The railroad was abandoned in 1939 though most of its alignment, including the well known Mountain Quarries Bridge ("No Hands Bridge") just downstream of the Middle Fork-North Fork confluence, remains as part of the Western States Trail. Finally we’ll arrive at Mammoth Bar at around 3:30pm and we’ll bus you back to Raley’s where your vehicles are waiting. [51] All electricity produced by the project is distributed by Pacific Gas & Electric Company. [26] White fir forests are the second largest group, comprising about 22 percent of the total area. The Western States Trail follows a winding 100-mile (160 km) course through the canyons of the Middle Fork and its tributaries from Auburn to Squaw Valley. In the early 2000s, Hawver Cave was blocked off indefinitely by county officials after persistent vandalism.[45][46]. Youths and people under 90lbs require a different life jacket. [55] At the end of the tunnel water plunges 1,479 ft (451 m) to the 122.4 MW Middle Fork Powerhouse at Interbay Reservoir, which is located on the Middle Fork about 15 miles (24 km) downstream of French Meadows. This was the first mining tunnel driven in California. We’ll meet up behind the Raley’s supermarket in Auburn at 11.30am sharp and get all the waivers signed. The Middle Fork canyon also has an extensive system of hiking and riding trails including the Western States Trail, which stretches 100 miles (160 km) from Auburn to Lake Tahoe. Below Anderson Dam the Middle Fork begins to form the boundary between the Tahoe National Forest on the north and the Eldorado National Forest on the south, almost to its confluence with the North Fork. If you’ve got little ones with you we’ll make sure they’re all prepared for their adventure. It is a great river trip for families with young children, older folks, or those with physical limitations. This trip is a float, with Class I and II rapids. The Middle Fork begins at an unnamed spring in the Granite Chief Wilderness, 8,382 ft (2,555 m) above sea level, in eastern Placer County, west of the Squaw Valley Ski Resort, and about 10 miles (16 km) west of Lake Tahoe. [26], The Middle Fork canyon was originally inhabited by the Nisenan people, whose territory extended over much of the American and lower Feather River watersheds from the east bank of the Sacramento River, high into the western Sierra Nevada. Although the river is open year round, the use of equipment such as metal detectors is restricted. [6][8][9] It turns south-southwest, flowing through an extremely steep canyon, descending about 1,600-foot (490 m) in 10 miles (16 km) to its confluence with Duncan Creek at 3,379 ft (1,030 m) above sea level. Releases of 1,000 cubic feet per second (28 m3/s) or more typically begin at 7:00 am in the summer months and are ramped down gradually in the evening. [17], The Middle Fork is one of the highest precipitation watersheds on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, with an annual average of 50 inches (1,300 mm) with a range of 40 to 70 inches (1,000 to 1,800 mm) from the foothills to the mountains. In 1863 William Brewer had crossed the Sierra Nevada via the Middle Fork and Squaw Valley, accomplishing what Jedediah Smith had failed to do almost 40 years earlier. Great trails around, including the 100 mile Western States. [14] It receives numerous smaller creeks and canyons including Volcano Canyon from the north near Foresthill, and Otter Creek and Canyon Creek from the south near Georgetown. L.L. Once on board your raft guide will conduct a quick in-water orientation and give some tips on how to paddle and work as a team to make your trip enjoyable. Many of these specimens are now stored at the University of California, Berkeley. The Middle Fork American River is one of three forks that form the American River in Northern California. For Transportation to/from Sacramento International Airport: Great fishing location that hosts beautifully-colored wild rainbow trout (native, not stocked) and German browns. It is suitable for small children ages three and above. Photographers are available on special request only. [39] The Middle Fork continued producing large amounts of placer gold into the 1880s, more than 20 years after most nearby streams had been exhausted.[40]. Some 400 specimens were removed from the site, including fossils of saber-toothed tigers, mastodons, and giant ground sloths, as well as Ice Age-era human remains. The impact on the annual hydrograph is shown in the below charts (French Meadows and Hell Hole reservoirs were created in 1964 and 1996, respectively): Middle Fork monthly mean discharge at Auburn, 1911–1966 (cfs)[24], Middle Fork monthly mean discharge at Auburn, 1966–1986 (cfs)[25]. The old Native American trail Brewer had followed was subsequently used by some miners during the silver boom in Nevada, but due to its ruggedness and lack of water along much of the route, it failed to become a major crossing of the Sierra Nevada. Much of this water came from Pilot Creek, a tributary of the Rubicon River. At elevations higher than 5,000 ft (1,500 m), most precipitation falls as snow; elevations higher than 6,000 ft (1,800 m) are often covered in snow until late May or early June. The Middle Fork delineates the Placer County (north)–El Dorado County line from Oxbow Dam all the way until its confluence with the North Fork. [6] Almost the entire flow of the river at this point is diverted for hydroelectric generation, to be returned much farther downstream, with the consequence that the river immediately below the dam is reduced to a trickle except during periods of heavy snowmelt. In the lower part of the watershed, below the confluence with the Rubicon River, about half of the land is privately owned, with rural residential and some logging as the major uses. Although long stretches of the Middle Fork have been dewatered by diversions, the portion of the river and canyon in the Auburn State Recreation Area is one of the state's most popular whitewater runs. There’s still time to go rafting! In 1974, Gordon Ainsleigh ran the course in 24 hours, and the first Western States Endurance Run was held in 1977. [53] The water is diverted through French Meadows-Hell Hole Tunnel to Hell Hole Reservoir, a 207,590 acre feet (256,060 ML) impoundment of the Rubicon River. [56] There are no dams on the Middle Fork below Oxbow.[9][13][14][15][16]. [50] Due to concerns about earthquake safety and strong public opposition, Auburn Dam was never completed, and the bridge project ended with it. The North Fork was dammed in 1938–39 to form Lake Clementine. [41] Although many of these ditches fell into disuse after the Gold Rush, some remain in use as irrigation systems, while others have been converted to hiking or horse trails. This float is suitable for younger children but depends on conditions (please, Bathing Suit/Shorts • T-shirt • Old Tennis Shoes (no flip flops) -, Sun Protection • Dry Clothes & Shoes • Towel • Plastic Bag • Water -, We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The Lower Middle Fork American raft trip is mellower, less traveled, and more relaxed than the nearby South Fork American River. In addition to game such as deer, quail and rabbits, the rivers were a major food source, with salmon migrations in the spring and fall. [29], The Middle Fork is home to many fish species; rainbow trout, brown trout, Sacramento sucker, and Sacramento pikeminnow are found along the length of the river, and smallmouth bass are present in most of the major reservoirs and lakes. [22] Since the area experiences a Mediterranean climate, most of the precipitation occurs between November and March. [4] The headwaters are in a rugged granite basin fed by multiple streams including one flowing from Little Needle Lake. We hope you enjoyed your American River whitewater rafting experience with Sierra Whitewater! Red fir forests, encompassing about 13 percent of the total, are found mostly at higher elevations. Logistics of the trip make it less accessible, therefore few outfitters offer this raft trip. Some of this area is considered hardwood-conifer forests, which are dominated by oaks with more dispersed stands of conifers. [37] Horseshoe Bar turned out to be one of the richest gold deposits in the Middle Fork with $2.5 million of gold taken out from just 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of river bed. Lower Middle Fork River Rafting. Lower Middle Fork American River rafting trips offer a beautiful, wilderness setting located in the Gold Country near Sacramento. [8][56], The Interbay Reservoir intercepts tributary inflows that enter the Middle Fork below French Meadows, which together with flows from Hell Hole are diverted into the Middle Fork-Ralston Tunnel, and fall another 1,105 ft (337 m) to the 79.2 MW Ralston Powerhouse, located on Oxbow Reservoir at the confluence of the Middle Fork and Rubicon Rivers. East of Foresthill the trail ascends into the North Fork Middle Fork before rejoining the Middle Fork at the top of Red Star Ridge overlooking French Meadows Reservoir. [54] Nearly the entire combined flow of the Middle Fork and Rubicon Rivers, except for a minimum dam release for fish and occasional spill of floodwaters, is routed from here down the Hell Hole–Middle Fork Tunnel. Elevations range from 538 ft (164 m) at the river's mouth[1] to over 9,900 ft (3,000 m) at the headwaters of the Rubicon River. There are many other trails that provide access from the rim of the canyon to various points along the river. [citation needed] Below Ruck-A-Chucky the Middle Fork makes an abrupt southward jog before turning west-southwest again, joining the North Fork at "The Confluence" at an elevation of 538 ft (164 m). However, PCWA has estimated that due to urban population growth, water demand may exceed its allocation before 2057. Water is delivered from the American River Pump Station, and PCWA is required to maintain a minimum 75 cu ft/s (2.1 m3/s) flow below the station at all times. [38] Overall, the Middle Fork was one of the richest gold-bearing streams in the Mother Lode.

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