River Notes Archive

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Updated 11/01/05 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 Hurricane Katrina’s tragic impacts were greatly worsened by our efforts to "control" rivers and fill wetlands. The Mississippi’s hundreds of large dams and thousands of miles of levees have almost eliminated flows of sediment needed to replenish coastal wetlands, making Louisiana – which has lost 1.2 million acres of coastal lands since the 1930s – much more vulnerable to storm surges. Damage from floods in the U.S. – and around the world – has gone up dramatically over the past six decades despite huge investments in flood–control infrastructure. Global warming is likely to worsen the situation by raising sea levels and increasing the frequency and intensity of severe storms. More. o Twice over the last 10 years, the federal government has released massive floods into the Grand Canyon. The floods were intended to restore sandbars, or beaches that have been disappearing since the Colorado River was dammed in the 1960s. Now, scientists are trying to figure out if the effort was worth it. More from NPR . 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 Saturday, February 25, 2006

Important information about River Notes.

Major Winter storm headed for the Sierra in the Sunday-Monday timeframe. Strong south-southwest mid-level flow, high precipitable water values, strong jet dynamics and diffluence aloft could produce 3-4 inches (water equivalent), or more, of precipitation in the Sierra by Tuesday morning.

Snow levels are a bit of a wildcard. Cold full latitude trough is forecast to merge with warm, lower latitude shortwave and entrain associated sub-tropical moisture with very high precipitable water values. At the latitude of the Southern Sierra, the NAM computer model has been forecasting the freezing level to start out around 8000-9000 ft., and then lower as the trough progresses onshore.

The storm should help keep the Kern snowpack in good shape for this year's boating season. At the beginning of February, California Cooperative Snow Surveys reported the Kern River Basin at 143% of the average February 1 total. The most recent Regional Snowpack Summary (based on snow sensor data) reported the Southern Section of the Sierra at about 101% of normal for the date. The Central and Northern Sections were reported at 99% and 95% of normal, respectively.

Learn to kayak! Early Bird Kayaking 101 classes start March 11. 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.

Already know how to paddle? Get a jump on the paddling season and hone your paddling skills at the Kern Gold Medal Paddling Camps, April 1-4 and April 6-9. Space is limited, so call 800-457-2082 and make your reservation today!

Could La Niña already be starting to wane? Comparison of TAO/TRITON 5-day averaged Pacific equatorial SSTs and anomalies for the beginning of the month, and for yesterday, show some warming of the eastern equatorial Pacific, and in an area of the central equatorial Pacific from about 160°W to 140°W.

Retire that bleached out PFD, worn down paddle, and behemoth kayak and get into something new! Why not advertise your current boat for sale on our web site in our consignment Used Boat Barn? Call us at 800-376-7303 for more info! Looking for a boat? Check out the recreational. touring and whitewater kayaks (and rafts) in our Boat Barns.

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 Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Important information about River Notes.

Highs have been in the seventies in Kernville the past several days, and have been unseasonably warm throughout California. Yesterday, the high temperature recorded by the Chagoopa Plateau snow sensor at 10,300 ft. was a balmy 49 degrees. Temps are forecast to drop by as much as 15 degrees over the next 24 hours as a strong northerly flow ushers in cooler air from Canada. There's even a chance of snow showers developing in the Southern Sierra this weekend.

With the warm temps and dry weather you might be wondering how the Kern snowpack is doing. Fortunately, we started the month well above average. California Cooperative Snow Surveys reported the Kern River Basin at 143% of the average February 1 total. Another snow survey won't be done until around March 1, but today's Regional Snowpack Summary (based on snow sensor data) reports the Southern Section of the Sierra at about 108% of normal for the date. The Central and Northern Sections are reported at 105% and 100% of normal, respectively.

One by-product of the warm temperatures is a little run-off from low elevation snow. This has increased the flow on the Upper Kern at Kernville to above 500 cfs, and the inflow to Isabella to above 600 cfs. To maintain the current lake level of about 245,000 acre-feet, the release from Isabella has been increased to about 625 cfs.

Learn to kayak! Early Bird Kayaking 101 classes start March 11. 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.

Already know how to paddle? Get a jump on the paddling season and hone your paddling skills at the Kern Gold Medal Paddling Camps, April 1-4 and April 6-9. Space is limited, so call 800-457-2082 and make your reservation today!

Earlier this month, the NOAA Climate Prediction Center announced the official return of La Niña. According to NOAA, "sea surface temperatures have met the operational definition of La Niña for the November through January period." To qualify as a La Niña, the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) must fall to at least -0.5 degree C. The ONI is based on sea surface temperature departures in the central equatorial Pacific. La Niña conditions usually favor a northward shift of the jet stream with wetter weather in the Northwest, and drier than normal conditions in the Southwest.

Retire that bleached out PFD, worn down paddle, and behemoth kayak and get into something new! Why not advertise your current boat for sale on our web site in our consignment Used Boat Barn? Call us at 800-376-7303 for more info! Looking for a boat? Check out the recreational. touring and whitewater kayaks (and rafts) in our Boat Barns.

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, February 3, 2006

Important information about River Notes.

With 13 of 16 snow courses measured, California Cooperative Snow Surveys is reporting the Kern River Basin at 143% of the average February 1 total, and 87% of the average April 1 seasonal total. As a result of its high elevation, warm storms earlier this Winter resulted in significant snowfall in the Kern River basin while many other California river basins received only rain.

Run-off resulting from January's warm storms increased Lake Isabella storage levels above the flood control space guideline for February 1 of about 245,000 acre-feet. Releases from Isabella were increased until this storage level was reached, and as a result, the Lower Kern and the Kern Below Democrat was boatable much of the month of January. Based on the current snowpack, the flood control space guideline will probably remain at about 245,000 acre-feet for the month of February, with Isabella outflow (more or less) matched to inflow. We'll see!

Learn to kayak! Early Bird Kayaking 101 classes start March 11. 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.

Already know how to paddle? Get a jump on the paddling season and hone your paddling skills at the Kern Gold Medal Paddling Camps, April 1-4 and April 6-9. Space is limited, so call 800-457-2082 and make your reservation today!

Yesterday, the NOAA Climate Prediction Center announced the official return of La Niña. According to NOAA, "sea surface temperatures have met the operational definition of La Niña for the November through January period." To qualify as a La Niña, the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) must fall to at least -0.5 degree C. The ONI is based on sea surface temperature departures in the central equatorial Pacific. La Niña conditions usually favor a northward shift of the jet stream with wetter weather in the Northwest, and drier than normal conditions in the Southwest.

Retire that bleached out PFD, worn down paddle, and behemoth kayak and get into something new! Why not advertise your current boat for sale on our web site in our consignment Used Boat Barn? Call us at 800-376-7303 for more info! Looking for a boat? Check out the recreational. touring and whitewater kayaks (and rafts) in our Boat Barns.

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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