River Notes Archive

• Sierra South Rapid! News Feed! • Shop at the Sierra South River Store! • Check which New Kayaks are on Sale! • Browse New & Used Kayaks, Rafts & Gear! • Kayak Comparison Chart • 2007 Class Info • 2007 Event Calendar • Kern Festival 2007 Photos & Results • "Around the Kern" Resource Guide • Employment Information • News from the Past...

Updated 5/31/07 o Rivers come in all shapes and sizes, and vary from pristine to heavily polluted, but it’s generally safe to assume that water is a common denominator among them. For the Santa Fe, 2007’s Most Endangered River, water is the missing ingredient, leaving this once-thriving river a dry, weed-choked ditch most of the year. The Santa Fe River can thrive again. More. o In a major victory for wildlife protection, federal Magistrate Judge Elizabeth La Porte of the Northern District of California today threw out a controversial Bush administration Roadless Rule and reinstated protections for over 58 million acres of roadless National Forests, making them off-limits to logging, road construction, and other development. More. o Summer 2006 was the second warmest June-to-August period in the continental U.S. since records began in 1895, according to scientists at the NOAA National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. Additionally, the 2006 January-to-August period was the warmest on record for the continental U.S. More. o The globe is warming, but the American West is really cooking - hotter and faster on average than the rest of the U.S. and the world, according to a leading climate researcher. More. o California is blessed with some of the most beautiful and diverse rivers in the world. From the steep creeks of the high Sierra to the broad and powerful rivers of the Central Valley, each river tells a personal story and provides a unique experience to the visitor. More. Splashes: Rolling - AW Safety Code - River Quotes - Foamies - Water Art

River Notes for Thursday, June 28, 2007

Important information about River Notes.

If the recent pattern of higher weekday flows continues, the paddling on the Lower Kern over the 4th of July should be good. If the release makes it to 1100 -1200 cfs there might even be the possibility of paddling the Dam (BLM) Run, or sections of the Lower Kern Below Democrat Dam.

Miracle to Democrat on the Lower Kern can be still be fun at a flow of around 600 cfs. Here are photos of Miklos Peterfy paddling Powerful Possum and Gary Valle playing at Sundown Falls at about 615 cfs. Paddlers have reported various low water boating options on both the Upper and Lower Kern.

We're hoping for good water for the 4th Annual Lower Kern Clean Up on Saturday, July 14th. Boaters will be meeting at the Miracle Hot Springs raft launch at 9:00 am and cleaning up litter on the Miracle to Democrat section of the river. A tri tip and chicken dinner will be provided to volunteers at 5:30. For more information download this PDF, or call the Kernville Ranger Station at 760-376-3781.

Make your plans now! The annual Sierra South Sizzlin' Summer Sale to the weekend of July 21-22. We'll have more than 200 new and used boats on sale, including kayaks from Jackson, Liquidlogic, Wave Sport, Pyranha, and Wilderness Systems; and inflatable kayaks and rafts from Hyside. Nearly all in-stock boats, paddling apparel and gear, and store merchandise will be priced at 10%-70% off. Don't miss out -- take advantage of our low Sale prices -- you'll be paddling in Sizzlin' style!

The Kern River was the site of the 2003 Wildwater World Cups. Check out the big water wildwater racing at this year's Wildwater World Cups at Ivrea, Italy.

Learn to kayak! Our proven teaching method takes you through a gradual progression that maximizes the fun. We've designed our beginning class for those who have never river kayaked before, or who have played around with kayaking some, but have not had formal instruction in the fundamentals of river kayaking. We also offer a 5-day total immersion learn-to-kayak class. Our Kayaking School page has all the details on these, and other whitewater and lake touring kayak classes!

What’s the “ultimate” playboat? It’s the one that plays best at every feature the river has to offer so no matter what the conditions, you’re in the perfect boat! Whether on big waves, small waves, in a hole, or just in a pool you want to play hard and we do too. The new Star, All-Star and SuperStar from Jackson Kayak mix wave-surfing and hole-riding features into the Ultimate combination and will be Team JK’s freestyle machine for 2007, 2008, and 2009. Boat Barn Price: $995.00.

Our world-famous Lickety-Split and Lickety-Blaster raft trips are far and away the two most popular and most affordable Class 2-3 whitewater rafting runs available on the Kern River. Both are full of enough excitement to challenge just about everyone from young tikes to grandmas and grandpas. Looking for more adrenalin? Try our new Upper Kern and Forks trips. Download our 2007 Rafting & Kayaking Adventures brochure (1.9Mb PDF) for more information!

Remember that the SCE flow phone (877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821) can be called to obtain the flow on the Upper Kern above and below Fairview Dam, and the flow below Democrat Dam on the Lower Kern. (Other flows reported on the flow phone are obtained from COE reports and may not be up to date.) If data from the COE flow report is not available, the Isabella Dam Scheduled Releases MAY be indicative of the flow at Borel on the Lower Kern.

If you are looking for a new boat, check out the recreational, touring, whitewater kayaks, inflatable kayaks, and kayaks in our Boat Barns. We have new Jackson, Liquid Logic, Pyranha, and Wave Sport kayaks in stock and ready to ship! Bring up your old boat and let us sell it on consignment in the Used Boat Barn. We have great results selling used boats. Call us @ 760-376-3745 for details.

Need paddling gear? Before you buy gear from a store that only exists on a computer, check out our River Store. We're located in Kernville, California, just yards from the Kern River. We are river people. Our river guides, kayak instructors, and outfitter store employees actually use the products we sell. Need help? Call us, and you'll talk to a knowledgeable person that can answer your gear questions.

Sierra South has finished hiring for the 2007 boating season. We are always looking for staff members who are energetic, self-motivated, enjoy the out-of-doors, team players and above all else, willing to provide exceptional guest services. Employment opportunities typically include river guides, kayak instructors, seasonal office staff, reservationists, food service manager, retail sales associates, bus drivers and photographers. Please see our Employment Information page for more information.

The “off-season” at Sierra South has been a very busy one! Permits became available from the US Forest Service to run the Upper Kern, Forks of the Kern and Lower Kern River sections. After a few crazy months of putting together a proposal and waiting for word to come from the US Forest Service, Sierra South heard the news that we have been selected to provide commercial outfitter and guide services for whitewater boating on the Forks of the Kern and Upper Kern River.

The US Forest Service has issued Sierra South a temporary permit that will be converted to a priority permit after completion of a successful 1 year probationary period. What does this mean to our customers and friends? Sierra South will be offering much, much more for your Rafting and Kayaking pleasure! Keep an eye on our web site in the next few months to check out all the exciting new trips and classes we will be offering. A special THANK YOU to all our friends who helped during this process with letters and support!

We talk a lot about the "Kern River basin" in Rivernotes. During the Winter, we frequently refer to the Upper Tyndall Creek, Pascoes, and Wet Meadows snow sensors. During the paddling season, it might be Limestone, The Forks, Kern Falls, or Kernville. Here's a satellite overview of the 1000 square mile N.F. Kern drainage area with a few of the features labeled. If you look near the bottom of the photo, you'll see Lake Isabella. We're located just north of the lake!

Sierra South has been running raft trips, and teaching kayaking classes on the Kern River since 1985. The 2007 season will mark our 22nd year on the Kern River!

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data, based on reports from the Corps of Engineers (COE) and Southern California Edison (SCE). Click on "Current" to get the latest COE info. For SCE flow information, call the flow phone at 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE, the flow phone values reported for Above & Below Fairview, and Below Democrat Dam are updated every 5-10 seconds. All other flow phone data is manually updated twice a day (7am & 2pm) when an operator is on duty.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Important information about River Notes.

Today the Upper Kern is reported at about 350-375 cfs and the Lower Kern at about 875 cfs. According to a post on boof.com, the Kern watermaster has indicated the recent pattern of higher mid-week flows on the Lower Kern, with weekend flows around 600 cfs, will probably continue -- at least for a while. (Note: Releases from Lake Isabella are always subject to change due to varying irrigation requirements and other considerations.)

Good paddling can still be had on the Miracle to Democrat section of the Lower Kern. Here's a photo of Miklos Peterfy paddling Powerful Possum at a flow of about 600 cfs on Saturday. Paddlers have reported various low water boating options on both the Upper and Lower Kern.

Make your plans now! The annual Sierra South Sizzlin' Summer Sale to the weekend of July 21-22. We'll have more than 200 new and used boats on sale, including kayaks from Jackson, Liquidlogic, Wave Sport, Pyranha, and Wilderness Systems; and inflatable kayaks and rafts from Hyside. Nearly all in-stock boats, paddling apparel and gear, and store merchandise will be priced at 10%-70% off. Don't miss out -- take advantage of our low Sale prices -- you'll be paddling in Sizzlin' style!

Our world-famous Lickety-Split and Lickety-Blaster raft trips are far and away the two most popular and most affordable Class 2-3 whitewater rafting runs available on the Kern River. Both are full of enough excitement to challenge just about everyone from young tikes to grandmas and grandpas. Looking for more adrenalin? Try our new Upper Kern and Forks trips. Download our 2007 Rafting & Kayaking Adventures brochure (1.9Mb PDF) for more information!

Learn to kayak! Our proven teaching method takes you through a gradual progression that maximizes the fun. We've designed our beginning class for those who have never river kayaked before, or who have played around with kayaking some, but have not had formal instruction in the fundamentals of river kayaking. We also offer a 5-day total immersion learn-to-kayak class. Our Kayaking School page has all the details on these, and other whitewater and lake touring kayak classes!

What’s the “ultimate” playboat? It’s the one that plays best at every feature the river has to offer so no matter what the conditions, you’re in the perfect boat! Whether on big waves, small waves, in a hole, or just in a pool you want to play hard and we do too. The new Star, All-Star and SuperStar from Jackson Kayak mix wave-surfing and hole-riding features into the Ultimate combination and will be Team JK’s freestyle machine for 2007, 2008, and 2009. Boat Barn Price: $995.00.

Remember that the SCE flow phone (877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821) can be called to obtain the flow on the Upper Kern above and below Fairview Dam, and the flow below Democrat Dam on the Lower Kern. (Other flows reported on the flow phone are obtained from COE reports and may not be up to date.) If data from the COE flow report is not available, the Isabella Dam Scheduled Releases MAY be indicative of the flow at Borel on the Lower Kern.

If you are looking for a new boat, check out the recreational, touring, whitewater kayaks, inflatable kayaks, and kayaks in our Boat Barns. We have new Jackson, Liquid Logic, Pyranha, and Wave Sport kayaks in stock and ready to ship! Bring up your old boat and let us sell it on consignment in the Used Boat Barn. We have great results selling used boats. Call us @ 760-376-3745 for details.

Need paddling gear? Before you buy gear from a store that only exists on a computer, check out our River Store. We're located in Kernville, California, just yards from the Kern River. We are river people. Our river guides, kayak instructors, and outfitter store employees actually use the products we sell. Need help? Call us, and you'll talk to a knowledgeable person that can answer your gear questions.

Sierra South has finished hiring for the 2007 boating season. We are always looking for staff members who are energetic, self-motivated, enjoy the out-of-doors, team players and above all else, willing to provide exceptional guest services. Employment opportunities typically include river guides, kayak instructors, seasonal office staff, reservationists, food service manager, retail sales associates, bus drivers and photographers. Please see our Employment Information page for more information.

The “off-season” at Sierra South has been a very busy one! Permits became available from the US Forest Service to run the Upper Kern, Forks of the Kern and Lower Kern River sections. After a few crazy months of putting together a proposal and waiting for word to come from the US Forest Service, Sierra South heard the news that we have been selected to provide commercial outfitter and guide services for whitewater boating on the Forks of the Kern and Upper Kern River.

The US Forest Service has issued Sierra South a temporary permit that will be converted to a priority permit after completion of a successful 1 year probationary period. What does this mean to our customers and friends? Sierra South will be offering much, much more for your Rafting and Kayaking pleasure! Keep an eye on our web site in the next few months to check out all the exciting new trips and classes we will be offering. A special THANK YOU to all our friends who helped during this process with letters and support!

We talk a lot about the "Kern River basin" in Rivernotes. During the Winter, we frequently refer to the Upper Tyndall Creek, Pascoes, and Wet Meadows snow sensors. During the paddling season, it might be Limestone, The Forks, Kern Falls, or Kernville. Here's a satellite overview of the 1000 square mile N.F. Kern drainage area with a few of the features labeled. If you look near the bottom of the photo, you'll see Lake Isabella. We're located just north of the lake!

Sierra South has been running raft trips, and teaching kayaking classes on the Kern River since 1985. The 2007 season will mark our 22nd year on the Kern River!

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data, based on reports from the Corps of Engineers (COE) and Southern California Edison (SCE). Click on "Current" to get the latest COE info. For SCE flow information, call the flow phone at 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE, the flow phone values reported for Above & Below Fairview, and Below Democrat Dam are updated every 5-10 seconds. All other flow phone data is manually updated twice a day (7am & 2pm) when an operator is on duty.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Thursday, June 14, 2007

Important information about River Notes.

This morning the flow on the Upper Kern is still above 400 cfs, and the flow on the Lower Kern at Borel is reported above 1000 cfs for the first time this season. Hot weather with high temps near 100 are expected to continue into the weekend.

Make your plans now! The annual Sierra South Sizzlin' Summer Sale to the weekend of July 21-22. We'll have more than 200 new and used boats on sale, including kayaks from Jackson, Liquidlogic, Wave Sport, Pyranha, and Wilderness Systems; and inflatable kayaks and rafts from Hyside. Nearly all in-stock boats, paddling apparel and gear, and store merchandise will be priced at 10%-70% off. Don't miss out -- take advantage of our low Sale prices -- you'll be paddling in Sizzlin' style!

Our world-famous Lickety-Split and Lickety-Blaster raft trips are far and away the two most popular and most affordable Class 2-3 whitewater rafting runs available on the Kern River. Both are full of enough excitement to challenge just about everyone from young tikes to grandmas and grandpas. Looking for more adrenalin? Try our new Upper Kern and Forks trips. Download our 2007 Rafting & Kayaking Adventures brochure (1.9Mb PDF) for more information!

Learn to kayak! Our proven teaching method takes you through a gradual progression that maximizes the fun. We've designed our beginning class for those who have never river kayaked before, or who have played around with kayaking some, but have not had formal instruction in the fundamentals of river kayaking. We also offer a 5-day total immersion learn-to-kayak class. Our Kayaking School page has all the details on these, and other whitewater and lake touring kayak classes!

What’s the “ultimate” playboat? It’s the one that plays best at every feature the river has to offer so no matter what the conditions, you’re in the perfect boat! Whether on big waves, small waves, in a hole, or just in a pool you want to play hard and we do too. The new Star, All-Star and SuperStar from Jackson Kayak mix wave-surfing and hole-riding features into the Ultimate combination and will be Team JK’s freestyle machine for 2007, 2008, and 2009. Boat Barn Price: $995.00.

Remember that the SCE flow phone (877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821) can be called to obtain the flow on the Upper Kern above and below Fairview Dam, and the flow below Democrat Dam on the Lower Kern. (Other flows reported on the flow phone are obtained from COE reports and may not be up to date.) If data from the COE flow report is not available, the Isabella Dam Scheduled Releases MAY be indicative of the flow at Borel on the Lower Kern.

If you are looking for a new boat, check out the recreational, touring, whitewater kayaks, inflatable kayaks, and kayaks in our Boat Barns. We have new Jackson, Liquid Logic, Pyranha, and Wave Sport kayaks in stock and ready to ship! Bring up your old boat and let us sell it on consignment in the Used Boat Barn. We have great results selling used boats. Call us @ 760-376-3745 for details.

Need paddling gear? Before you buy gear from a store that only exists on a computer, check out our River Store. We're located in Kernville, California, just yards from the Kern River. We are river people. Our river guides, kayak instructors, and outfitter store employees actually use the products we sell. Need help? Call us, and you'll talk to a knowledgeable person that can answer your gear questions.

Sierra South has finished hiring for the 2007 boating season. We are always looking for staff members who are energetic, self-motivated, enjoy the out-of-doors, team players and above all else, willing to provide exceptional guest services. Employment opportunities typically include river guides, kayak instructors, seasonal office staff, reservationists, food service manager, retail sales associates, bus drivers and photographers. Please see our Employment Information page for more information.

The “off-season” at Sierra South has been a very busy one! Permits became available from the US Forest Service to run the Upper Kern, Forks of the Kern and Lower Kern River sections. After a few crazy months of putting together a proposal and waiting for word to come from the US Forest Service, Sierra South heard the news that we have been selected to provide commercial outfitter and guide services for whitewater boating on the Forks of the Kern and Upper Kern River.

The US Forest Service has issued Sierra South a temporary permit that will be converted to a priority permit after completion of a successful 1 year probationary period. What does this mean to our customers and friends? Sierra South will be offering much, much more for your Rafting and Kayaking pleasure! Keep an eye on our web site in the next few months to check out all the exciting new trips and classes we will be offering. A special THANK YOU to all our friends who helped during this process with letters and support!

We talk a lot about the "Kern River basin" in Rivernotes. During the Winter, we frequently refer to the Upper Tyndall Creek, Pascoes, and Wet Meadows snow sensors. During the paddling season, it might be Limestone, The Forks, Kern Falls, or Kernville. Here's a satellite overview of the 1000 square mile N.F. Kern drainage area with a few of the features labeled. If you look near the bottom of the photo, you'll see Lake Isabella. We're located just north of the lake!

Sierra South has been running raft trips, and teaching kayaking classes on the Kern River since 1985. The 2007 season will mark our 22nd year on the Kern River!

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data, based on reports from the Corps of Engineers (COE) and Southern California Edison (SCE). Click on "Current" to get the latest COE info. For SCE flow information, call the flow phone at 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE, the flow phone values reported for Above & Below Fairview, and Below Democrat Dam are updated every 5-10 seconds. All other flow phone data is manually updated twice a day (7am & 2pm) when an operator is on duty.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

River Notes for Friday, June 1, 2007

Important information about River Notes.

More great weather with high temps in the 90's is expected in the Kernville-Lake Isabella this weekend with good paddling on the Lickety-Split, Limestone, and Forks runs on the Upper Kern, and on Miracle to Democrat on the Lower Kern.

Our world-famous Lickety-Split and Lickety-Blaster raft trips are far and away the two most popular and most affordable Class 2-3 whitewater rafting runs available on the Kern River. Both are full of enough excitement to challenge just about everyone from young tikes to grandmas and grandpas. Looking for more adrenalin? Try our new Upper Kern and Forks trips. Download our 2007 Rafting & Kayaking Adventures brochure (1.9Mb PDF) for more information!

Learn to kayak! Our proven teaching method takes you through a gradual progression that maximizes the fun. We've designed our beginning class for those who have never river kayaked before, or who have played around with kayaking some, but have not had formal instruction in the fundamentals of river kayaking. We also offer a 5-day total immersion learn-to-kayak class. Our Kayaking School page has all the details on these, and other whitewater and lake touring kayak classes!

What’s the “ultimate” playboat? It’s the one that plays best at every feature the river has to offer so no matter what the conditions, you’re in the perfect boat! Whether on big waves, small waves, in a hole, or just in a pool you want to play hard and we do too. The new Star, All-Star and SuperStar from Jackson Kayak mix wave-surfing and hole-riding features into the Ultimate combination and will be Team JK’s freestyle machine for 2007, 2008, and 2009. Boat Barn Price: $995.00.

The Kern at Kernville peaked at a stage of 6.33 and a flow of 1124 cfs at 5:00 p.m. on Friday May 18, and then reached a stage of 6.30 and a flow of 1100 cfs at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday May 19. The highest daily average flow at Kernville was 1021 cfs on May 18. The peak daily average inflow to Lake Isabella this season was recorded on May 19 with a flow of 1017 cfs.

Remember that the SCE flow phone (877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821) can be called to obtain the flow on the Upper Kern above and below Fairview Dam, and the flow below Democrat Dam on the Lower Kern. (Other flows reported on the flow phone are obtained from COE reports and may not be up to date.) If data from the COE flow report is not available, the Isabella Dam Scheduled Releases MAY be indicative of the flow at Borel on the Lower Kern.

If you are looking for a new boat, check out the recreational, touring, whitewater kayaks, inflatable kayaks, and kayaks in our Boat Barns. We have new Jackson, Liquid Logic, Pyranha, and Wave Sport kayaks in stock and ready to ship! Bring up your old boat and let us sell it on consignment in the Used Boat Barn. We have great results selling used boats. Call us @ 760-376-3745 for details.

Need paddling gear? Before you buy gear from a store that only exists on a computer, check out our River Store. We're located in Kernville, California, just yards from the Kern River. We are river people. Our river guides, kayak instructors, and outfitter store employees actually use the products we sell. Need help? Call us, and you'll talk to a knowledgeable person that can answer your gear questions.

Sierra South has finished hiring for the 2007 boating season. We are always looking for staff members who are energetic, self-motivated, enjoy the out-of-doors, team players and above all else, willing to provide exceptional guest services. Employment opportunities typically include river guides, kayak instructors, seasonal office staff, reservationists, food service manager, retail sales associates, bus drivers and photographers. Please see our Employment Information page for more information.

The “off-season” at Sierra South has been a very busy one! Permits became available from the US Forest Service to run the Upper Kern, Forks of the Kern and Lower Kern River sections. After a few crazy months of putting together a proposal and waiting for word to come from the US Forest Service, Sierra South heard the news that we have been selected to provide commercial outfitter and guide services for whitewater boating on the Forks of the Kern and Upper Kern River.

The US Forest Service has issued Sierra South a temporary permit that will be converted to a priority permit after completion of a successful 1 year probationary period. What does this mean to our customers and friends? Sierra South will be offering much, much more for your Rafting and Kayaking pleasure! Keep an eye on our web site in the next few months to check out all the exciting new trips and classes we will be offering. A special THANK YOU to all our friends who helped during this process with letters and support!

We talk a lot about the "Kern River basin" in Rivernotes. During the Winter, we frequently refer to the Upper Tyndall Creek, Pascoes, and Wet Meadows snow sensors. During the paddling season, it might be Limestone, The Forks, Kern Falls, or Kernville. Here's a satellite overview of the 1000 square mile N.F. Kern drainage area with a few of the features labeled. If you look near the bottom of the photo, you'll see Lake Isabella. We're located just north of the lake!

Sierra South has been running raft trips, and teaching kayaking classes on the Kern River since 1985. The 2007 season will mark our 22nd year on the Kern River!

Here is a snapshot of today's flow and reservoir data, based on reports from the Corps of Engineers (COE) and Southern California Edison (SCE). Click on "Current" to get the latest COE info. For SCE flow information, call the flow phone at 877-537-6356 or 760-376-8821. According to SCE, the flow phone values reported for Above & Below Fairview, and Below Democrat Dam are updated every 5-10 seconds. All other flow phone data is manually updated twice a day (7am & 2pm) when an operator is on duty.

More information concerning flow and weather can be found on our LINKS page.

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