Butte Creek
1) Centerville Head Dam to Centerville Powerhouse(Upper Butte Creek)
| Difficulty | IV-V |
| Length | 6.6 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 95 fpm |
| Gauge | Butte C Nr Chico Ca |
| Flow Rate as of 57 minutes | 311 cfslow runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | September 2, 2023 |
River Description
Flowing during the spring, Upper Butte is a classic backyard creek for Chico residents, and paddlers passing through should take the chance to kayak this fun creek.
After a two mile downhill hike in, Upper Butte Creek flows through a volcanic canyon and generally has 2-3 portages.
Holbek & Stanley 'The Best Whitewater in California'
Other Information Sources:
Darin McQuoid's Jefferson State Creeking
River Features
Put In
Centerville Powerhouse Take-Out
Take out on river left just upstream of the powerhouse. You can also continue down to the bridge or on to the next section of Butte Creek.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportThe water was a bit on the low side but Dave Steindorf took Mark Singleton and Thomas O'Keefe out for a tour of Butte Creek that began with a lower section of Upper Butte Creek.
We ran 4-9pm, 14 june 2011. First time with 760-840 cfs on gauge. The group thinks this is just a little higher than optimal but totally doable