Some say that with knowledge comes power. If this is true then the Yuba and Bear rivers in California have a powerful ally in Bob Center. Bob is one of those rare individuals that have not only the desire but also the technical background to be a truly powerful force in river restoration. Bob has been putting in a tremendous amount of time on the hydro projects on the Yuba and Bear rivers in California, working for both American Whitewater and the Foothills Water Network.
These hydro projects on the Yuba and Bear rivers, which are operated by three different utilities, will be geographically the biggest project that AW has undertaken in California. Not only does this project cover an area larger than many States but it also contains some of the crown jewels of California Whitewater, such as the Highway 49 to Bridgeport on the South Fork Yuba and Fordyce Creek which is a late summer release high Sierra Classic.
Fortunately, Bob Center recognized early on that the key to this large and complex hydro project was having a clear understanding the hydrology of this river basin. Bob has been working on and refining his hydrologic model for the Yuba/ Bear system for over three years. Because of his knowledge of the system and how it operates, Bob is able to have discussions with Utilities staff at a very technical level and with this knowledge will come the power to drive this process to positive outcomes.
While Bob is an avid whitewater boater his interest is in total river restoration. Whether it is flows for boating, or cooler temperatures for fish Bob sees it all as part of the same system. Also, because of his engineering background Bob has always been keen to look for efficient ways to improve the system.
For all of our staff and members we would like to send out a big thank you! To Bob for his continuing hard work on this important project.
Each AW volunteer of the month will receive a free pair of Smith Sunglasses!
