Feather, N. Fork,

4) Poe Dam to Poe Powerhouse

Upper Poe

Upper Poe
Photo of Charlie Guilbault by Dave Steindorf @ 700 cfs

Gauge Information

River Description

The Poe reach is the lowest run on the North Fork Feather above the high water mark of Lake Oroville. . This 8 mile reach is comprised of two distinctly different runs: Poe Canyon and Bardees Bar. The first four miles (the Poe Canyon) are continuous class IV/V and the second four miles (Bardees Bar) are class III+ . Fortunately there is an access road at the mid point where the character of the run changes at Bardees Bar. This enables padders to do the class V or the class III+ run or both.

Put in: On Highway 70, look for a location called Sandy Beach. It is about a half mile downstream of the Poe dam and just downstream from a Cal Trans Station.

Bardees Bar access: There are two ways to get to Bardees Bar. Take the turn out off highway 70 where the power lines cross the highway for the quickest route. Take the dirt road to the right. This road is quite steep in places, so high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicle is recommended. Driving time is about 15 minutes. This road should not be used if there has been much rain. Regular autos should take the Big Bend road to Bardees Bar Road. Figure about 40 minutes driving time on this route.

Take out: From Highway 70, take the Big Bend turn off. Follow Big Bend Road until you see Bardees Bar Road on the right. This gravel road will lead to the Poe Powerhouse in about 4.3 miles. At 1.3 mile there is a hairpin turn in the road, here Bardees Bar Road leaves to the left to go to Bardees Bar. To go to the powerhouse stay right. After you leave your shuttle vehicle at the Poe Powerhouse you can stay on Bardees Bar Road all the way to the Bardees Bar put-in. About a quarter mile before Bardees Bar the road is currently washed out (as of 2006) but passable with a good high clearance 4wd. It is an easy walk to the river if you choose to save your vehicle and not attempt this crossing.

Poe Canyon
The run starts out with a few easy warm up rapids before the highway 70 bridge. After the bridge things pick up quickly. After several class IV rapids a class V+ rapid that was dubbed Four Doors during the flow study. While this rapid is potentially runnable, no one during the flow study ran this rapid in its entirety. Most used the portage route on the right side, which does require some technical rock climbing. Immediately below the four doors is a short rapid with a sticky hole at the bottom. Named sticky wicket, this was the site of several extended surfs during the flow study. Next up is a long rapid named Toboggan. This rapid became substantially harder at flow levels above 500 cfs. A number of fun class IV rapids occur over the next mile. Pactchin'’s Passion, the only named rapid from the Holback/ Stanley Guide Book, is an impressive 12-15 foot drop that is difficult to come out of right side up. There is one more long class IV+ rapid before you reach Bardees Bar.

Bardees Bar
Below Bardees Bar the mellows considerably and flows through a delightful part of the North Fork Feather Canyon that is away from Highway 70. This section does contain several class III+ rapids. The rapid that begins immediately below the put-in can be a little junky at low flows. Several long class III + rapids follow with one IV- that is just above the bridge leading to the Poe Powerhouse. Bald Eagles are regulars to this reach, so be sure to look up while padding this section of river.

Cresta is the next run upstream.

Big Bend is the next run downstream. Big Bend is in Oroville lake bottom and only available when the reservoir is very low.

A GUIDE TO THE BEST WHITEWATER IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, HOLBEK & STANLEY, 1988