River Notes Archive

S T R E A M L I N E S News for Paddlers o Weak or moderate El Niño likely to develop during the next six-to-nine months. More NOAA - BMRC o Drought looms in remote areas of Southern California. More: U.S. Water News o What makes a river navigable? More: Oregon Division of State Lands o National Water-Quality Assessment Program - The Quality of Our Nation's Waters. More: USGS. o Banners for Sesia - The Sesia River is one of Italy's last pristine whitewater runs. However, 25 different small-scale hydro projects are pending on the river. More: Paddler. Splashes: Precipitation Forecast - El Niño and California Precipitation - California Creekin'.

River Notes for Wednesday, May 29, 2002

Important information about River Notes.

Temps are on the way up in Southern California. The ETA forecast for Bakersfield projects a high temperature of about 105 on Thursday. Yesterday the high recorded by the Kernville RAWS was 86. Today the high in Kernville should break ninety, and on Thursday will likely make it to the mid or high nineties. Temps have also been warming at higher elevations of the Sierra. That's important, because that is where there is snow. This graph from CDEC shows the temperature at Upper Tyndall Creek (11,400 ft.), for the last several days. (The average daily flow at Kernville was added to the graph for reference.)

With the temperatures at elevation increasing, the flow on the Upper Kern has been rebounding. Yesterday the flow got up to about 1425 cfs, and today it looks like it should top 1500 cfs. The question is, "How high will it get?" That depends on how hot it gets, and how much snow is left above 11,000 ft. And there is one other possible factor. It might rain! Subtropical moisture is forecast to be drawn over the area on Friday, and there could be some showers, particularly in the mountains.

This morning the SCE flow phone reports the flow above Fairview Dam is 1279 cfs, and below Fairview is 946 cfs. This implies the diversion at the time of the report was 333 cfs instead of the usual 600+.

Starting around June 8th, the flow on the Lower Kern is expected to be in the 1000-1100 cfs range, and then vary between 900 to 1200 cfs through July, and then drop below 1000 cfs early in August, tapering to low flows by August 23.

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 Into the Tsangpo Gorge on NBC May 26, 2:30 PM Eastern and Pacific (Check local listings.) More: Outside Online. o Water crisis looms on Maui - Island's troubles could signal world's future predicament. More: MSNBC. o National Water-Quality Assessment Program - The Quality of Our Nation's Waters. More: USGS. o Banners for Sesia - The Sesia River is one of Italy's last pristine whitewater runs. However, 25 different small-scale hydro projects are pending on the river. More: Paddler. Splashes: Photos on boof.com. Peppermint Creek 1st descent photo from Brandon Knapp's Pick An Image. Boat reviews & videos from Ashland Mine Productions. End Game.

River Notes for Friday, May 24, 2002

Important information about River Notes.

Preliminary hourly flow data from the COE for the Kern River at Kernville recorded a peak of 1796 cfs at 2:00 PM on Saturday May 18. The day with highest average flow appears to have been Sunday, May 19, with an average of 1664 cfs.

Monday's unseasonable storm brought snow to the Sierra, including the Kern River basin, adding over an inch liquid water equivalent in some locations. Cooler temperatures this week have resulted in reduced snowmelt, but temps are returning to normal, and flows should be rebounding as well. The NWS is forecasting a high of 87 in the Lake Isabella/Kernville area today and tomorrow. This morning, the flow on the Upper Kern is about 1060 cfs and it should be back in the 1300-1500 cfs neighborhood by Sunday or Monday. The total outflow from the Lower Kern has been increased to about 750 cfs. We could see temps in the mid to high nineties by the end of the week.

In June 2003, paddlers from 30 countries are expected to come to Kernville for a series of World Cup Wildwater Races. The Kern Valley River Council (KVRC) is hosting the event and preparations are already underway. The goal of wildwater racing is to paddle a stretch of river as fast as possible. Racers use sleek, 15 ft. long boats that are fast, but difficult to paddle. Today's Camphotos are of Sierra South instructor Katharine Haines and co-owner Tom Moore running Limestone Rapid at about 1800 cfs this last Sunday, May 19th. If you've run Limestone, you know the standing waves can get big, even at a moderate flow. In this sequence, Tom blasts through one wave, and then prepares for the next. Katharine's run was equally exciting. Tom and Katharine are sure World Cup racers will love the rapid!

Starting around June 8th, the flow on the Lower Kern is expected to be in the 1000-1100 cfs range, and then vary between 900 to 1200 cfs through July, and then drop below 1000 cfs early in August, tapering to low flows by August 23.

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 Voyage of the Man Fish - Chris Swain intends to swim the Columbia from source to sea. His goal? Save the river, then sell the rights. More: Outside Online. o Banners for Sesia - The Sesia River is one of Italy's last pristine whitewater runs. However, 25 different small-scale hydro projects are pending on the river. More: Paddler. o Klamath Farmers Applaud Ruling - Citing lack of evidence that higher river flows would help salmon, a judge refuses bid for temporary order sought by activists. More: LA Times. o Odds on Aliens - One in three planets like Earth probably harbour life. More: Nature. Splashes:Peppermint Creek 1st descent photo from Brandon Knapp's Pick An Image. Boat reviews & videos from Ashland Mine Productions. Kayaker runs 101-ft waterfall.

River Notes for Tuesday, May 14, 2002

Important information about River Notes.

We're waiting to see how the Upper Kern responds to the last couple of days of warm temperatures. Snow sensors in the Kern River basin suggest much of the snowmelt is now occurring above 10,000 ft. This means the source of the snowmelt is 50-60 miles from Kernville and it can take some time for the water to find its way downriver. At 1:00 pm today the Kernville gage recorded 1019 cfs, which is about 100 cfs higher than yesterday. Temps are down a few degrees today, but the high in the Kernville-Lake Isabella area should be back near ninety tomorrow. A weather system is expected to result in cooler temperatures and chance of showers next week; so the next few days will likely be the last opportunity for the River to exceed the April 15th snowmelt peak of 1697 cfs.

More water below Fairview? Note that the flow below Fairview Dam reported by the Edison flow phone today is 571 cfs, and the flow above is reported to be 905 cfs. This implies the diversion is 334 cfs, rather than the usual 600+ cfs. If the flow reports are accurate, this means that today there is more water than would normally be expected on the runs between Fairview Dam and Powerhouse. This includes Fairview, Chamise Gorge, Ant Canyon, Thunder Run and Cable.

Starting around June 8th, the flow on the Lower Kern is expected to be in the 1000-1100 cfs range, and then vary between 900 to 1200 cfs through July, and then drop below 1000 cfs early in August, tapering to low flows by August 23.

Photos from the 2002 Kern River Festival have been added to our Festival photo archive.

Please keep an eye out for a RPM kayak stolen May 3, 2002, in Phoenix, AZ. The boat is purple, blue, teal and white, swirled with black, with endcaps on both ends, and a Bomber Gear backband. Serial number is DAQ53838F000. Please call the store if you have any info on 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.

S T R E A M L I N E S News for Paddlers o House passes bill to designate rivers in Caribbean National Forest as wild & scenic - The Rio Mameyes, Rio Icacas and Rio de la Mina would become the first wild and scenic rivers in Puerto Rico and the first wild and scenic rivers designated in a tropical climate. More: American Rivers. o Klamath Farmers Applaud Ruling - Citing lack of evidence that higher river flows would help salmon, a judge refuses bid for temporary order sought by activists. More: LA Times. o Half of US lives in smog - More than half of all Americans are still breathing unhealthy levels of air pollution, the American Lung Association said Wednesday. More: MSNBC. 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. Splashes: Kayaker runs101-ft waterfall. A Kayak Rolling Primer. The Macho Move from Stevefisher.net. Yellowstone Gallery-

River Notes for Wednesday, May 8, 2002

Important information about River Notes.

Temperatures have returned to normal, and with the increased snowmelt, the flow on the Upper Kern has also increased. At noon the flow on the Upper was 990 cfs and may climb to near 1100 cfs later today.

The CNRFC appears to be having a tough time forecasting the Kern runoff. The April 30 update of the Snowmelt forecast (PDF), predicted a peak Isabella inflow of about 2300 cfs on May 22. The May 8 update lists the peak as having already occurred on April 15. This is based in part on the May 1 Snow Course measurements, which show less snow than last year at this time. On the plus side, the CNRFC had forecasted a maximum Isabella inflow for this time period of about 900 cfs, and this has already been exceeded. (The report forecasts peaks on the Kings and Kaweah on May 21 and May 20.) The May 1 Bulletin 120 Runoff Forecast, forecasts an average Isabella inflow of about 1300 cfs in May, and an average of about 840 cfs in June.

The hourly peak flow at Kernville on April 15th was about 1697 cfs, with an average for the day of 1558 cfs. Was this the peak for the season? Maybe not. The MRF forecast suggests the possibility of temps near ninety early next week, and if this happens the River could see another peak. We'll see!

Today's RiverPhoto is of kayaking pioneer Tom Johnson, helping out at the 2002 Kern River Festival. Tom is the "TJ" in the Festival's TJ Slalom. Tom and the Haystackers paddling club started the Kernville whitewater races in April of 1965. Among other firsts, Tom is credited with making the first fiberglass canoe in 1942, a fiberglass version of the Malia outrigger canoe in 1959, and the first rotomolded plastic kayak, the "River Chaser," in 1974. Tom won National championships in whitewater K-1 in 1967, OC-2 Slalom in 1976, and C-2 Masters Slalom in 1980. Over a three week period in Spring of 1972 he arranged with the Corp of Engineers and other agencies to create a slalom training site at Riverside Park. This created the features we paddle, play and race on today. Eight of the 13 members of the 1972 whitewater slalom Olympic team trained at the Kern. This handsome bronze bust of Tom, created by Marjorie P. Carroll, was displayed in the Park at this year's Festival. If you paddle the Kern, you've probably paddled with Marjorie and Bruce Ray; and know their scarlet macaw, Percy.

Please keep an eye out for a RPM kayak stolen May 3, 2002, in Phoenix, AZ. The boat is purple, blue, teal and white, swirled with black, with endcaps on both ends, and a Bomber Gear backband. Serial number is DAQ53838F000. Please call the store if you have any info on 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.

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 Wednesday, May 1, 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. This morning the Upper Kern flow is at about 700 cfs. Yesterday's recorded high at the Kernville RAWS was a cool 60 degrees, but forecasts suggest high temps near 80 by the end of the week.

The April 30 update of the CNRFC Snowmelt forecast (PDF) has been released. According to this forecast, the Kern inflow to Isabella is expected to remain about 700-800 cfs through May 8, increasing to 1200-1300 cfs around May 13, and 1700-1800 around May 18. The forecast peak inflow to Isabella has been revised to about 2300 cfs around May 22. 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.

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