River Notes Archive

S T R E A M L I N E S News for Paddlers o Can't see the Forest through the Fees? American Whitewater has obtained a copy of the Forest Service's draft "Blueprint for Forest Fervice Recreation Fees (March 15, 2002)", which details the agency's thinking about future forest fees. o Environmental Movement at 40: - Is the earth healthier? More: National Geographic Adventure. o Traveling trash threatens ecosystems - Marine life tours the globe on floating plastic. More info: MSNBC. o The Big Bang, debunked? A new, compelling theory emerges. .More: Nature. o Floods threaten Himalaya - United Nations scientists say more than 40 Himalayan glacial lakes could soon burst their banks and dump millions of gallons of floodwaters into inhabited valleys, causing loss of life and severe damage to infrastructure. More: Outside Online. Splashes: A Kayak Rolling Primer. Liquid Logic Skip and Pop review. Michael "Nick" Nichols - wildlife photography.

River Notes for Tuesday, April 30, 2002

Important information about River Notes.

This Spring we've been on a roller coaster ride of temperatures and flows. The second week in April temps in the Kernville - Lake Isabella area soared to over 90 degrees. The resulting snowmelt pushed the Upper Kern to near 1700 cfs. Over the past two weeks a series of upper level lows have resulted in cooler temperatures and reduced snowmelt. Today the Upper Kern flow is just over 700 cfs. Yesterday's recorded high at the Kernville RAWS was 71 degrees. Forecasts suggest high temps near 80 by the end of the week, with some cooling expected early next week.

Current Upper Kern flows are in line with the minimums specified in the CNRFC Snowmelt forecast (PDF) issued April 23rd. This forecast predicts a peak of about 2500 cfs around May 21st. (An updated forecast should be issued Wednesday.) The Bulletin 120 Runoff Forecast issued April 25, forecasts an average Isabella inflow of about 1400 cfs in May, and an average of about 1100 cfs in June.

Two very popular activities at this year's Kern River Festival were the Freestyle and Slalom paddling clinics. Freestylers did a 2 hour run on Powerhouse with pro boaters Macy Burnham, Shane Benedict, or Brooke Winger. The Slalom clinic was done by U.S. National whitewater slalom team members Rebecca & Eric Giddens, Jason Beakes, and Mary Marshall-Seaver, with the help of coach and boat designer John Brennan. Paddlers got the beta on how to do (and not to do) the T.J. Slalom course. Everyone that participated in the clinics learned a lot and had a great time!

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info. (SCE reports that flow phone data is updated twice daily. For current information call 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821.)

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

S T R E A M L I N E S News for Paddlers o William Nealy - The complicated life of the popular outdoor illustrator and champion of the Triangle’s last, great open spaces. More: The Independent Weekly. o U.S. Senate Blocks Drilling in Alaska Refuge More: National Geographic Adventure. o Floods threaten Himalaya - United Nations scientists say more than 40 Himalayan glacial lakes could soon burst their banks and dump millions of gallons of floodwaters into inhabited valleys, causing loss of life and severe damage to infrastructure. More: Outside Online. o Here's the Catch - Proper stroke placement in whitewater paddling - by Kent Ford. More: Paddler. Splashes: Foam Zone Video of Tsangpo Gorge. Corran swims. Kayak Session preview. California kayaking at RobertPayne.net.

River Notes for Tuesday, April 23, 2002

Important information about River Notes.

Cool temperatures reduced the flow, but not the action as Eric Jackson and Amy Jimmerson won the Men's and Women's Pro divisions of the TEVA Tour/AW Kern River Festival Whitewater Freestyle competition at Kernville's Riverside Park on Saturday.

EJ did nearly 60 ends (180 degree changes in direction) in his 90 second Finals ride, completing left and right Cartwheels, left and right Clean Cartwheels, left and right Splitwheels, left and right Super Clean Cartwheels, and other moves in his Wave Sport EZ to score 833.28 points for the win. Jay Kincaid, also in an EZ, was a close second with 748.02 points. Brad Ludden, in a Dagger Id, took third with 630.63 points. In Women's Pro Amy Jimmerson placed first in a Liquid Logic Skip. Jamie Cooper and Brooke Winger placed second and third in Wavesport Sirens. Outfitted with a orange goatee and a Dagger G-Force, Sierra South's very own paddling guru Paul Armes placed first in Friday's prelims and went on to place third in the Expert division.

Several members of the U.S. National Whitewater Slalom Team were in Kernville for the Festival and to train in Riverside Park. In Sunday's Southwestern Regional Slalom Team Trial Qualifier, Scott Parsons just edged Eric Giddens for first place by 0.5 sec. Rebecca Giddens, the top-ranked U.S. woman slalom kayaker and Syndey Olympics team member, was tops in the women's class.

Many thanks to the Kern Valley River Council, TEVA, American Whitewater, and all the volunteers, participants and spectators for making this year's Festival another big success. For full results see the Kern Valley River Council website.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info. (SCE reports that flow phone data is updated twice daily. For current information call 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821.)

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

S T R E A M L I N E S News for Paddlers o Flood test didn't help Grand Canyon - Goal was to help fish by churning up sand from river bottom. More: MSNBC. o Santa Cruz to make surfing illegal? The town of Santa Cruz is considering changes to their city code to prohibit all kayaks from operating within 300 yards of the shore, which would effectively eliminate all surfing opportunities. More: American Whitewater. o Fishing out the world's oceans - Marine scientists worry that little is being done stop global crisis. More: San Francisco Chronicle. o Here's the Catch - Proper stroke placement in whitewater paddling - by Kent Ford. More: Paddler. o The Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services is an initiative from the National Weather Service to provide longer term hydrologic outlooks. More: California-Nevada River Forecast Center Splashes: Oceana POV - helmet video cam of Oceana on the Tallullah River, GA. Corran Addison's thoughts on kayak warranties, plastic, and rocks. The Next Generation - Young Gun Productions.

River Notes for Monday, April 15, 2002

Important information about River Notes.

The 2002 TEVA Kern River Festival is this Friday, Saturday & Sunday, April 19-21. There will be kayak demos and other activities all this week. Several members of the U.S. Slalom Team will be training at Riverside Park this week, and some of the nation's top playboaters will be tuning up for the Freestyle competition. This year's events include the TJ Slalom Classic, American Whitewater Freestyle Rodeo, Powerhouse Downriver Race, head-to-head Raft Races through Ewing's Rapid, and Freestyle & Slalom Clinics! The Southwestern Regional slalom team trial qualifier is also scheduled. It's a unique opportunity to see some of the best slalom and freestyle paddlers in action! For more information see the Kern Valley River Council website.

G-Force? CFS? GTX? Win the Dagger whitewater kayak of your choice! Tickets are $1 each, or 25 for $20. The drawing will be held at the Kern Festival party, Saturday night, April 20 at Frandy Park, Kernville. Winner need not be present. (As long as you put your name and phone number on your raffle ticket.) The boat will be shipped directly from Dagger. Shipping charges will have to be paid by winner. Proceeds go to the Kern Valley River Council, a California Non-Profit Conservation Organization.

Today's RiverPhoto was taken earlier this month on Brush Creek, as the water was starting to come up. It's time to get it, while the getting's good! Kudos to Brian Cosgrove & Co. from the Forest Service for removing the big log and many branches on Brush Creek. "I always dreamed it would be cool to be paid to run Brush Creek and now it has finally happened, joked Brian. "Of course, I certainly don't need to be paid to run it... it is just way too much fun." Beware, Brush Creek got its name from lots of brush, much that gets in the way of some great boating. Especially when the runoff starts. Keep your eyes open and scout well. Brian would also like everyone to know that there is now a register at the Brush Creek put-in. "I need data to support this run as an off-shoot of the Upper Kern. It will help legitimize the Brush Creek run and keep it open. We concur. Please do your part to help support keeping Brush Creek open. P.S. Don't park on the Helipad when you run Brush.

The new shorter boats make running Brush Creek even more fun (if you can imagine that!). It is one of the best years for new boats! If you are thinking about buying a new one, come on up and give them a spin. For river running, it looks like the GT, GTX, and Boosters 50,55,60 get the early nod. These shorter, flat bottomed boats work as well as the RPM did, but are more stable, easier to roll, and will paddle down to lower river levels because the are shorter. For playboating, the G-Forces are really starting to catch on. The IDs are also getting some good reviews, as is the Super EZ for a Big Guy playboat. Get the specs and more info on these boats using our interactive Kayak Comparison Chart.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info. (SCE reports that flow phone data is updated twice daily. For current information call 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821.)

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

S T R E A M L I N E S News for Paddlers o Is your favorite river endangered? See the American Rivers annual report of the most threatened US rivers. Additional info at MSNBC. o Antartic ice shelves face breakup with climate change... More: San Francisco Chronicle. o Ten tips for shooting water action and a Showcase of inique images from OutdoorPhotography.com o The Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services is an initiative from the National Weather Service to provide longer term hydrologic outlooks. More: California-Nevada River Forecast Center Splashes: Liquid Lifestyles 4 'Aerated' video clip, Big Air on a Small Wave, Dagger Id 6.9 review.

River Notes for Tuesday, April 9, 2002

Important information about River Notes.

The 2002 TEVA Kern River Festival is a little more than a week away, April 19-21. There will be kayak demos and other activities all next week, April 15-21. This year's events include the TJ Slalom Classic, American Whitewater Freestyle Rodeo, Powerhouse Downriver Race, head-to-head Raft Races through Ewing's Rapid, and Freestyle & Slalom Clinics! The Southwestern Regionals team trial qualifier slalom is also scheduled. For more information see the Kern Valley River Council website.

G-Force? CFS? GTX? Win the Dagger whitewater kayak of your choice! Tickets are $1 each, or 25 for $20. The drawing will be held at the Kern Festival party, Saturday night, April 20 at Frandy Park, Kernville. Winner need not be present. (As long as you put your name and phone number on your raffle ticket.) The boat will be shipped directly from Dagger. Shipping charges will have to be paid by winner. Proceeds go to the Kern Valley River Council, a California Non-Profit Conservation Organization.

Today's RiverPhoto was taken last week on Brush Creek, as the water was starting to come up. It's time to get it, while the getting's good!

The new shorter boats make running Brush Creek even more fun (if you can imagine that!). It is one of the best years for new boats! If you are thinking about buying a new one, come on up and give them a spin. For river running, it looks like the GT, GTX, and Boosters 50,55,60 get the early nod. These shorter, flat bottomed boats work as well as the RPM did, but are more stable, easier to roll, and will paddle down to lower river levels because the are shorter. For playboating, the G-Forces are really starting to catch on. The IDs are also getting some good reviews, as is the Super EZ for a Big Guy playboat. Get the specs and more info on these boats using our interactive Kayak Comparison Chart.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info. (SCE reports that flow phone data is updated twice daily. For current information call 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821.)

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

River Notes for Thursday, April 4, 2002

Important information about River Notes.

Warm temperatures at higher elevations over the last week have jump-started the Spring snowmelt. According to snow sensors mid-day temps at 10,700 ft. have been in the fifties, and at 9150 ft., nighttime lows have been above freezing. This morning the Upper Kern is at about 850 cfs and the Lower Kern at Borel is at about 415 cfs.

April 1 Snow Course measurements are nearly complete. This year the snowpack is higher in Northern and Central California, than in the Southern Sierra. Following are the measurements for some selected river basins. Shasta River: 118%, Trinity River: 100%, Feather River: 91%, American River: 101%, Tuolumne River: 95%, Kings River: 87%. The measurement of some Kern River snow courses have not been completed, but it looks like the Kern basin snowpack should be at about 75% of the April 1 average. (Note that these percentages are based on the average snowpack for the sensors in the basin and are not a forecast of runoff, which may differ.)

Riot has been busy putting its cutting edge design team into an entry level boat for everyone. The result, the Booster series. Looking for boat that is easy to paddle and roll? The Booster is designed to be predictable, comfortable, and stable. It's one of the boats we'll be using in our kayaking classes this season. Riot's new Device 4 seat is comfortable and adjustable. The new Easy Exit Thigh Brace system is a ratchet type that releases in a snap and is very comfortable. Three sizes are available. Click on the following links to see what we have in-stock in the New Boat Barn: Booster 50 (50 gal.), Booster 55 (55 gal.), and Booster 60 (60 gal.). All the Boosters are 7'2" x 24.5". Wt. 35lbs. If you have never tried a Riot boat before, you need to demo this boat.

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data. Click on "Current" to get the latest info. (SCE reports that flow phone data is updated twice daily. For current information call 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821.)

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

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