River Notes Archive
(Links and other information are historical in nature and may no
longer be correct. Products referenced in the archives may no longer
be available. References to products on sale do not apply.) |
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River Notes for Saturday, April 30, 2011
Important information about River Notes.
Download
our Rafting & Kayaking Adventures brochure (PDF).
Guess the Date, Hour and Peak Flow* for the Upper Kern and win bragging rights and a cool prize from Sierra South. * Peak flow from seasonal snowmelt as measured by the COE gage in Riverside Park. One guess per person. Earliest guess breaks tie. Post your guess on the Sierra South Facebook page.
Raft trips and kayaking classes have started, and the River is up! Take advantage of the great early season flows and book a raft trip or kayaking class. Trips and classes start booking weeks in advance, so make your reservations early -- especially for those busy Spring and Summer weekends!
Great weather and water were expected for the 47th Kern River Festival and great weather and water are what we had, with sunny skies and warm temps. Saturday, Brush Creek was around 3 on the gauge, and the juicy flow was excellent for both the Downriver and Extreme Slalom. On Saturday afternoon the Upper Kern at Riverside Park was about 2250 cfs for the Hooligan Build Your Own Boat competition, and then went up to about 2800 cfs for the Tom Johnson Slalom on Sunday.
Taking first in the Brush Creek Downriver (in a long boat) this year was Eric Giddens, followed by long boats Taylor Robertson and Macy Burnham. Shaun Smith broke up a long boat sweep of the top four, finishing just a couple of seconds behind Macy. Amanda Maruschi edged Rose Schermerhorn and LIz Brackbill in the Women's division. The Kern River Crew Evan Moore and Johnny Chase finished 1-2 in the Men's Junior division, and Sage Donnelly was the top Junior Woman.
In the Brush Creek Extreme Giant Slalom Shaun Smith outmaneuvered Eric Giddens, with Spencer Joseph taking third. In the Women's race Amanda Maruschi got her second win of the day, finishing ahead of Sara James and Diane Gayglos. Evan Moore and Johnny Chase repeated their 1-2 finish in the Men's Junior division, and Sage Donnelly was the top Junior Woman.
Chattersaurus Hooligan Boat
In its second year, the Hooligan BYOB competition was once again a big spectator and participant favorite. Inspired by the event at the FIBArk River Festival, paddlers constructed their own boats out of "non-boat" materials and attempted to paddle their creations from upstream of the bridge in Kernville, down through the class II rapids in Riverside Park.
Sunday, the Tom Johnson Whitewater Slalom took center stage, with paddlers competing for the best times on a pushy, challenging course. Eric Giddens took first in the Men's Expert Elite class, and Svetlana Platonova edged Rebecca Giddens in the Women's Expert Elite class. The Giddens first child is due in a few weeks, and she will be able to claim that she did her first slalom race not only before she could walk, but a month before she was born!
Many thanks to the paddlers, spectators, sponsors and all the volunteers that help put on the event. An extra special "Thank You!" goes to the Kern Festival committee Eric & Rebecca Giddens, Andrew Pernicano, Tom Moore, Lynne Siodmak, Ann Beaman, Marianne Moore-DeChant, Judy Neukirchner, and Gilbert Siegel, who with the help of Terry Valle handled the innumerable tasks associated with the organization and setup of the Kern River Festival. Here are some photos of the Hooligan Boats, T.J. Slalom, and the Kern River Crew on Brush Creek.
California Cooperative Snow Surveys' April Snow Course measurements for the Kern have been completed, and with all 17 snow courses recorded, the Kern snowpack is reported at a monster 195% of normal. This is not only the biggest April 1 snowpack during a La Nina over the past 60 years, it is nearly as big as the Kern snowpack during the record-setting El Nino of 1997-1998, and is the 6th biggest Kern snowpack overall since 1950!
Other than this season, the only top ten snowpack that was not during an El Nino was the 1961-62 season (186%). The biggest April 1 Kern snowpack was during the El Nino of 1968-69 (301%). During the La Nina of 1971-72 the Kern snowpack was only 18% of normal. (Note: Six Kern snow courses were not measured in April 1998. An estimate of 210% of normal was used for that season in this comparison.)
Looking for the flow? The most recent Upper and Lower Kern River flows are now displayed near the top of this page as the data becomes available from the Corps of Engineers. Included are the flow on the Upper Kern at Riverside Park, and the Lower Kern above and below the Borel Powerhouse. If the flows cannot be obtained from the COE, "N/A" will be indicated.
Our
world-famous Lickety-Split and Lickety-Blaster raft
trips are far and away the two most popular and most affordable
Class 2-3 whitewater rafting runs available on the Kern River.
Both are full of enough excitement to challenge just about everyone
from young tykes to grandmas and grandpas. Looking for more adrenalin?
Try our new Upper Kern and Forks trips. Reserve
your 2011 trip today!
Learn to kayak! 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. We also offer a 5-day total immersion learn-to-kayak class and Private Instruction. Our Kayaking School page has all the details on these, and other whitewater and lake touring kayak classes!
The Kern Valley River Council (KVRC) was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the USFS, Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. The Kernville Riverside Park Renovation Project's goal is to enhance the ecological, aesthetic, and recreational value of the 1/4 mile stretch of the Kern River starting just above the Kernville Bridge, through Riverside Park in Kernville. KVRC is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that runs the Kern River Festival every year and organized the 2003 Wildwater World Cup Kayak races on the Upper Kern.
The Kernville Riverside Park Renovation Project will provide bank stabilization, erosion control, hazards removal, control of noxious weeds, promote local salmonid habitat, plant native flora, provide recreational opportunities for water users such as fishermen, rafters, kayakers, tubers, and implement public safety and environmental education programs. This Winter volunteers did an initial survey of the reach, gathering stream profile data and flow velocity data.
Unknown to some, Riverside Park in Kernville is the first manufactured whitewater park in America. Tom Johnson, local boating legend and former Olympic Coach and National Kayak champion successfully lobbied for the construction of rapids and bank restoration over 40 years ago with the Army Corps of Engineers as mitigation for the drowning of part of the Stanislaus River with the New Melones Dam in North Central California.
After 40 years, Riverside Park is in dire need of restoration and additional improvements. Whitewater parks have sprung up in both urban and rural settings throughout the country. Parks have been constructed in places such as Reno, Nevada; Vail, Steamboat, Boulder, Buena Vista and Salida Colorado; Boise Idaho; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Their construction has revitalized the river and promoted recreation and tourism.
In response to extremely heavy rain below about 7000 ft., the COE gage in Riverside Park recorded a peak of 21,741 cfs at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, December 19th! Kern locals Evan Moore, Eric Giddens, Rebecca Giddens, Geno Hackett & Johnnie Chase checked out the river from Riverside Park, before getting in the water when the flow was near its peak. The Johnsondale RAWS recorded about 12 inches of rain from 1:00 p.m. Friday to 3:00 p.m. Sunday, and about 15.5 inches for the rain event.
Check out the Jackson boats in the New Boat Barn. We think the new elite versions of the boats are the best ever made by Jackson and worth every penny. With the Sweet Cheeks and Happy Feet system, you also get the best outfitting ever. It takes just a minute or so to understand the process to get the correct fit. It is not hard to master and we will be happy to show you how. Cross-linked plastic and a composite beam support make these hulls the stiffest and most durable on the market. The come with a 2 year double warranty. Also take a look at these Jackson videos of the Star Series in action and the Elite outfitting. We usually have the new Star Series, Funs, and Heroes in stock. The new creek boat, the Villain, looked great on Brush Creek at the Kern River Festival, and we have it in stock.
Describing the numerous on-river and off-river recreation options, the July/August 2008 issue of Paddler Magazine selected Kernville as one of the 'Best Paddling Towns' in the U.S. The article rated Kernville a 5-star weekend destination and a 5-star 'Near Home' vacation destination.
Sierra South has been running raft trips, and teaching kayaking classes on the Kern River since 1985. The 2011 season will mark our 26th year on the Kern River!
We talk a lot about the "Kern River basin" in Rivernotes. During the Winter, we frequently refer to the Upper Tyndall Creek, Pascoes, and Wet Meadows snow sensors. During the paddling season, it might be Limestone, The Forks, Kern Falls, or Kernville. Here's a satellite overview of the 1000 square mile N.F. Kern drainage area with a few of the features labeled. If you look near the bottom of the photo, you'll see Lake Isabella. We're located just north of the lake!
Want to check on the Kern snowpack and see where the snow sensors and snow courses are located? We've put together a Kern River Basin Snow Courses & Sensors Google Earth KMZ file mashup that shows the station locations in Google Earth and links to the California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) data page for each station.
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.
Upper Kern |
Lower Kern |
||||||||
| Above Fairview* | Below Fairview* | At Kernville | Lake Isabella | Below Democrat Dam* | |||||
| Date & Time | Flow (cfs) | Flow (cfs) | Stage | Flow (cfs) | Total Outflow | to River | to Borel Canal | Storage (acre-feet) |
Flow (cfs) |
| 30APR2011 1100 | 2851 | 2552 | 8.29 | 3393 | 3449 | 2868 | 581 | 297,457 | 2973 |
| Kern Flow Info | Current | 5 Day Plot | 10 Day Plot | Month | WY '11 | WY '10 | WY '09 | WY '08 | WY '07 |
| Weather | NWS | NWS Zones | CNN | Washington Post | Satellite | Radar | Riverkern RAWS | RAWS Archive | |
| *Flow values from SCE Flow Phone. For current information call 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE the flow 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 Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Important information about River Notes.
Download
our Rafting & Kayaking Adventures brochure (PDF).
The River is up -- don't miss out on the outstanding early season flows -- take 20% off for the rest of the month of April! Make any raft trip or kayaking class reservation that takes place during the rest of the month and get 20% off. Must pre-reserve Online. Enter coupon Code APRIL2011 when prompted in the payment screen. Offer ends April 30th and can not be applied with any other discounts.
Great weather and water were expected for the 47th Kern River Festival and great weather and water are what we had, with sunny skies and warm temps. Saturday, Brush Creek was around 3 on the gauge, and the juicy flow was excellent for both the Downriver and Extreme Slalom. On Saturday afternoon the Upper Kern at Riverside Park was about 2250 cfs for the Hooligan Build Your Own Boat competition, and then went up to about 2800 cfs for the Tom Johnson Slalom on Sunday.
Taking first in the Brush Creek Downriver (in a long boat) this year was Eric Giddens, followed by long boats Taylor Robertson and Macy Burnham. Shaun Smith broke up a long boat sweep of the top four, finishing just a couple of seconds behind Macy. Amanda Maruschi edged Rose Schermerhorn and LIz Brackbill in the Women's division. The Kern River Crew Evan Moore and Johnny Chase finished 1-2 in the Men's Junior division, and Sage Donnelly was the top Junior Woman.
In the Brush Creek Extreme Giant Slalom Shaun Smith outmaneuvered Eric Giddens, with Spencer Joseph taking third. In the Women's race Amanda Maruschi got her second win of the day, finishing ahead of Sara James and Diane Gayglos. Evan Moore and Johnny Chase repeated their 1-2 finish in the Men's Junior division, and Sage Donnelly was the top Junior Woman.
In its second year, the Hooligan BYOB competition was once again a big spectator and participant favorite. Inspired by the event at the FIBArk River Festival, paddlers constructed their own boats out of "non-boat" materials and attempted to paddle their creations from upstream of the bridge in Kernville, down through the class II rapids in Riverside Park.
Sunday, the Tom Johnson Whitewater Slalom took center stage, with paddlers competing for the best times on a pushy, challenging course. Eric Giddens took first in the Men's Expert Elite class, and Svetlana Platonova edged Rebecca Giddens in the Women's Expert Elite class. The Giddens first child is due in few weeks, and she will be able to claim that she did her first slalom race not only before she could walk, but a month before she was born!
Many thanks to the paddlers, spectators, sponsors and all the volunteers that help put on the event. An extra special "Thank You!" goes to the Kern Festival committee Eric & Rebecca Giddens, Andrew Pernicano, Tom Moore, Lynne Siodmak, Ann Beaman, Marianne Moore-DeChant, Judy Neukirchner, and Gilbert Siegel, who with the help of Terry Valle handled the innumerable tasks associated with the organization and setup of the Kern River Festival. Festival results and photos will be posted on the Festival web site, and linked here when available.
California Cooperative Snow Surveys' April Snow Course measurements for the Kern have been completed, and with all 17 snow courses recorded, the Kern snowpack is reported at a monster 195% of normal. This is not only the biggest April 1 snowpack during a La Nina over the past 60 years, it is nearly as big as the Kern snowpack during the record-setting El Nino of 1997-1998, and is the 6th biggest Kern snowpack overall since 1950!
Other than this season, the only top ten snowpack that was not during an El Nino was the 1961-62 season (186%). The biggest April 1 Kern snowpack was during the El Nino of 1968-69 (301%). During the La Nina of 1971-72 the Kern snowpack was only 18% of normal. (Note: Six Kern snow courses were not measured in April 1998. An estimate of 210% of normal was used for that season in this comparison.)
Raft trips and kayaking classes have started, and the River is already up! Take advantage of the great early season flows and book a raft trip or kayaking class. Trips and classes start booking weeks in advance, so make your reservations early -- especially for those busy Spring and Summer weekends!
Looking for the flow? The most recent Upper and Lower Kern River flows are now displayed near the top of this page as the data becomes available from the Corps of Engineers. Included are the flow on the Upper Kern at Riverside Park, and the Lower Kern above and below the Borel Powerhouse. If the flows cannot be obtained from the COE, "N/A" will be indicated.
Our
world-famous Lickety-Split and Lickety-Blaster raft
trips are far and away the two most popular and most affordable
Class 2-3 whitewater rafting runs available on the Kern River.
Both are full of enough excitement to challenge just about everyone
from young tykes to grandmas and grandpas. Looking for more adrenalin?
Try our new Upper Kern and Forks trips. Reserve
your 2011 trip today!
Learn to kayak! 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. We also offer a 5-day total immersion learn-to-kayak class and Private Instruction. Our Kayaking School page has all the details on these, and other whitewater and lake touring kayak classes!
The Kern Valley River Council (KVRC) was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the USFS, Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. The Kernville Riverside Park Renovation Project's goal is to enhance the ecological, aesthetic, and recreational value of the 1/4 mile stretch of the Kern River starting just above the Kernville Bridge, through Riverside Park in Kernville. KVRC is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that runs the Kern River Festival every year and organized the 2003 Wildwater World Cup Kayak races on the Upper Kern.
The Kernville Riverside Park Renovation Project will provide bank stabilization, erosion control, hazards removal, control of noxious weeds, promote local salmonid habitat, plant native flora, provide recreational opportunities for water users such as fishermen, rafters, kayakers, tubers, and implement public safety and environmental education programs. This Winter volunteers did an initial survey of the reach, gathering stream profile data and flow velocity data.
Unknown to some, Riverside Park in Kernville is the first manufactured whitewater park in America. Tom Johnson, local boating legend and former Olympic Coach and National Kayak champion successfully lobbied for the construction of rapids and bank restoration over 40 years ago with the Army Corps of Engineers as mitigation for the drowning of part of the Stanislaus River with the New Melones Dam in North Central California.
After 40 years, Riverside Park is in dire need of restoration and additional improvements. Whitewater parks have sprung up in both urban and rural settings throughout the country. Parks have been constructed in places such as Reno, Nevada; Vail, Steamboat, Boulder, Buena Vista and Salida Colorado; Boise Idaho; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Their construction has revitalized the river and promoted recreation and tourism.
In response to extremely heavy rain below about 7000 ft., the COE gage in Riverside Park recorded a peak of 21,741 cfs at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, December 19th! Kern locals Evan Moore, Eric Giddens, Rebecca Giddens, Geno Hackett & Johnnie Chase checked out the river from Riverside Park, before getting in the water when the flow was near its peak. The Johnsondale RAWS recorded about 12 inches of rain from 1:00 p.m. Friday to 3:00 p.m. Sunday, and about 15.5 inches for the rain event.
Check out the Jackson boats in the New Boat Barn. We think the new elite versions of the boats are the best ever made by Jackson and worth every penny. With the Sweet Cheeks and Happy Feet system, you also get the best outfitting ever. It takes just a minute or so to understand the process to get the correct fit. It is not hard to master and we will be happy to show you how. Cross-linked plastic and a composite beam support make these hulls the stiffest and most durable on the market. The come with a 2 year double warranty. Also take a look at these Jackson videos of the Star Series in action and the Elite outfitting. We usually have the new Star Series, Funs, and Heroes in stock. The new creek boat, the Villain, looked great on Brush Creek at the Kern River Festival, and we have it in stock.
Describing the numerous on-river and off-river recreation options, the July/August 2008 issue of Paddler Magazine selected Kernville as one of the 'Best Paddling Towns' in the U.S. The article rated Kernville a 5-star weekend destination and a 5-star 'Near Home' vacation destination.
Sierra South has been running raft trips, and teaching kayaking classes on the Kern River since 1985. The 2011 season will mark our 26th year on the Kern River!
We talk a lot about the "Kern River basin" in Rivernotes. During the Winter, we frequently refer to the Upper Tyndall Creek, Pascoes, and Wet Meadows snow sensors. During the paddling season, it might be Limestone, The Forks, Kern Falls, or Kernville. Here's a satellite overview of the 1000 square mile N.F. Kern drainage area with a few of the features labeled. If you look near the bottom of the photo, you'll see Lake Isabella. We're located just north of the lake!
Want to check on the Kern snowpack and see where the snow sensors and snow courses are located? We've put together a Kern River Basin Snow Courses & Sensors Google Earth KMZ file mashup that shows the station locations in Google Earth and links to the California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) data page for each station.
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.
Upper Kern |
Lower Kern |
||||||||
| Above Fairview* | Below Fairview* | At Kernville | Lake Isabella | Below Democrat Dam* | |||||
| Date & Time | Flow (cfs) | Flow (cfs) | Stage | Flow (cfs) | Total Outflow | to River | to Borel Canal | Storage (acre-feet) |
Flow (cfs) |
| 20APR2011 1300 | 2833 | 2561 | 8.33 | 3362 | 2911 | 2330 | 581 | 297,457 | 2251 |
| Kern Flow Info | Current | 5 Day Plot | 10 Day Plot | Month | WY '11 | WY '10 | WY '09 | WY '08 | WY '07 |
| Weather | NWS | NWS Zones | CNN | Washington Post | Satellite | Radar | Riverkern RAWS | RAWS Archive | |
| *Flow values from SCE Flow Phone. For current information call 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE the flow 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 Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Important information about River Notes.
Download
our Rafting & Kayaking Adventures brochure (PDF).
Great weather and water are expected for the 47th Kern River Festival this weekend, with sunny skies and temps in the mid-70's. Flows will be booming! This year's Festival will feature three days of non-stop action with the Brush Creek Race, Hooligan Build Your Own Boat competition, and Slalom practice on Saturday; and the Raffle, Silent Auction, Downriver Race, SUP Boardercross, and TJ Slalom Race Sunday. New for 2011, FREE camping will be available for all registered boaters at Frandy Park Friday and Saturday nights. Films will be shown Friday and Saturday evening at Frandy, with a band, beer garden, dinner and awards Saturday immediately following the Hooligan Race.
California Cooperative Snow Surveys' April Snow Course measurements for the Kern have been completed, and with all 17 snow courses recorded, the Kern snowpack is reported at a monster 195% of normal. This is not only the biggest April 1 snowpack during a La Nina over the past 60 years, it is nearly as big as the Kern snowpack during the record-setting El Nino of 1997-1998, and is the 6th biggest Kern snowpack overall since 1950!
Other than this season, the only top ten snowpack that was not during an El Nino was the 1961-62 season (186%). The biggest April 1 Kern snowpack was during the El Nino of 1968-69 (301%). During the La Nina of 1971-72 the Kern snowpack was only 18% of normal. (Note: Six Kern snow courses were not measured in April 1998. An estimate of 210% of normal was used for that season in this comparison.)
Raft trips and kayaking classes have started, and the River is already up! Take advantage of the great early season flows and book a raft trip or kayaking class. Trips and classes start booking weeks in advance, so make your reservations early -- especially for those busy Spring and Summer weekends!
Looking for the flow? The most recent Upper and Lower Kern River flows are now displayed near the top of this page as the data becomes available from the Corps of Engineers. Included are the flow on the Upper Kern at Riverside Park, and the Lower Kern above and below the Borel Powerhouse. If the flows cannot be obtained from the COE, "N/A" will be indicated.
Our
world-famous Lickety-Split and Lickety-Blaster raft
trips are far and away the two most popular and most affordable
Class 2-3 whitewater rafting runs available on the Kern River.
Both are full of enough excitement to challenge just about everyone
from young tykes to grandmas and grandpas. Looking for more adrenalin?
Try our new Upper Kern and Forks trips. Reserve
your 2011 trip today!
Learn to kayak! 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. We also offer a 5-day total immersion learn-to-kayak class and Private Instruction. Our Kayaking School page has all the details on these, and other whitewater and lake touring kayak classes!
The Kern Valley River Council (KVRC) was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the USFS, Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. The Kernville Riverside Park Renovation Project's goal is to enhance the ecological, aesthetic, and recreational value of the 1/4 mile stretch of the Kern River starting just above the Kernville Bridge, through Riverside Park in Kernville. KVRC is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that runs the Kern River Festival every year and organized the 2003 Wildwater World Cup Kayak races on the Upper Kern.
The Kernville Riverside Park Renovation Project will provide bank stabilization, erosion control, hazards removal, control of noxious weeds, promote local salmonid habitat, plant native flora, provide recreational opportunities for water users such as fishermen, rafters, kayakers, tubers, and implement public safety and environmental education programs. This Winter volunteers did an initial survey of the reach, gathering stream profile data and flow velocity data.
Unknown to some, Riverside Park in Kernville is the first manufactured whitewater park in America. Tom Johnson, local boating legend and former Olympic Coach and National Kayak champion successfully lobbied for the construction of rapids and bank restoration over 40 years ago with the Army Corps of Engineers as mitigation for the drowning of part of the Stanislaus River with the New Melones Dam in North Central California.
After 40 years, Riverside Park is in dire need of restoration and additional improvements. Whitewater parks have sprung up in both urban and rural settings throughout the country. Parks have been constructed in places such as Reno, Nevada; Vail, Steamboat, Boulder, Buena Vista and Salida Colorado; Boise Idaho; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Their construction has revitalized the river and promoted recreation and tourism.
In response to extremely heavy rain below about 7000 ft., the COE gage in Riverside Park recorded a peak of 21,741 cfs at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, December 19th! Kern locals Evan Moore, Eric Giddens, Rebecca Giddens, Geno Hackett & Johnnie Chase checked out the river from Riverside Park, before getting in the water when the flow was near its peak. The Johnsondale RAWS recorded about 12 inches of rain from 1:00 p.m. Friday to 3:00 p.m. Sunday, and about 15.5 inches for the rain event.
Check out the Jackson boats in the New Boat Barn. We think the new elite versions of the boats are the best ever made by Jackson and worth every penny. With the Sweet Cheeks and Happy Feet system, you also get the best outfitting ever. It takes just a minute or so to understand the process to get the correct fit. It is not hard to master and we will be happy to show you how. Cross-linked plastic and a composite beam support make these hulls the stiffest and most durable on the market. The come with a 2 year double warranty. Also take a look at these Jackson videos of the Star Series in action and the Elite outfitting. We usually have the new Star Series, Funs, and Heroes in stock. The new creek boat, the Villain, looked great on Brush Creek at the Kern River Festival, and we have it in stock.
Describing the numerous on-river and off-river recreation options, the July/August 2008 issue of Paddler Magazine selected Kernville as one of the 'Best Paddling Towns' in the U.S. The article rated Kernville a 5-star weekend destination and a 5-star 'Near Home' vacation destination.
Sierra South has been running raft trips, and teaching kayaking classes on the Kern River since 1985. The 2011 season will mark our 26th year on the Kern River!
We talk a lot about the "Kern River basin" in Rivernotes. During the Winter, we frequently refer to the Upper Tyndall Creek, Pascoes, and Wet Meadows snow sensors. During the paddling season, it might be Limestone, The Forks, Kern Falls, or Kernville. Here's a satellite overview of the 1000 square mile N.F. Kern drainage area with a few of the features labeled. If you look near the bottom of the photo, you'll see Lake Isabella. We're located just north of the lake!
Want to check on the Kern snowpack and see where the snow sensors and snow courses are located? We've put together a Kern River Basin Snow Courses & Sensors Google Earth KMZ file mashup that shows the station locations in Google Earth and links to the California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) data page for each station.
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.
Upper Kern |
Lower Kern |
||||||||
| Above Fairview* | Below Fairview* | At Kernville | Lake Isabella | Below Democrat Dam* | |||||
| Date & Time | Flow (cfs) | Flow (cfs) | Stage | Flow (cfs) | Total Outflow | to River | to Borel Canal | Storage (acre-feet) |
Flow (cfs) |
| 12APR2011 1100 | 1787 | 1476 | 7.36 | 2064 | 2194 | 1617 | 577 | 284,396 | 1991 |
| Kern Flow Info | Current | 5 Day Plot | 10 Day Plot | Month | WY '11 | WY '10 | WY '09 | WY '08 | WY '07 |
| Weather | NWS | NWS Zones | CNN | Washington Post | Satellite | Radar | Riverkern RAWS | RAWS Archive | |
| *Flow values from SCE Flow Phone. For current information call 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE the flow 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 Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Important information about River Notes.
Download
our Rafting & Kayaking Adventures brochure (PDF).
Come join us April 9-10 as we kick off the 2011 season with our 9th Annual Spring Sale and Free Demo Weekend. Sierra South’s large rental fleet will be available for free tryouts throughout the weekend (some restrictions apply). It will be a great time to get new boats and gear at big savings!
California Cooperative Snow Surveys' April Snow Course measurements for the Kern have been completed, and with all 17 snow courses recorded, the Kern snowpack is reported at a monster 195% of normal. This is not only the biggest April 1 snowpack during a La Nina over the past 60 years, it is nearly as big as the Kern snowpack during the record-setting El Nino of 1997-1998, and is the 6th biggest Kern snowpack overall since 1950!
Other than this season, the only top ten snowpack that was not during an El Nino was the 1961-62 season (186%). The biggest April 1 Kern snowpack was during the El Nino of 1968-69 (301%). During the La Nina of 1971-72 the Kern snowpack was only 18% of normal. (Note: Six Kern snow courses were not measured in April 1998. An estimate of 210% of normal was used for that season in this comparison.)
Raft trips and kayaking classes have started, and the River is already up! Take advantage of the great early season flows and book a raft trip or kayaking class. Trips and classes start booking weeks in advance, so make your reservations early -- especially for those busy Spring and Summer weekends!
Looking for the flow? The most recent Upper and Lower Kern River flows are now displayed near the top of this page as the data becomes available from the Corps of Engineers. Included are the flow on the Upper Kern at Riverside Park, and the Lower Kern above and below the Borel Powerhouse. If the flows cannot be obtained from the COE, "N/A" will be indicated.
Make your plans now, the 47th Kern River Festival is April 15-17. This year's Kern River Festival will feature three days of non-stop action with the Brush Creek Race, Hooligan Build Your Own Boat competition, and Slalom practice on Saturday; and the Raffle, Silent Auction, Downriver Race and TJ Slalom Race Sunday. New for 2011, FREE camping will be available for all registered boaters at Frandy Park Friday and Saturday nights. Films will be shown Friday and Saturday evening at Frandy, with a band, beer garden, dinner and awards Saturday immediately following the Hooligan Race.
Our
world-famous Lickety-Split and Lickety-Blaster raft
trips are far and away the two most popular and most affordable
Class 2-3 whitewater rafting runs available on the Kern River.
Both are full of enough excitement to challenge just about everyone
from young tykes to grandmas and grandpas. Looking for more adrenalin?
Try our new Upper Kern and Forks trips. Reserve
your 2011 trip today!
Learn to kayak! 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. We also offer a 5-day total immersion learn-to-kayak class and Private Instruction. Our Kayaking School page has all the details on these, and other whitewater and lake touring kayak classes!
The Kern Valley River Council (KVRC) was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the USFS, Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. The Kernville Riverside Park Renovation Project's goal is to enhance the ecological, aesthetic, and recreational value of the 1/4 mile stretch of the Kern River starting just above the Kernville Bridge, through Riverside Park in Kernville. KVRC is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that runs the Kern River Festival every year and organized the 2003 Wildwater World Cup Kayak races on the Upper Kern.
The Kernville Riverside Park Renovation Project will provide bank stabilization, erosion control, hazards removal, control of noxious weeds, promote local salmonid habitat, plant native flora, provide recreational opportunities for water users such as fishermen, rafters, kayakers, tubers, and implement public safety and environmental education programs. This Winter volunteers did an initial survey of the reach, gathering stream profile data and flow velocity data.
Unknown to some, Riverside Park in Kernville is the first manufactured whitewater park in America. Tom Johnson, local boating legend and former Olympic Coach and National Kayak champion successfully lobbied for the construction of rapids and bank restoration over 40 years ago with the Army Corps of Engineers as mitigation for the drowning of part of the Stanislaus River with the New Melones Dam in North Central California.
After 40 years, Riverside Park is in dire need of restoration and additional improvements. Whitewater parks have sprung up in both urban and rural settings throughout the country. Parks have been constructed in places such as Reno, Nevada; Vail, Steamboat, Boulder, Buena Vista and Salida Colorado; Boise Idaho; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Their construction has revitalized the river and promoted recreation and tourism.
In response to extremely heavy rain below about 7000 ft., the COE gage in Riverside Park recorded a peak of 21,741 cfs at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, December 19th! Kern locals Evan Moore, Eric Giddens, Rebecca Giddens, Geno Hackett & Johnnie Chase checked out the river from Riverside Park, before getting in the water when the flow was near its peak. The Johnsondale RAWS recorded about 12 inches of rain from 1:00 p.m. Friday to 3:00 p.m. Sunday, and about 15.5 inches for the rain event.
Check out the Jackson boats in the New Boat Barn. We think the new elite versions of the boats are the best ever made by Jackson and worth every penny. With the Sweet Cheeks and Happy Feet system, you also get the best outfitting ever. It takes just a minute or so to understand the process to get the correct fit. It is not hard to master and we will be happy to show you how. Cross-linked plastic and a composite beam support make these hulls the stiffest and most durable on the market. The come with a 2 year double warranty. Also take a look at these Jackson videos of the Star Series in action and the Elite outfitting. We usually have the new Star Series, Funs, and Heroes in stock. The new creek boat, the Villain, looked great on Brush Creek at the Kern River Festival, and we have it in stock.
Describing the numerous on-river and off-river recreation options, the July/August 2008 issue of Paddler Magazine selected Kernville as one of the 'Best Paddling Towns' in the U.S. The article rated Kernville a 5-star weekend destination and a 5-star 'Near Home' vacation destination.
Sierra South has been running raft trips, and teaching kayaking classes on the Kern River since 1985. The 2011 season will mark our 26th year on the Kern River!
We talk a lot about the "Kern River basin" in Rivernotes. During the Winter, we frequently refer to the Upper Tyndall Creek, Pascoes, and Wet Meadows snow sensors. During the paddling season, it might be Limestone, The Forks, Kern Falls, or Kernville. Here's a satellite overview of the 1000 square mile N.F. Kern drainage area with a few of the features labeled. If you look near the bottom of the photo, you'll see Lake Isabella. We're located just north of the lake!
Want to check on the Kern snowpack and see where the snow sensors and snow courses are located? We've put together a Kern River Basin Snow Courses & Sensors Google Earth KMZ file mashup that shows the station locations in Google Earth and links to the California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) data page for each station.
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.
Upper Kern |
Lower Kern |
||||||||
| Above Fairview* | Below Fairview* | At Kernville | Lake Isabella | Below Democrat Dam* | |||||
| Date & Time | Flow (cfs) | Flow (cfs) | Stage | Flow (cfs) | Total Outflow | to River | to Borel Canal | Storage (acre-feet) |
Flow (cfs) |
| 05APR2011 0900 | 2603 | 2297 | 8.26 | 3255 | 1566 | 998 | 568 | 267,167 | 806 |
| Kern Flow Info | Current | 5 Day Plot | 10 Day Plot | Month | WY '11 | WY '10 | WY '09 | WY '08 | WY '07 |
| Weather | NWS | NWS Zones | CNN | Washington Post | Satellite | Radar | Riverkern RAWS | RAWS Archive | |
| *Flow values from SCE Flow Phone. For current information call 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE the flow 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.
