Rancheria Creek

Rancheria Creek is a very scenic Class II–III run with a straightforward 15-mile shuttle. Our group, organized by Barry Nelson of the River City Whitewater Club, included four inflatable kayaks (IKs), two packrafts, and one hardshell kayak.

We launched at approximately 1,100 cfs on the Navarro River gauge. At this level, I would consider the flow to be the low end of good. Most of the run is Class II, but several rapids are complicated by significant willow growth that tightens lines and increases maneuvering demands.

We encountered one river-wide tree spanning the channel, along with several other trees affecting the main current. Wood hazards are dynamic here and likely to change over time, but downed trees should be expected on this run and carefully scouted where visibility is limited.

Overall, a beautiful and enjoyable trip with moderate technical challenges due to vegetation and wood.

Here is a more detailed report from Barry Nelson:

We had more of an adventure than planned on Rancheria Creek yesterday. So it seemed like a post trip report would be important.

We had 3 swimmers, all caused by the willows. One of them was a scary encounter with a log strainer blocking the main channel. Everyone is fine, and we had a really good day. Some rescue time is good practice - and it went well. (Thanks to everyone for the teamwork.) But the run has changed dramatically.

We put in at 11. Took out around 4:30. Flows were 1200 at the gauge, or 400 at put in. And flows fell less than 10% while were on the river.

There were two big changes in the run from my perspective.

First, there were dramatically more willow choked rapids than I have seen before. (I think this was my 6th or 7th time down this run over the past 30 years.) We ran perhaps 20+ rapids where it was a challenge to pick a line through the willows from the top. Many had multiple lines. (No, I did not always pick the best line.) In many of those, we were slipping through many 3 foot gaps between willows multiple times in a single rapid. These are class 1+-2 rapids, but are far more challenging with all of the new willows.

Second, what I call the ledge rapid at mile 8.16, has changed significantly. The left side of that rapid - leading to the ledge - was very willow choked, and very little flow was running over the ledge at this flow. It looked very different from the CA Creeks photo, given those two changes. There is now a relatively clear shot (except for the branch blocking the entrance when we ran it) on the far right side. There was a junky middle drop (which I took) just to the right of the house rock. The right channel is the primary channel at these flows. And the left side ledge was unrunnable.