River Restoration/Play Spot for Spring 2008

Restoration below the confluence of the Middle Fork and the North Fork of the American will be opened to the public in January of 2008.  Where the Auburn Dam project originally rerouted the natural flows of the river a reconstructed river bed is now under construction. The Placer County Water Agency and U.S. Bureau of Recalmation have been accessing the site for 5 years due to the need to add a pumping station above the dam site.  With imput from the community's surrounding the project site, a recreation area has become part of the design.  Logistics and final construction of the site are still being worked out.  Flows would be when water is released from Oxbow Reservoir upstream on the Middle Fork. Generally these flows have been determined by needs of the county and some river recreation on the Middle Fork Tunnel Shoot Run. The flows in the past have often been around 900 cfs starting at around 11am. The water then would have to travel down stream almost 30 miles to reach the restoration site, so flows would be arriving in the early evening.  Making this a very possible after work float and Play Run.

More info at links below

http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2007/09/11/news/top_stories/04canyonaccess11.txt
http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2007/09/10/news/top_stories/03river10.txt
http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2007/09/12/opinion/editorials/01riveredit12.txt

Photo by Ben Furtado/Auburn Journal.