitewater guide & maps). All of us were making our first runs on this recently reopened section of river. It was a rare treat to get to explore a "new" section of river so close to home. (Placer County / El Dorado County, California, USA).

EricaM kayaking a nice class II rapid.

• NF American River whitewater kayaking, Auburn Confluence Run, more BruceT photos.
• JimH kayaking photos, Auburn Confluence Run, NF American River, California.

At the end of the summer in our second consecutive drought year, the Rattlesnake Bar boat ramp was much too far from the water to use it as a take-out. So we went down the lake a short ways, drove down into the canyon and parked at a spot where the truck could be just a short walk up the hill from the water.

We went to Sierra Outdoor Center the whitewater boating store in Auburn CA to rent a paddle. Guy, the owner, told us that the flow wouldn't reach put-in at The Confluence of NF & MF American River until ~5 PM. So it didn't seem so bad that we were running a little late for our intended launch time of 3 PM. Eventually we launched at 4 PM at a "fish flow" of ~300cfs. We put-in on NF American River right below the Old Foresthill Road bridge, just a little way upstream from The Confluence. There was some discussion of taking a long break somewhere and waiting for the big release from Oxbow Dam to catch up to us, but fortunately we didn't do that.

The river was runnable at "fish flow," but a little scrapey in just a few places. The rapids were class II at this flow, but we could see places that would undoubtedly become class IIIs when the flow gets higher. In between the rapids the river was really calm, so we needed to do a lot of downstream paddling throughout the run. There were some good playboating spots, but fortunately we didn't spend a lot of time on any of them.

BruceT playboating on a great wave-hole. Photo by JimH.

The canyon was really beautiful. We saw river otters and merganzer ducks. There were lots of nice rocky cliffs along the river. Once we got past the Labor Day weekend crowds at put-in it was a quiet and secluded run.

Some construction/destruction was still evident at the old Auburn Dam site. The pumphouse constructed there is painted brown to make it a little less of an eyesore. The local county needs a water diversion and the pumphouse is far more tolerable than the dam would have been.

The artificial rapids at the old Auburn Dam site had no playspots at "fish flow." Just downstream, the Birdsall Access now has some riverside parking spaces.

We stopped for a quick dinner break just upstream from Oregon Bar river access. We never saw any access road to locate Oregon Bar by eye, but Jim got the exact coordinates of the location (N 38.86367 W 121.05621) using his Garmin GPS Map 76S. Copy/paste these coordinates into the find box in the map at Auburn Confluence Run whitewater guide to see our dinner break location on the map.

The water level in Lake Folsom was 387 feet so we got to kayak quite a few rapids that would normally be hidden under the reservoir. Even so, there was quite a bit of lake paddling at the end of the day. We just barely got to take-out at the last twinkle of twilight and on the last bit of our paddling energy. Then we loaded boats in the dark. I have no idea how Dustin found the way out of the canyon on the windy, twisty dirt tracks, but he nailed it perfectly without any backtracking or getting lost in the dark. We got back on the pavement and out past the entrance gate at 8:30, well before the 9 PM closing time.

Our plan to put-in at 3 PM was based on the faulty information that the morning release from Oxbow Dam would reach The Confluence around that time. This needs some rethinking now that we know the main flow doesn't actually reach there until 5 PM. Class II boaters planning to run this section on "fish flow" could launch much earlier in the day and enjoy a leisurely trip without the stress of making it to take-out before dark. Most of the big rapids are right after Birdsall Access, so Oregon Bar looks like a good option for a take-out that would allow a put-in after 5 PM, running on the main flow, and avoiding the lake paddle at the end of the day.

More about:
• Trip Reports - Kayaking Whitewater Rivers in California.
• California Whitewater River Guides for kayakers and other paddle-boaters.

Tags: kayaking, river, whitewater, paddle boating, playboating, American River, California.

Labels: trip

I"m glad to hear that this dam removal project on Battle Creek is proceeding. Our critically endangered Central Valley salmon and steelhead need all the help they can get. (Shasta & Tehama County, California USA)

• Funding for Battle Creek to Restore Salmon Habitat - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 15july2008.

According to the map it looks like dam removal will not interfere with the commonly run sections of whitewater on Battle Creek. Once the dams are out it may be interesting to re-explore the upstream sections to see if there are any good sections of whitewater up there.

• Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project Map (pdf).

Additional information:
• Dam Removal on Battle Creek could help reverse our salmon crisis - BRT Insights 31march2008.
• California River Conservation & Water Supply Policy.
• Battle Creek Directory - Recreation & Conservation. Websites for the Battle Creek watershed. Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1=kayaking-canoeing, 2=rafting-tubing, 3=environment-conservation, 4=fishing, 5=hiking-camping, 6=other-resources).

Tags: river, dam, river conservation, Battle Creek, Shasta
County, Tehama County,
California.

Labels: conservation

National Geographic Topo! mapping software is a useful tool to help kayakers, rafters & canoeists explore whitewater rivers and creeks according to JimH. The Topo! software maps provide more fine detail than maps from Mapquest, Google Earth or Microsoft's Virtual Earth. With some effort Topo! software enables mileage and gradient to be measured for rivers, creeks and shuttle roads. The Topo! State series of topographic maps is available in 28 individual state and multi-state packages covering the entire United States.

More about:
• Topo! software used to measure river miles & gradient on NF Cosumnes River.
• Reviews - Books, Videos, Websites & Software for Whitewater River Kayaking.

Tags: topographic, kayaking, river, whitewater, canoeing, paddle boating, rafting.

Labels: book, map

Let us know if you have done any whitewater kayaking on LowerLower NF Cosumnes River.

Holbeck & Stanley report two whitewater kayaking runs on NF Cosumnes River (pg 182-184). The Lower Run on NF Cosumnes River is class V+ whitewater and they report another serious gorge immediately downstream from the take-out at Sweeny's Crossing. The next bridge downstream at County Hwy E16 has bedrock with "lots of potholes." They don't say anything about the ~14 miles of river downstream from there to the confluence with the main Cosumnes River. Considering their famous disdain for class II and sometimes even class III whitewater rivers, the fact that these authors did not report on the LowerLower NF Cosumnes River does not mean that this section is uninteresting. (El Dorado County, California USA)

Long ago I have kayaked the 2 miles of easy class I & II whitewater river from Sand Ridge Road to the Hwy 49 Bridge. I got one-time only permission from a local landowner to put-in on his property. I am interested to explore the 12 miles of river upstream from Sand Ridge Road to see if there is any interesting whitewater or good scenery up there. This small fork of a small river probably doesn't have good flows very often, but if the LowerLower NF Cosumnes River is runnable I want to try kayaking it. Gas prices and other factors have combined to limit my long-distance trips to kayak on far away rivers, so I'm especially interested to know about ALL of the whitewater runs that are close to home.

Contact me and lets go explore this section the next time it has flow. Or if you kayak it before I do please send in a trip report to let others know about it.

Landmarks on NF Cosumnes River Map.

A. Sweeney's Crossing (N 38.65249 W 120.62570).
      - class V+ take-out with another "serious gorge" immediately downstream.
      - where does the class V+ section end ??
B. County Hwy E16 Bridge (N 38.65931 W 120.67786).
      - bedrock with "lots of potholes," probably still class V+.
C. Bucks Bar Rd Bridge (N 38.65331 W 120.70159).
D. Cosumnes River Gorge (N 38.64882 W 120.70659).
      - popular rock climbing area.
E. Yearling Trail / Metate Trail Bridge (N 38.63216 W 120.76756).
F. Union Mine Road (N 38.61107 W 120.84066).
G. Sand Ridge Rd - private road & bridge (N 38.58937 W 120.84446).
      - NOT a legal river access.
H. Hwy 49 Bridge take-out (N 38.55085 W 120.84927).

• River map user instructions.
• Full screen river map - see below.


Full-Screen River Map: NF Cosumnes River landmarks.
Markers on the map show locations of landmarks listed above (A, B, etc.).
Point or DoubleClick on the markers to see their names.

More about:
• Using these guides to white water river paddleboating - BRT Kayaking.
• Cosumnes River, California - Whitewater Overview, Sacramento River Valley Region.
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.
• Whitewater River Paddle-Boating Guides - California.

Tags: California, Cosumnes River, river map, whitewater, river, kayaking, paddle boating.

Labels: guide

Whitewater River Kayaking Guide & Maps - El Dorado County & Amador County, California USA.

Whitewater Runs on Cosumnes River - locations of put-ins and other landmarks.

Run name (whitewater class)(coordinates of put-in).
    Somerset, CA (N 38.64788 W 120.68550)
A. NF Cosumnes River Upper Run (class IV+)(N 38.66199 W 120.43874).
B. NF Cosumnes River Lower Run (class V+)(N 38.66799 W 120.53264).
    Sweeney's Crossing take-out (N 38.65249 W 120.62570)
    Cosumnes River Gorge (N 38.64882 W 120.70659).
C. MF Cosumnes River Run (class IV+)(N 38.62552 W 120.70138).
    Outingdale, CA (N 38.61646 W 120.72812)
D. Cosumnes River Upper Run (class IV)(N 38.55085 W 120.84927).
    Latrobe, CA (N 38.55772 W 120.98257)
E. Cosumnes River Lower Run (class III+)(N 38.52238 W 120.95561).

River Map showing put-in locations for whitewater runs - Cosumnes River.

• River map user instructions.
• Full screen river map - see below.

Full-Screen River Map: Cosumnes River put-in locations.
Markers on the topo map show locations of put-ins listed above (A, B, etc.).
Point or DoubleClick on the markers to see their names.

Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

• Cosumnes River Directory.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Printed Guidebooks - Cosumnes River whitewater.

• Sierra Whitewater - A Paddler's Guide ... 1974. (pg. 98-106)
• Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition 1998. (pg 182-187)
• California Whitewater - A Guide to the Rivers, Third Edition 1995. (pg.92-95)
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Whitewater Trip Reports from Cosumnes River NEEDED !!

• I'm happy to post or link to well-written, whitewater boating trip reports from guest authors, especially if boating pictures and/or videos are included. Contact me to submit your Cosumnes River trip report.

Whitewater River Conservation & Recreation.

• Cosumnes River Conservation & Recreation Directory. (Display options - alphabetical 100. Section 1=whitewater, 2=rafting, 3=conservation, 4=fishing, 5=camping-hiking, 6=local-info)

More about:
• Using these guides to white water river paddleboating - BRT Kayaking.
• Nearby rivers & creeks: American River SF, Mokelumne River, Sacramento River Valley Region.
• Another whitewater kayaking run on the LowerLower NF Cosumnes River ??
• California Whitewater River Guides.

Tags: Cosumnes River, California, whitewater, river map, kayaking, paddle boating, river.

Labels: guide

Whitewater River Kayaking, Canoeing & Rafting Guide & Maps - California USA.

Whitewater Put-ins on Upper Sacramento River - Siskiyou & Shasta Counties.

Run name (whitewater class)(coordinates of put-in).
A. Box Canyon Dam to Dunsmuir (class IV)(N 41.27945 W 122.32626).
B. Dunsmuir to Castle Crags (class III+)(N 41.22050 W 122.27536).
C. Castle Crags to Sims Flat (class III+)(N 41.16389 W 122.29405).
D. Sims Flat to Gibson (class III+)(N 41.06322 W 122.35991).
E. Gibson to Lake Shasta (class III)(N 41.01558 W 122.40657).
F. Delta take-out (N 40.93819 W 122.41744)

Whitewater Runs on lower Sacramento River - Shasta, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Sutter, Yolo, Sacramento & Solano Counties.

Run name (whitewater class, mileage)(coordinates of access points).
G. Keswick Dam to Ball's Ferry (class I-II, 22 miles) N 40.60998 W 122.44597
H. Ball's Ferry to Red Bluff (class I-II, 34 miles) N 40.41716 W 122.19337
I. Red Bluff to Knight's Landing (class I, 72 miles) N 40.17848 W 122.23148
J. Knight's Landing to Discovery Park (class I, ~20 miles) N 38.80213 W 121.71907
K. Discovery Park to Rio Vista (class I, ~40 miles) N 38.59943 W 121.50879
L. Rio Vista to Collinsville (class I, ~15 miles) N 38.16075 W 121.68594
M. Collinsville take-out N 38.07553 W 121.84988

Whitewater Runs on lower Sacramento River - Shasta, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Sutter, Yolo, Sacramento & Solano Counties.

Run name (whitewater class, mileage)(coordinates of access points).
• Sacramento River - Redding to Red Bluff. Class I-II, 56 miles.
• Sacramento River - Red Bluff to San Francisco Bay. Class I, 240 miles.

Whitewater Put-ins on Lower Sacramento River - Shasta, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Sutter, Yolo, Sacramento & Solano Counties.

Run name (whitewater class)(coordinates of put-in).
G. Keswick Dam to Ball's Ferry (class I-II, 22 miles) N 40.60998 W 122.44597
H. Ball's Ferry to Red Bluff (class I-II, 34 miles) N 40.41716 W 122.19337
I. Red Bluff to Knight's Landing (class I, 72 miles) N 40.17848 W 122.23148
J. Knight's Landing to Discovery Park (class I, ~20 miles) N 38.80213 W 121.71907
K. Discovery Park to Rio Vista (class I, ~40 miles) N 38.59943 W 121.50879
L. Rio Vista to Collinsville (class I, ~15 miles) N 38.16075 W 121.68594
M. Collinsville take-out N 38.07553 W 121.84988

River Map showing put-in locations for whitewater runs - Sacramento River.

• River map user instructions.
• Markers on the topo map show locations of put-ins listed above (A, B, etc.).
• Point or DoubleClick on the markers to see their names.
• Full-Screen River Map: Sacramento River put-in locations.

Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

• whitewater guides & flow data in Sacramento River Directory.
(Set display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Whitewater Guidebooks - Sacramento River.

• Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition 1998. (pg 92-96)
• California Whitewater - A Guide to the Rivers, Third Edition 1995. (pg.194-198)
• West Coast River Touring - Rogue River Canyon and South, 1974. (pg. 186-189)
• Ann Dwyer's Easy Waters of California North, 2000. (pg. 162-175, Lower Sacramento River only)
• Down the Wild Rivers- A Guide to the Streams of California, 1972. (pg. 156-166, Upper & Lower Sacramento River)
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Float Tubing - Innertubing.

• Float Tube (Innertube) Skills, Techniques and Safety for your River Trips.
• Equipment for Float Tubing - BRT Insights.

Whitewater River Trip Reports NEEDED !!

• Contact me to submit your trip report. I'm happy to post or link to well-written, whitewater boating trip reports from guest authors, especially if boating pictures and/or videos are included.
• Sacramento River Box Canyon - Jefferson State Creeking 17may2006.
• Sacramento River, Castle Crags to Sims Flat - daysontheriver.
• Sacramento River, Dunsmuir to Castle Crags - daysontheriver.
• Upper Sacramento River rafting video - Living Waters Recreation.

Whitewater River Conservation & Recreation.

• Sacramento River Conservation & Recreation Directory. (Display options - alphabetical 100. Section 1=whitewater, 2=rafting, 3=conservation, 4=fishing, 5=camping-hiking, 6=local-info)

More about:
• Using these guides to white water river paddleboating - BRT Kayaking.
• Rivers & creeks nearby: Clear Creek, McCloud River, Sacramento River Valley Region.
• Sacramento River Public Access Sites - sacramentoriver.org.
• California Whitewater River Guides - BRT Insights.

Tags: Sacramento River, California, river map, whitewater, kayaking, paddle boating, paddlesports, river, rafting, canoeing.

Labels: guide

Kayaking, Rafting & Canoeing Guide & Maps - Klamath County Oregon, Siskiyou, Humboldt & Del Norte Counties California, USA.

Whitewater paddleboating runs on the Klamath River and its tributaries (Indian Creek, Elk Creek, Clear Creek).

Whitewater Runs on Klamath River - put-in locations and other landmarks.

Upper Klamath River, Oregon.

A. Keno Dam to JC Boyle Run, class III+, 6 miles. (N 42.12956 W 121.94811)
. . USGS Real-Time Streamflow Data - Klamath River at Keno.
    Campground (N 42.12379 W 122.04261)
    JC Boyle Dam (N 42.12259 W 122.04935)
B. JC Boyle Dam to Powerhouse Run, class IV+, 5 miles. (N 42.11833 W 122.04907)
    put-in (N 42.12150 W 122.04987)
    take-out (N 42.09357 W 122.07107)
C. Hell's Corner Run, class IV+, 11 miles. (N 42.09109 W 122.07265)
. . USGS Real-Time Streamflow Data - Klamath River below JCBoyle Powerplant.
    Oregon-California stateline (N 42.00744 W 122.18621)
    Fishing Access #4 take-out (N 42.00686 W 122.18857)
    Fishing Access #1 (N 41.96434 W 122.26238)

Obsolete Klamath River Dams proposed for removal.

    JC Boyle Dam (Oregon) ( N 42.12263 W 122.04823)
    Copco Dam no. 1 (California) ( N 41.97946 W 122.33465)
    Copco Dam no. 2 (California) ( N 41.97899 W 122.34016)
    Iron Gate Dam (California) ( N 41.93451 W 122.43572)
For more information on dam removal see Klamath River Conservation Directory.

Middle Klamath River, Iron Gate to Weitchepec, California.

(Note: some resources call this the Lower Klamath River.)
D. Iron Gate Dam to Scott River Confluence, class II+, 47 miles. (N 41.93451 W 122.43572)
. . USGS Real-Time Streamflow Data - Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam.
    Tree of Heaven Campground. (N 41.83059 W 122.65845)
E. Schoolhouse Kayak Playspot..
F. Scott River to Happy Camp, class III-, 36 miles. (N 41.77831 W 123.03648)
    Sarah Totten Campground. (N 41.78744 W 123.05280)
    Hamburg. (N 41.78335 W 123.06061)
    Seiad Valley. (N 41.84028 W 123.19193)
. . USGS Real-Time Streamflow Data - Klamath River near Seiad Valley.
G. Marquis Kayak Playspot.
H. Happy Camp to above Ishi Pishi Falls, class III, 38 miles. (N 41.79034 W 123.37738)
    Ishi Pishi Falls. class VI (N 41.38328 W 123.49843)
I. Ikes Run, Salmon R to Trinity R, class III, 24 miles. (N 41.37800 W 123.49422)
    Orleans (N 41.30399 W 123.53474)
    Weitchepec (N 41.18664 W 123.70467)

Lower Klamath River, Weitchepec to Pacific Ocean, California.

J. Lower Klamath River, Class I/II, 40 miles. (N 41.18664 W 123.70467)
. . USGS Real-Time Flow Data for Klamath River at Orleans.
. . USGS Real-Time Flow Data for Klamath River nr Klamath CA.

Tributaries of the Klamath River.

K. Indian Creek, Class III+, 8 miles. (N 41.87757 W 123.42125)
. . USGS Real-Time Streamflow Data - Indian Ck near Happy Camp.
L. Elk Creek, Class IV, 5 Miles. (N 41.65970 W 123.31952)
M. Clear Creek, Class IV+, 7.5 miles. (N 41.73584 W 123.54572)

• Shasta River, class III whitewater run.
• Scott River, 6 runs rated from class I to class V.
• Cal Salmon River, many class II-IV whitewater runs.
• Trinity River, many class II-IV whitewater runs.

River Map showing put-ins & landmarks for whitewater runs - Klamath River.

• River map user instructions.
• Full screen river map - see below.

Full-Screen River Map - Klamath River landmarks.
Markers on the map show locations of whitewater river runs listed above (A, B, etc.).
Point or DoubleClick on the red markers to see their names.

Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

• Klamath River Directory - Recreation.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Printed Guidebooks - Klamath River white water.

• Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition 1998. (pg 59-63)
• California Whitewater - A Guide to the Rivers, Third Edition 1995. (pg.228-243)
• Western Whitewater From the Rockies to the Pacific, 1994. (pg. 380-386, 410-412)
• Ann Dwyer's Easy Waters of California North, 2000. (pg. 124-139)
• Canoer's Guide to the Wild and Scenic Middle Klamath River 4th edition, 2006.
• West Coast River Touring - Rogue River Canyon and South, 1974. (describes Klamath River, Indian Creek, Scott River, Shasta River)
• Klamath River Access Guide - From Road to River's Edge, 2004.
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Whitewater River Trip Reports NEEDED !!

Contact me to submit your Klamath River trip reports. I'm happy to post or link to well-written, whitewater boating trip reports from guest authors, especially if boating pictures and/or videos are included.
• Rafting the Upper Klamath River photos - crimdom 04sept2010.
• Elk Creek near Happy Camp - Klamath River tributary - North Coast Paddling 20june2010.
• Klamath River Wilderness Trip video - W.E.T. River Trips 17jan2010.
• Upper Klamath River video - High Country Expedition 26sept2008.
• Upper Run Klamath River - River Lover 12aug2007.
• Klamath River pictures - troopeighteen 23july2007
• Rafting the Upper Klamath River video - Living Waters Recreation 25feb2007.
• Clear Creek, Lower - Klamath Tributary - darinm feb2006.
• Upper Klamath River, Diversion Run - Jefferson State Creeking 26april2006.
• Upper Klamath River video - rafter1999 2004 pt.1.
• Klamath River pictures - mlzuschlag 10july2002.

Whitewater River Conservation & Recreation.

• Klamath River Conservation Directory. Klamath River valley conservation websites.
• Klamath River Recreation Directory. Klamath River valley recreation websites. (Display options - alphabetical 100. Section 1=whitewater, 2=rafting, 3=conservation, 4=fishing, 5=camping-hiking, 6=local-info)

More about:
• Use of these white guides to water river kayaking and rafting - BRT Insights.
• Rivers & creeks nearby: Trinity River, Cal Salmon River, Klamath River Valley Region.
• USA National Wild & Scenic Rivers Program protects the "remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values" of the Klamath River and many of its tributaries.
• California Whitewater River Guides.
• North Coast California River Guides for Paddleboating.

Tags: Klamath River, California, wild and scenic, river map, whitewater, rafting, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boating, river.

Labels: guide

Support the Aggressive Conservation, Water Recycling and Local Groundwater Alternative Water Policy. Guest author: Peter Drekmeier, Tuolumne River Trust.

Friends,

The Final Program Environmental Impact Report for the SFPUC's Water
System Improvement Program is now expected to be released in late
September. In addition to examining the "Aggressive Conservation/
Water Recycling and Local Groundwater Alternative" that we support,
it will study another alternative that would cap diversions at
current levels until 2018. While we would prefer extending the cap
until 2030, we feel this alternative is something we might be able to
support in the spirit of compromise.

The "Preferred Alternative" still calls for diverting 25 million more
gallons of water per day from the Tuolumne, so we have our work cut
out for us. You can help now by circulating our Protect the Tuolumne River - Petition to the SFPUC (pdf) or encouraging people to sign online - Protect the Tuolumne River - Petition to the SFPUC (online).

Another way to help is by writing a letter to the editor of a local
newspaper. You can find Protect the Tuolumne River talking points under "Learn More." You can find contact information for newspapers on the same page under "Take Action."

Here are a few other updates:

1) I'll be giving a presentation titled "From the Tuolumne to the
Tap" to the Technology and Society Committee (open to the public) on
Tuesday, September 9 from noon-1pm at the Hangen Szechuan Restaurant,
134 Castro St. in Mountain View, CA.

2) The Trust currently has several job openings (Administrative and
Finance Director, Bay Area Organizer, Central Valley Program
Director, and River Parkway Project Manager).

3) South San Francisco recently passed a resolution in support of the Tuolumne River.

4) Friends of the River will be hosting a rafting trip on the South Fork of the American River this weekend. (please note, you need to be an FOR member to participate).

5) Sustainable San Mateo County will be hosting a roundtable
discussion about water on August 21 from noon-1pm.

I hope you're having a nice summer.

Peter Drekmeier, Program Director
Bay Area Program, Tuolumne River Trust
111 New Montgomery, #205
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 882-7252 x 302

"The Tuolumne River Trust promotes the stewardship of the Tuolumne River and its tributaries to ensure a healthy watershed. We believe that serious river restoration and protection efforts, strategic land acquisitions, and improved water flow and conservation policies create a healthier river for people and a habitat sanctuary for spawning fish, waterfowl and all other river-dependent species."


For more information:
• Protect the Tuolumne River - Stop the SFPUC Water Grab 24april2008.
• Tuolumne River Directory - Recreation & Conservation.
• California Water Supply Policy and River Conservation Articles - BRT Insights.

Tags: Tuolumne River, water, water supply, water policy.

Labels: conservation

Ho Hum, back on SF American River again, WOW what a difference a little outfitting makes !!

Hubert, BruceH & I drove up to Coloma and put-in at 11AM on C to G Run SF American River (map & guide) (El Dorado County, California, USA). The best air quality of the summer made the scenery really great. After paddling the SuperEgo kayak tugboat for many trips without any outfitting I finally got around to putting some foam into the bow to make a bulkhead that my feet could push against while paddling. What a difference that made!! Its still a tugboat, but with outfitting the boat spins better, its faster on a straight line, and its much steadier and more predictable when eddying out.

BruceH running Killer Fang Falls!!

• SF American River whitewater kayaking, C to G Run, more photos.

Playboating on every little wave & hole we could find.

We were playboating to the max on all the little waves and holes we could find. At first we thought the flow was a little different than normal to make the playspots a little easier, but when I got home the flow data said the flow was the same old 1600 cfs that we have had on most SFA trips this summer. Maybe we are just getting enough boating time this summer to get in shape and in practice to achieve more and better playboating.

No ticket required to watch the freestyle playboating rodeo at Barking Dog.

There were some really great playboaters at Barking Dog, so we eddied out and enjoyed the show for a while. The videos that I shot from river-left were a little bit too far from the action, but hopefully good enough to show some great moves by some great playboaters.

• 15 Seconds of Fame, Freestyle Kayak Playboating on SF American River, 11aug2008.

Carnage at Highway Rapid

We saw a raft wrapped on a mid-stream rock at Highway Rapid. That provided bit more adventure than they were expecting. At first I thought that raft would be stuck there until the flow dropped down at the end of the day, but they got lucky and they and their raft got to take-out just a little while after we did.

No wonder we keep coming back to kayak on SF American River!

There aren't that many other places to go kayaking around here in a drought year summer, but every time I talk to Bruce about kayaking it seems he has kayaked on Cache Creek at least three or four times the previous week. (How come I haven't been on any of those trips?) So he's always willing to go anywhere but it seems that we always end up going to SF American River.

After the briefest token discussion of some alternatives we quickly decided on dinner at Thai Style Dining in Cameron Park, CA. The sweet&sour stir fry, green curry & brown rice were really great. Medium spicing on the green curry was tasty, but still pretty mild. I know I'm not acclimated enough to survive really hot spicing, but next time I'll have to make sure to let them know that we are really serious about medium spicing. The fried banana and mango ice cream dessert was really wonderful. We spent some time previewing the pictures on my camera. Despite our long, hard day on the river and leisurely dinner we ended up driving home again in the glare of the setting sun, maybe due to our early put-in time.

I guess if I ever want to go kayaking on Cache Creek I'm going to have to find a great Thai restaurant in Capay Valley!!

More about:
• Trip Reports - Kayaking Whitewater Rivers in California.
• California Whitewater River Guides - trip planning info for kayakers and other paddle-boaters.

Tags: river, kayaking, whitewater, paddle boating, playboating, California.

Labels: trip

Whitewater River Kayaking Guide & Maps - Siskiyou County, California USA.

Whitewater Runs on Cal Salmon River - put-in locations.

Run name (whitewater class)(coordinates of put-in).
A. NF upper - Idlewild Campground to Sawyers Bar (class III-IV)(N 41.33068 W 123.05820).
B. NF lower - Little North Fork to Forks of Salmon (class III-V)(N 41.31323 W 123.18987).
C. SF upper - Bridge to Limestone Bluffs (class III)(N 41.13959 W 123.12970).
D. SF middle - Limestone Bluffs to Matthews Creek (class IV-V)(N 41.14538 W 123.19871).
E. SF lower - Methodist Creek to Forks of Salmon (class III)(N 41.22270 W 123.24978).
F. Nordheimer Campground to Somes Bar (class V)(N 41.29935 W 123.36230).
F. Forks of Salmon to Nordheimer Campground (class ??)(N 41.25703 W 123.32170).
G. Nordheimer Campground to Butler Creek (class V)(N 41.29935 W 123.36230).
H. Butler Creek to Brannon Bar (class IV)(N 41.33682 W 123.40854)
I. Brannon Bar to Somes Bar (class II)(N 41.37433 W 123.42940)

River Map showing put-in locations for whitewater runs - Cal Salmon River.

• River map user instructions.
• Full screen river map - see below.

Full-Screen River - Cal Salmon River put-in locations.
Markers on the topo map show locations of put-ins listed above (A, B, etc.).
Point or DoubleClick on the markers to see their names.

Online River Guides & River Flow Data for Paddle Boating.

• Cal Salmon River Directory.
(Display options - alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Printed Guidebooks - Cal Salmon River white water.

• Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition 1998. (pg. 53-56)
• California Whitewater - A Guide to the Rivers, Third Edition 1995. (pg. 219-223)
• Western Whitewater From the Rockies to the Pacific, 1994. (pg. 376-379)
• West Coast River Touring - Rogue River Canyon and South, 1974. (pg. 96-98)
• Whitewater Recreation, Cal Salmon River Watershed - SRRC.org.
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.

Whitewater River Trip Reports NEEDED !!

Contact me to submit your trip report. I'm happy to post or link to well-written, whitewater boating trip reports from guest authors, especially if boating pictures and/or videos are included.
• Cal Salmon River photos - Loma Prieta Paddlers 16oct2009.
• SF Salmon River photos - Loma Prieta Paddlers 16oct2009.
• SF Salmon River Methodist Creek Run - River Lover 11dec2007.
• California Salmon Rafting - MomentumRafting 21march2007.
• Salmon-Nordheimer Downriver Kayak Race - oldcore14 19oct2007.
• Cal Salmon raft & kayak races - geekernet 26sept2007.
• Cal Salmon Whitewater Rafting - High Country Expeditions 02march2007.
• White Water Rafting on Cal Salmon River Photo Gallery - Peiying.
• Cal Salmon Nordheimer Run - oregonkayaking.net 2004.
• SF Salmon River, California - The Water Cycle 16april2007.

Whitewater River Conservation & Recreation.

• Cal Salmon River Conservation & Recreation Directory. (Display options - alphabetical 100. Section 1=whitewater, 2=rafting, 3=conservation, 4=fishing, 5=camping-hiking, 6=local-info)

More about:
• Use of these white guides to water river kayaking and rafting - BRT Insights.
• Rivers & creeks nearby: Klamath River, Trinity River, Scott River, Klamath River Valley Region.
• The USA National Wild & Scenic Rivers Program ensures that the Cal Salmon River "shall be preserved in free-flowing condition."
• California Whitewater River Guides.

Tags: Cal Salmon River, California, wild and scenic, river map, whitewater, kayaking, paddle boating, river.

Labels: guide