Cuyama

From Rocky Contos, posted to RBP 1998/02/16:

Cuyama River: Lower Canyon

class III-IV

length: ~15 miles*

gradient: ~30-40 ft/mile

drainage area: ~500 sq. miles

elevation: ~1400 ft (put-in), ~750 ft (take-out)

shuttle: 12 miles, highway 166

minimum flow: 500 cfs

optimum flow: 3000 cfs

\* note that numbers with squiggles by them are crude estimates and will be determined in detail later

The Cuyama River (pronounced Qwee-ah-mah) flows in an east-to-west direction in the coastal Central Califonia mountains. It is located north of Santa Barbara and south of San Luis Obispo, between drainages for the Salinas River to the north and Santa Ynez River to the south.

The river is impounded approximately 24 miles from the ocean by Twitchell Dam (el. 687ft). Approximately 7 miles below Twitchell Dam is the confluence with the Sisquoc River, which has a smaller drainage area, but carries more water. After the confluence it is called the Santa Maria River, and flows through the city of the same name.

On February 7, 1998, our group of five kayakers put-in about 35 miles above Twitchell Reservoir (13 miles east of the town of New Cuyama), in the main Cuyama Valley, at a bridge that crosses the river.

Our first attempted put-in was 5 miles below this point at a very small creek that entered the river 100 yds from the road. A sheriff passing by stopped and made us re-load and put-in upstream to respect private property rights (I was already on the small creek). It had rained an inch or two the previous day. The river was flowing ~1000 cfs here.

The first ~18 miles of paddling in the valley was mostly flat and fast moving, sand waves here and there, and a few class II rapids with a couple little play spots. Sometimes we would be frustrated by getting stuck on a part of the river that was too shallow (it was difficult to discern depth in many places). The water was extremely silty (siltiest I've e

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