Increased flows for whitewater recreation canceled for August

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no higher water flows for whitewater recreation on the weekend of Aug. 22-23 along a portion of the North Fork Feather River.

PG&E usually conducts three or four whitewater recreational flows each summer in the Rock Creek Reach of the North Fork Feather River. American Whitewater, the Plumas National Forest, the County of Plumas and PG&E discussed the situation and decided to cancel the flows due to the pandemic and to adhere to guidelines that discourage gatherings and travel.

The Rock Creek Reach is the 8.3-mile portion of the North Fork of the Feather River in the Plumas National Forest between PG&E’s Rock Creek dam and the Rock Creek powerhouse near Storrie.

In September, PG&E will again discuss with stakeholders about whether the next scheduled higher flows will occur on the weekend of Sept. 26-27.

During dry water years, recreation flows on the Rock Creek Reach are typically held three weekends a year – in July, August and September. In July, a big rig truck crashed into the river the day before higher flows were set to begin and they had to be canceled for safety.