Feather, S. Fork, |
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| Usual Difficulty | IV-V (may vary with level) |
|---|---|
| Length | 8.3 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient | 154 fpm |
The South Fork Feather from the little Grass Valley Reservoir to the South Fork Diversion is a Lost Sierra Jewel that was discovered, or rediscovered, in 2004. Even though this reach has flows every fall when the utility draws down Little Grass Valley Reservoir, little was known about the run due to its remote nature. It takes roughly an hour to get to the put-in from either Oroville or Quincy, the two closest metropolises. The foreboding views from the dam down into the first gorge likely scared off early would be paddlers from this reach. What they did not know is that below this gorge, which is still a portage fest for most, is classic run with many beautiful granite gorges and high quality whitewater. What is truly remarkable is that South Fork Water and Power, the utility that operates the Dam, has been more than willing to work with AW to schedule these flows so that they work for the paddling community. This project has been going through FERC relicensing since 2003. As part of that process South Fork Water and Power has agreed to schedule releases on not only the Little Grass @
Daily Flows Realtime Flows Dreamflows Home |
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Dreamflows estimates flow.
Runnable at 180 cfs but better at 330 cfs.
| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| la port ca [CA] | Account of 07/06/09 | n/a | n/a | |
| Feather, S. Fork1. Little Grass Valley Reservoir to South Fork Diversion Dam [CA] | Account of 07/06/09 | n/a | n/a | |
| Feather, S. Fork [CA] |
Second Gorge
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300 cfs | Dave Steindorf | |
| 142d23h46m | la port ca [CA] | Account of 07/06/09 | n/a | n/a |
| 3y32d01h07m | Feather, S. Fork [CA] |
Roland's Nightmare
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360 | Dave Steindorf |
No guide books for this stream. If you know of a book that describes this stream please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. | Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2 | Trash Can Falls |    | |
| 1.0 | 2nd Gorge | IV | |
| 2.6 | Morneau's More Nose | IV | |
| 2.8 | Postage Due | | |
| 3.0 | Live and Left Live | IV | |
| 3.2 | Left Over Postage | IV+ | |
| 3.5 | Post Creek |  | |
| 4.3 | Stump the Chumps | IV+ |  |
| 4.5 | Roland's Nightmare | | |
| 5.1 | South Fork Falls | | |
| 5.8 | Stein Stuffing | IV |
After about one mile into the run, you will come to the second gorge. This gorge contains a number of class IV ledge drops with several nice boofs. Boat scouting should be reasonable for many paddlers.
This is a rather innocuous looking drop with a very sticky hole at the bottom. If you don't get your nose up, you won't punch the hole, hence the name. Shawn Morneau took a nasty beating here during the flow study.
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NWRI - Feather, S. Fork 1. Little Grass Valley Reservoir to South Fork Diversion Dam (mobile)
User Comments
beginning August 17 and continuing through the end of September will be in the boatable range. The
planned schedule we have received from PG&E is as follows: > August 17 - begin ramping from
100 cfs to 250 cfs. Hold 250 cfs through September 1. > September 2 - ramp from 250 cfs to 300
cfs and hold at 300 cfs throughout September. This will take Little Grass Valley to its end of
September elevation of 5,022 feet, keeping the boat ramps at the reservoir in service until the end
of the month. > > The 300 cfs flow will probably continue into October as the fall drawdown
begins. I will let you know the updated flow schedule as we get closer to October. > > Can
you please add to the flow information posted that campgrounds at Little Grass Valley begin closing
after Labor Day, although many stay open through the middle of September. The Sly Creek Campground
will be closed on October 1. > > Thanks for posting the information. > > Kathy
Zancanella > South Feather Water and Power Agency