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 Topic:  Projected Fordyce water flows / SPILLS 

Forums -> Flows -> Projected Fordyce water flows / SPILLS Page 2 of 2
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Posted to flow site: Fordyce Creek - Below Fordyce DamLatest PostNext TopicPrev Topic
 Author  Message 
Cornbread
Member
Posted: Aug 5, 2008
My only comment/request would be if we could get some exact times that they start to ramp it up and of course, it would be sweet if they ramped it up to 400 cfs in the morning of 8/29 (or whatever day) so we could get 2 days in at 400 cfs. I did it at around 300 cfs a few years ago and swore I'd never go back at that level....
chris
Site Admin
Posted: Aug 13, 2008
Brad - seems your prayers were answered: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Article_view_articleid_30140_display_full

Dave Steindorf of American Whitewater asks "Please emphasize the importance of getting people to fill out the online survey. These flows are our chance to document what is boatable and what is not".

Side note from me: of course these are recreational flows too, and please have a great time! But the specific purpose of these particular flows is a flow study, to document boater preferences for all sorts of things - access, optimal flow, acceptable flow ranges, etc. Please fill out the survey (which you can find from the above link) after you run Fordyce, to communicate those preferences. These licenses are issued for a 30 to 50 year term and once its issued it's near impossible to change its terms. So please make this flow study count. Note: this study is for 300 and 400 cfs; the 500 cfs flow will be another year.
julie
Member
Posted: Sep 8, 2008
Does anyone have any idea of the projected flows for Fordyce creek this weekend?
chris
Site Admin
Posted: Sep 8, 2008
The schedule calls for 150 cfs 24x7 until November 30, at which point it'll drop for the winter. So - short answer - this weekend's flow should be 150 cfs.

Yet another plug for filling out those flow study surveys ... PG&E evidently has the water to make recreational Fordyce releases week after week if they wanted to - but they don't want to, and the current license says they don't have to. Make sure the new license says differently by filling out those surveys and indicating not only your interest in recreational releases, but what your preferred flows are. Thanks!
toyfamily
Member
Posted: Sep 11, 2008Post Subject: Re:
chris wrote:
The schedule calls for 150 cfs 24x7 until November 30, at which point it'll drop for the winter. So - short answer - this weekend's flow should be 150 cfs.


Glad to hear the flow is low and will be maintained at a low rate for a while. I'm heading into Fortyce this week from Sunday to Tuesday and was concerned about the rate.
OOPS
Member
Posted: Sep 16, 2008Post Subject: Re: Re:
toyfamily wrote:
Glad to hear the flow is low and will be maintained at a low rate for a while. I'm heading into Fortyce this week from Sunday to Tuesday and was concerned about the rate.
Quote:


________________________________

Me too, going up Friday through Cisco. Want to run the upper part of the trail since we could not do it on Labor Day.

I know this BB is for boaters and I respect that. But you have to remember that the Fordyce four-wheel drive is one of the best in the world (better then the Rucicon in my opinion) and if it gets to high we cannot use the trail. I did a water crossing at 300 one time and it scared the heck out of me and the wife.

David Fritzsche aka OOPS
Edited once.  Last edited by OOPS Sep 16, 2008.
chris
Site Admin
Posted: Sep 17, 2008
Quote:
But you have to remember that the Fordyce four-wheel drive is one of the best in the world (better then the Rucicon in my opinion) and if it gets to high we cannot use the trail.

Certainly, I understand that, and it would be entirely natural if you were afraid of losing the almost continuous access you've been enjoying. You have this world-class trail and you want to use it. No argument.

The flip side is that at the right flow Fordyce Creek is very high-quality whitewater, likewise world-class, and when the flow is too low boaters cannot use and enjoy said world-class whitewater. The flow is too low the vast majority of days in the year. Some years we don't get even one day. That's inequitable. I believe we all have the right to enjoy the creek. So for me, relicensing isn't about denying anyone anything, on the contrary it's about striking a new balance so that no-one is denied. So that we share this resource equitably and everyone gets to enjoy it.

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