River Notes Archive

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Updated 4/8/06 o We Americans love our rivers. We live near them, fish on them, relax on them, and dream next to them. Rivers are nature’s circulatory system. But archaic dam operations are choking the life out of many of the rivers we love. Hydropower, a 19th century technology, has been run for generations with few modern, environmental protections. The impact has been devastating. The good news is that we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change that legacy for the better, improving the health of hundreds of miles of rivers while also strengthening local economies, by changing the way dams operate. More. o Seventy-five environmental groups around the country announced today that they will mount a petition campaign to reinstate the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule overturned by the Bush administration in one of its most controversial environmental decisions. Among the first citizens who have lined up to file a petition is Rebecca Giddens, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist kayaker. "National Forests are an important part of my lifestyle and I'm concerned our pristine forests and the unique recreational opportunities they provide are at risk," said Giddens, who trained for the 2004 Summer Games on California's famed Kern River, which runs through thousands of acres of roadless areas on the Sequoia National Forest. More. o California is blessed with some of the most beautiful and diverse rivers in the world. From the steep creeks of the high Sierra to the broad and powerful rivers of the Central Valley, each river tells a personal story and provides a unique experience to the visitor. More. Splashes: Rolling - AW Safety Code - River Quotes - Foamies - Water Art

River Notes for Thursday, April 20, 2006

Important information about River Notes.

Friday rain turned to weekend sun, and the combination resulted in great whitewater and weather for the 42nd Kern River Kayak & Raft Festival! Many thanks to the paddlers, spectators, sponsors and all the volunteers that help put on the event; and an extra special "Thank You!" to paddler Terry Valle who spearheads the organization of the Festival year after year. Results are now available on the KVRC web site and Festival photos will be posted next week.

Brush Creek was pumping on Saturday, and in the first official running of the Brush Creek race, Eric Jackson won the Men's K-1 class with an overall time of 2:26.03. Second in the Men's K-1 went to Dave Garringer, with Jay Kincaid third. 2004 Olympic Silver medallist Rebecca Giddens won the Women's K-1 with a time of 2:42.09 -- the sixth fastest time overall. Emily Jackson and Jessie Rice followed in second and third. Galen Licht won the Junior Boys K-1 in a time of 2:59.56, just ahead of Dane Jackson, and brother Jared Licht.

Sunday, with the flow at Riverside Park at over 2000 cfs., Eric Jackson and Eric Giddens swapped out their creek boats for slalom boats and went at it again, in the Western Regional Team Trial Qualifier Slalom. Both paddlers had touches on the first run and their times differed by less than a second. Giddens put the pedal down and popped a clean and fast second run to win the K-1 Men's class. Rebecca Giddens won the K-1 Women's class.

In the Tom Johnson Slalom, the hot class was the K-1 Junior Boys, where the top four places were separated by less than six seconds. Rogan Brown's cleaner runs put him on top, with Luke Palko-Shcraa, Stein Beals, and Niko Peha following in second, third, and fourth. Sara Perales topped the K-1 Junior Girls, besting Emily Jackson and Jennifer Scarbrough. Dane Jackson edged Cully Brown in the K-1 Cadet Boys class. Miklos and Krisztina Peterfly won their respective Expert classes, and Ashley Mullen moves up to the Expert class after narrowly defeating Gilbert Siegel and Wally Hatfield in the K-1 Men's Intermediate class.

Downriver racers enjoyed the higher than normal flow. In his article in the USAWildwater News E-Zine, C-1 paddler, Ed Gordon described the level as perfect for the race.

Today's Regional Snowpack Summary from California Cooperative Snow Surveys reports the Southern Section of the Sierra at 169% of normal for the date. The 4/13/06 update of the Bulletin 120 run-off forecast projects the inflow to Lake Isabella should range from about 130% to 160% of normal. This is about the same run-off as was projected last year at this time.

Snow sensor water content plots for the Kern River basin shows the Spring thaw well underway. This morning at 10:00 the flow on the Upper Kern at Kernville was reported at 1901 cfs. Cooler weather at the higher elevations this weekend may slow down the run-off some, but look for increasing flows again next week. Releases to the Lower Kern have also been increased recently, and with Lake Isabella over 60% full, the releases to the Lower Kern will likely increase as the flow on the Upper Kern increases. For a very simplified overview of flood control management see the COE's Glossary of Key Phrases.

If you are looking for a new boat, check out the recreational, touring, whitewater kayaks, inflatable kayaks, and kayaks in our Boat Barns. Bring up your old boat and let us sell it on consignment on the Used Boat Barn. We have great results selling used boats. Call us @ 760-376-3745 for details. If your river gear is held together with duct tape and Aquaseal, and leaks like a sieve, browse our River Store and get some gear that will help keep you warm and dry!

Learn to kayak! Early Bird Kayaking 101 classes have started! Our proven teaching method takes you through a gradual progression that maximizes the fun. We've designed our beginning class for those who have never river kayaked before, or who have played around with kayaking some, but have not had formal instruction in the fundamentals of river kayaking.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data, based on reports from the Corps of Engineers (COE) and Southern California Edison (SCE). Click on "Current" to get the latest COE info. For SCE flow information, call the flow phone at 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE, the flow phone values reported for Above & Below Fairview, and Below Democrat Dam are updated every 5-10 seconds. All other flow phone data is manually updated twice a day (7am & 2pm) when an operator is on duty.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Friday, April 7, 2006

Important information about River Notes.

Make your plans now! The 42nd Kern River Kayak & Raft Festival is April 15-16. This year's Festival will feature two days of non-stop action with the Brush Creek Race, Raft Races, Poker Run and Downriver Race on Saturday; and the TJ and Western Regional Slalom Races Sunday. Recent storms have primed the snowpack and everything on the Upper Kern should be cranking!

Remember the graph of the March 6th snow water content at Pascoes? At that time the snow water content at the Pascoes snow sensor was reported at about 24 inches. Check it out now -- the April 7th snow water content at Pascoes was over 40 inches! Today's Regional Snowpack Summary from California Cooperative Snow Surveys reports the Southern Section of the Sierra at 154% of normal for the date, and 152% of the April 1 seasonal total. That means back-to-back above normal seasons, and long seasons on the Upper and Lower Kern.

If you are looking for a new boat, the Festival would be a great time to see all the new models. Bring up your old boat and let us sell it on consignment on the Used Boat Barn. We have great results selling used boats. Call us @ 760-376-3745 for details or ask us during the sale. Check out the recreational. touring and whitewater kayaks (and rafts) in our Boat Barns.

Learn to kayak! Early Bird Kayaking 101 classes have started! Our proven teaching method takes you through a gradual progression that maximizes the fun. We've designed our beginning class for those who have never river kayaked before, or who have played around with kayaking some, but have not had formal instruction in the fundamentals of river kayaking.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data, based on reports from the Corps of Engineers (COE) and Southern California Edison (SCE). Click on "Current" to get the latest COE info. For SCE flow information, call the flow phone at 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE, the flow phone values reported for Above & Below Fairview, and Below Democrat Dam are updated every 5-10 seconds. All other flow phone data is manually updated twice a day (7am & 2pm) when an operator is on duty.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

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