Rincon Camp to Kern RiverClass IV(V)
1.5 Miles
Avg Gradient 360 fpm
Max Gradient 400 fpm
Brush Creek Overview
Brush Creek Overview Photo by Daniel Lundberg taken 4/18/2005 @ ?
River Description
Other information sources: http://www.kimandge 2007 Brush Creek Race youtube video 2005 High Water kayaking youtube video 2005 Rafting - Video Two R-2 teams paddle Brush Creek at high water, June 2, 2005. (5.5 on the visual gauge).
StreamTeam Status: verified
Last Updated: 2008-06-06 00:11:30
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There's a visual gage at the takeout bridge on Brush Creek. Some people will boat it at under 1. Sierra South says that 1.5 is a minimum, while 5 is high, and above 5 is "very high."
The USGS gauge for the SF Tule at Cholollo Campground has not been working for some time and has been unlinked until it starts working again (hopefully). The boundary gauge continues to operate. There may or may not be a dependable relationship with actual flows in Brush Creek. It is posted here purely to help boaters find out if there is a dependable relationship between the two rivers.
Table Comparing visual reports with gauge reports
| Date | Time | Visual | Cholollo | Boundary | Accuracy | Notes |
| 2008 Jan-5 | 10 AM | 2 | 50 | 200 | 15 minute | Geno |
| 2008 Jan-5 | 0:30 AM | 8 +- | 330 | 900 | Peak visual est | Geno |
| 2007 | < 1 | 10 | 30 | Evan L | ||
| 2007 | < 1 | 10 | 30 | Daily Average | Race Video | |
| 2006 May 2 | 5 | 109 | 189 | Daily Average | Tyson Hazard photo | |
| 2005 Apr 16 | 4 | 51 | 107 | Daily Average |
Tim Perry video |
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| 2001 Apr 20 | 2.5 | 28 | 67 | Daily Average | Scott Ostram photo |
(Historical records for the SF Tule gauges are only daily averages rather than hourly. The daily average can be very different from the actual flow at the time of a visual reading. The daily average should be in the general ballpark.)
Based on two reported dates in the fall of 2007, the lowest boatable flow in Brush Creek may correlate with about 10 cfs at the Cholollo gauge and about 30 cfs at the Boundary gauge.. This flow is below 1 on the Brush Creek visual gauge.
Geno from Kernville reported a visual gauge level of 2 at 10:00 AM on January 5, 2007. The Cholollo gauge reported 50 cfs at 10 AM, while a peak of 330 cfs ocurred during the night. Geno reported signs that the visual gauge peaked at 8. The Boundary gauge peaked at 900 cfs but was at 200 cfs by 10 AM.
A Scott Ostram photo lists a level of 2.5 on 04/20/2001. The Cholollo gauge daily average reading was 28 cfs and the boundary daily average reading was 67 cfs on 04/20/2001.
Tim Perry's 2005 Brush Creek Race video shows the creek at 4 on the Bridge gauge on April 16, 2005. The Cholollo gauge daily average was 51 cfs and the Boundary gauge daily average was 107 cfs.
A Tyson Hazard photo gives a gauge level of 5 on May 2, 2006. The Cholollo gauge read 109 cfs and the Boundary gauge read 189 cfs.
The SF Tule has a similar drainage area and elevation as Brush Creek, plus it is very close by to the east. Thus the two creeks might have a similar flow patterns. There are two different USGS gauges on the SF Tule and one Army Corp gauge. The upper gauge is at Cholollo campground, while the lower one is near the reservation boundary. Cholollo gauge, Boundary gauge. Success Dam; Army Corp page includes flow information for the SF Tule just above Success Lake. The three gauges are presented here in the hopes that Brush Creek regulars may see a relationship and inform the rest of us. To see if there is a dependable relationship between Brush and SF Tule, please document as often as possible, the level on Brush at specific dates and times. That information can then be compared to the level on the SF Tule for the exact same date and time. Post Brush Creek flow information in the comments section of this page, and/or at Dreamflows bulletin board, and at Boof.com. If you take pictures please post a few with the date and visual gauge reading.
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. User Comments |
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2008-05-24 01:24:34 (90 days ago)
Gene Hacker
For a couple months Brush Creek was at 1 on the gauge....every day...regardless of temps.. 100 deg or 60 deg....it was one on the gauge.
But starting mid last week it started dropping slowly. As of Thursday...it was at 0.75.
There is very little to no snow left in the basin...it should drop to very low/unrunnable very soon.
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2008-03-27 12:47:57 (147 days ago)
Gene Hacker
On Monday March 24 the flow was just below 1 on the guage.
On Wednesday March 26 the flow was just over 1.
Note: The pools below the bigger drops on Brush creek have silted in over the last week or so. It is less than 4ft deep in the landing zone of the big drop. The pool below the biggest sequence (that you can see from the road) is also silted. A bunch of folks were hitting hard this weekend.
Also...always be careful of down trees. We ran it twice yesterday and on the second run there were two new trees across the river. This was in the span of an hour or two. It was a breezy day but not crazy windy or anything. Anyhow...something to keep in mind.
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2008-03-20 11:09:20 (154 days ago)
On Tuesday March 18th the flow was down. If there were a zero line on th
gauge the water would probably be just lapping up to it. Nonetheless,
the flow is still higher than I ever saw it last year. There was a lot of
scraping and a bit of getting stuck, but the run is still lots of fun.
SCE has both turbines in operation now on the Upper Kern, so flows
in the diverted stretch are again minus +/- 600. Edit
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2008-03-16 08:09:41 (158 days ago)
On Saturday March 14th water was lapping just up to 1 on the gauge.
Today Sunday, it is down to just above 1/2. It's still fun to run, just
a bit of scraping. It will be back up later this week and next weekend
as the weather is forecast to warm back up. Edit
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2008-03-14 04:39:32 (160 days ago)
Thursday, Feb. 28th, just below 2.5 on the gauge.
Saturday, March 1st just below 2.0.
Friday, March 7th, at 1.0.
Sunday, March 9th, just below 1.0.
Sunday, March 9th gauge re-done, easier to read. The numbers were all re-alligned
to where they had been. Special care was made to make sure "3" and
"5" markings were unchanged.
Monday, March 10th just below 1.
Thursday, March 13 just above 1. Edit
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2008-02-26 10:56:47 (177 days ago)
Gene Hacker
Monday Feb 25 2008 - 1.5 on guage
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2008-02-24 08:59:30 (179 days ago)
Gene Hacker
(Sunday, Feb 24 2008)
At 2.30pm brush creek was a bit over 3 on the gage and dropping. At 4.30 it was down right at 3.
There is one log limbo which is to low when the water is anything above "super low flow". There were two but we pulled one out today.
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2008-02-09 07:02:08 (194 days ago)
Gene Hacker
Saturday Feb 09 11am - brush creek gauge was the same as Feb 8th (described in previous comment)
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2008-02-09 01:24:49 (195 days ago)
Gene Hacker
Brush Creek flows on Friday Feb 8th was below the guage. It is still runnable but very low. Any lower would be unadvised.
There is a low flow indicator that is better than the gauge for low flows...by driving up the road to the put in and stopping where you can see up the canyon/run...if the largest drop you see (the double drop at the bottom of the large sequence) has water running all the way across the lip (as opposed to just on the river left side) the run will go. Of course this is very low. The drops are still all clean but the slides and boulder sections can be frustrating.
At flows below the gauge the run is not "destination worthy" but if your in the area, and you don't mind sacrificing some plastic...its worth checking out.
On Friday Feb 8th water was all the way across the lip but just barely.
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No rapids entered. If you know names, and locations of the rapids please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. 
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Brush Creek is a very popular steep creek because it has it has easy access to really fun drops and waterfalls. Brush is pretty easy at moderate flows and it can be run down to very low flows and still be fun. Brush Creek is usually boatable in late winter, through spring and some years into early summer. It can also be good after winter rain storms. 