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Feather River

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This article is about the California river. For other uses, see Feather River (disambiguation).

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The Feather River is a Sacramento River tributary flowing from the west side of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.) into the Sacramento Valley. The main stem Feather River begins at the outlets of Oroville Dam, which forms Lake Oroville, a reservoir where its four long tributary forks join together—the South Fork, Middle Fork, North Fork, and West Branch Feather Rivers. These and other tributaries drain part of the northern Sierra Nevada, and the extreme southern Cascades, as well as a small portion of the Sacramento Valley.

The Feather River has a rich history of gold mining in the 19th century. The California State Water Project's Hyatt Generating-Pumping Plant and Thermalito Diversion Dam provide hydroelectricity generation and are the respective source of the river and divert the river's flow.[1]

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Extreme points of the Feather River basin include Lassen Peak at 10,462 ft (3.189 km), which is both the highest and northernmost point. The Mount Lincoln triple point (Yuba & American Rivers with Truckee River) is the southernmost basin point on the Sierra Crest.

Course

The Feather River course from its source at the Hyatt Generating-Pumping Plant discharge tunnels is through 3 sections: the Thermalito Diversion Pool, the Low Flow Channel, and the lengthy High Flow Channel to the river's mouth about 20 miles (32 km) as the crow flies northwest of Sacramento.[2]

Thermalito Diversion Pool

The Thermalito Diversion Pool is the 4.4 mi (7.1 km)[3] serpentine channel of the Feather River which extends from the river's source to the Thermalito Diversion Dam and which stores water released from the Hyatt Generating-Pumping Plant.[4] The Feather River's source water is released into the pool from two discharge tunnels[2] at up to 17,500 cu ft/s (500 m3/s) during peak demand and "little or no release the remainder of the day".[5] The Hyatt plant also routinely draws up to 5,610 cu ft/s (159 m3/s)[2] of Feather River water for "pumpback" from the pool into Lake Oroville.[6]: 2  From the power plant, the pool extends past the spillway confluence and, alongside to the west, the unarmored hillside for transferring flow from the emergency weir, which is a 1,730 ft (530 m) long lip (ogee crest) which at maximum surcharge would overflow with a 16 ft (4.9 m) depth above the crest.[7] The pool flows to the Thermalito Diversion Dam which, in addition to routing river water both to the Thermalito North Forebay and into a separate hatchery pipeline, discharges only 615 cu ft/s (17.4 m3/s) of the pool's water into the river's Low Flow Channel to provide the required river environment (e.g., for fish to reach the hatchery).[2]

Low Flow Channel

The Low Flow Channel extends from the Thermalito Diversion Dam at river mile 67.7 (river kilometer 109)[8] over the Fish Barrier Dam at rm 67.1 (rkm 108).[9]: 121  The river's migrating fish that reach the barrier instead migrate to the Feather River Hatchery by climbing the fish ladder's flow into the river.[10] Spawning in the Low Flow Channel is at a series of riffles and side ditches (e.g., Moe's Ditch)[8] near Oroville. Downriver 5.72 mi (9.21 km) of the Fish Barrier Dam, the river's Low Flow Channel also has a diversion at the Robinson Riffle,[4] below which diverted water impaired (diminished) by agriculture/community uses and Thermalito evaporation returns via the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet.[5]

High Flow Channel

The High Flow Channel begins at rm 59.03 (rkm 95,[11]: 157  39°27′17″N 121°38′10″W / 39.4548511°N 121.6361511°W / 39.4548511; -121.6361511) where the Thermalito Afterbay Outlet discharges near the Feather River Hatchery annex. The High Flow Channel extends past the Yuba City-Marysville confluence with the Yuba River and, 15 miles (24 km) southward, the Bear River confluence, north of river kilometer 0.[9]: 121 

Lower Feather Watershed

The Lower Feather Watershed is the drainage area of the Feather River's course and which encompasses the west side of the Yuba City Metropolitan Statistical Area and the south portion of the Feather River Project area. The watershed is demarcated by the drainage divides on the ridgeline west and south of Lake Oroville including the Oroville Dam crest (on the watershed's north), along the Sacramento River drainage (on the west), and along the low side of the west Sierra slope (on the east).[12] In addition to the Feather River source waters from the discharge tunnels of the Hyatt Generating-Pumping Plant, the watershed routinely receives inflow from various Honcut Headwaters creeks and the Yuba and Bear rivers. The Lower Feather Watershed is entirely within the Pacific Mountains physiographic region, and the California Trough portion of the watershed is delineated from the watershed's Sierras by the demarcation between the Pacific Border province and the Cascade-Sierra province.

Sutter By-Pass
The Sutter By-Pass[13] is a leveed channel of the Lower Sacramento Valley Flood-Control System in the southwest portion of the Lower Feather Watershed that extends from the Tisdale Weir near the Sutter Buttes to the Feather River at 38°53′08″N 121°36′52″W / 38.885421°N 121.614532°W / 38.885421; -121.614532. During Sacramento River flows of >23,000 cu ft/s (650 m3/s), Sacramento overflow tops the 53 ft (16 m) Tisdale Weir[14] and flows via the Sutter By-Pass[15][16] to Feather River mile 7 (the west levee of the bypass continues along the Feather River to the Sacramento River).[6]: 3–55  The bypass also receives similar Sacramento escapement flow from the Colusa Weir,[1] and the Snake River, Gilsizer Slough, Wadsworth Canal, and other west side watercourses of the Lower Feather Watershed also drain to the Feather River via the Sutter By-Pass,[17] The bypass includes ~2,073 acres (3.239 sq mi) of the Sutter National Wildlife Refuge.[18] which is part of California's ~3,204 acres (5.006 sq mi) Sutter Bypass Wildlife Area.[19]

Honcut Headwaters

The Honcut Headwaters is a watershed to the east of the river's Thermalito Diversion Pool that drains to the Feather River from beyond the Kelly Ridge. In addition to the Honcut creeks that naturally drain to the Feather River, the watershed has a South Feather Water & Power hydroelectric plant that drains South Fork Feather River water to near the Feather River's mouth from the Miners Ranch Reservoir, which is south of (below) Lake Oroville's Bidwell Bar Canyon Saddle Dam (39°30′43″N 121°27′27″W / 39.5118311°N 121.4574673°W / 39.5118311; -121.4574673).[2] The saddle dam's foundation has a fault of the Swain Ravine Lineament fault zone near the west abutment, but following a 1975 earthquake investigation, "Oroville facilities do not pose a threat to public safety".[20]

Upper Feather watersheds and rivers

The Upper Feather watersheds are 3 drainage areas of 3,450 sq mi (8,900 km2) which drain to Lake Oroville. The United States Forest Service manages over 80% of the Feather River's upper watershed, in the mountains above Lake Oroville.[citation needed] Of the 9 watersheds of the Feather River basin, the 3 lower watersheds are mostly in the Sacramento Valley, and the other 6 have upper drainage divides within the Sierra Nevada (U.S.) (4 on the Sierra Crest). The 5 river tributaries of Lake Oroville drain the 3 Upper Feather watersheds, while the Upper Yuba Watershed and the Upper Bear Watershed--along with the Honcut Headwaters Watershed also in the Sierras--are drained by the Yuba River, the Bear River, and various Honcut creeks. The North Fork Feather Watershed is 1,090 sq mi (2,800 km2)—including the West Branch drainage of about 282.5 sq mi (732 km2). The East Branch North Fork Feather Watershed is 1,010 sq mi (2,600 km2),[21] and the Middle Fork Feather Watershed is 1,350 sq mi (3,500 km2)[21]—including the South Fork drainage of about 132 sq mi (340 km2).[22] Upper Feather drainage is impaired by the Palermo Canal at Oroville Dam, the Hendricks Canal at the West Branch Feather River, and the Miners Ranch Canal at the South Fork's Ponderosa Reservoir. Additionally, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company releases Upper Feather water into the Hyatt Generating-Pumping Plant for hydroelectric generation during daily peak demand.[specify] In clockwise order around Lake Oroville:

Lassen Peak (background) is the Shasta County quadruple watershed mountain at the intersection of the Upper Cow-Battle, Lower Pit, North Feather, & Mill-Big Chico watersheds. Buzzard Springs (foreground) is a meadow of the North Fork Feather Watershed.

North Fork Feather Watershed

The North Fork Feather Watershed (USGS huc 18020121) includes the West Branch and North Fork rivers and receives flow from the East Branch North Fork Feather Watershed.

West Branch
The West Branch (or West Fork) Feather River originates in Butte County and Lassen National Forest and flows near the North Fork watershed's drainage divide with the Mills-Big Chico Watershed generally north-to-south to the northwest arm of Lake Oroville. The West Branch flow is impaired by a up to 125 cu ft/s (3.5 m3/s) diverted to the 8.66 mi (13.94 km) Hendricks Canal, and the Magalia 73 Dam conveys water to the Lime Saddle and Coal Canyon powerhouses near Lake Oroville, then to a Thermalito powerplant.[23]
North Fork
The North Fork Feather River is the Feather River's source tributary with the largest watershed area and the highest average discharge into Lake Oroville. The fork's portion of the Feather River Canyon is notable as part of the Feather River Route, and the railroad's 1962 North Fork Bridge near the river's mouth is the longest reinforced concrete bridge in the United States.[24] The East Branch North Fork Feather River is the largest tributary of the North Fork, and the headwaters of the North Fork Feather watershed extend from Lassen Peak in the Shasta Cascades to the east slope of Indicator Peak in the northern Sierras.

East Branch North Fork Feather Watershed

The East Branch Feather Watershed (USGS huc 18020122) is the center watershed of the headwaters of the Feather River basin and which includes the American and Indian valleys.

East Branch
The East Branch North Fork Feather River is a left tributary of the North Fork Feather River extending past Twain to near Belden.[25] East Branch headwaters begin along ~46 mi (74 km) of the Sierra Crest from the triple watershed point with the North Fork (Bear Valley Creek headwaters) across Diamond Mountain (Indian Creek), Black Mountain, and the Middle Fork triple point.

Middle Fork Feather Watershed

The Middle Fork Feather Watershed (USGS huc 18020123) includes the Middle Fork Feather River, the Fall River, and the South Fork Feather River; as well as the Grizzly Valley

Middle Fork
The Middle Fork Feather River drains from over 41 mi (66 km) of the Sierra Crest and from the Sierra Valley Channels through the Sierra Valley (location of its source) to the tip of the middle arm of Lake Oroville. The channels are a number of tributaries that merge in an inverted river delta wetland with a network of irrigation ditches and drains. From its source, the Middle fork flows through Humbug Valley, Mohawk Valley, Long Valley, and then enters a gorge[specify] before reaching the middle arm of Lake Oroville.[26] The South Branch Middle Fork Feather River is a similarly-named Middle Fork tributary.
Fall River
The Fall River is a Lake Oroville source tributary that drains a south portion of the Middle Fork Watershed and which enters the lake along the shore of the North Arm 0.39 mi (0.63 km) from the Middle Fork's mouth at the tip of the arm. The river is notable as the source of water for Feather Falls in the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area.[27]
South Fork
The South Fork Feather River is a Lake Oroville source tributary with several reservoirs in the southernmost portion of the Middle Fork Feather Watershed, including one in Little Grass Valley, California.

The broad headwaters of the Upper Feather lie northwest-to-southeast along 1) the drainage divide with the Lower Pit Watershed (north of the North Fork Feather Watershed), 2) the Great Basin Divide at the Eagle-Honey Watershed (north & northeast of the North Fork Feather Watershed), 3) the northern Sierra Crest (northeast of the North Fork Feather & East Branch North Fork Feather watersheds), and 4) the northern Sierra Crest (east of the Middle Fork Feather Watershed) to the Truckee Watershed triple point in Sierra County.[12]

History

The Maidu inhabitated the American and Sierra Valleys and had villages in the Big Meadows area (now Lake Almanor) and Indian Valley. The Washoe hunted in the Sierra and Mohawk Valleys, and Paiute and Washoe settlements were in the Long Valley area.[28] The 1849 California Gold Rush brought thousands of prospectors and settlers to the region. The American and Indian Valleys were settled in the 1850s. In the Sierra Valley the first settlers arrived in 1852.[28] Operations at the Lime Saddle and Coal Canyon hydroelectric powerhouses along the North Fork began August 1, 1906, and December 24, 1907;[29] and the 1907 Feather River flood with a flow of 230,000 cu ft/s (6,500 m3/s) on March 19, 1907,[3] resulted in 4 deaths.[30] The 1909 Feather River Route was built through the Feather River Canyon along the North Fork and East Branch and crossed under the mid-Sierra drainage divide between the East Branch and Middle Fork watersheds via the Spring Garden tunnel (39°52′29″N 120°46′42″W / 39.874768°N 120.778413°W / 39.874768; -120.778413). Other historical Feather River Route features (west-to-east) in the Upper Feather watersheds are the Keddie Wye, Williams Loop, Clio trestle, & Chilcoot Tunnel.

Feather River Project

For a chronology of this project, see the Department of Water Resources timeline.

Following 1957 groundbreaking to reroute railroad and highway routes, the Oroville Dam site was first dynamited on October 12, 1961.[31] Despite a December 1964 flood with 253,000 cu ft/s (7,200 m3/s) during construction[30] and an October 7, 1965, crash of trains hauling dam materials along the river,[32] impoundment began on November 14, 1967,[3] and the dam was completed as the world's tallest dam in 1968.[6]: 2–17  Diversions at the beginning of the Low Flow Channel have reduced that river section's average flow from 5,834 cu ft/s (165.2 m3/s) in 1902-1967 to 1,086 cu ft/s (30.8 m3/s) in 1969-2009, with a 222 cu ft/s (6.3 m3/s) minimum on September 19, 1972.[3] From 1961-1969, the Oroville-Thermalito Complex with the Forebay and Afterbay reservoirs for hydroelectricity generation was constructed immediately[26][failed verification] downstream from Oroville Dam, and the 1968 Thermalito Afterbay Outlet was constructed to return diverted water for a High Flow Channel in the Feather River.[33]: 4 

The Feather's flood of record (~115 yr rp)[34]: 6–9  breached the left levee near Arboga, California,[35]: 9  after 11 inches of rain on December 30-31, 1996.[36]
External images
image icon 1968 Thermalito Diversion Dam
image icon 1968 Thermalito Afterbay Outlet
image icon Closest Feather basin point to NV
For impoundment history in the Upper Feather watersheds of the Yuba and Bear rivers, see Yuba River history and Bear River history.

1984-1989

From 1984–9, a hydroelectric plant was constructed at the Feather River's diversion dam,[33]: 4  during which the 1985 Feather River Coordinated Resource Management Group was established.[37]

Ecology

The riparian area near Yuba City has numerous valley oak trees with understory of wild grape, while the Feather River stonecrop (Sedum albomarginatum) is a rare plant endemic to the Feather River watershed.

References

  1. ^ "Oroville Facilities Overview". California Department of Water Resources. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
  2. ^ a b c d "Description of Existing Facilities and Operations,the Proposed Project, and Alternatives". Draft Environmental Impact Report. p. 3.2-1. Retrieved 2010-09-20. {{cite web}}: |chapter= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c "gage 11407000, Feather River at Oroville, CA" (PDF). Water resources data for the United States, Water Year 2009. USGS.gov. Retrieved 4 August 2010. 300 ft upstream from Fish Barrier Dam on Feather River, 0.4 mi downstream from Thermalito Diversion Dam, 0.8 mi northeast of Oroville Post Office, and 4.8 mi downstream from Oroville Dam
  4. ^ a b "Oroville Dam". Wikimapia. Retrieved 2010-09-18. NOTE: The Wikimapia path line from the spillway's confluence with the Feather River/Thermalito Diversion Pool to the Thermalito Diversion Dam defines 12 line segments of the river channel.
  5. ^ a b "Appendix J Feather River Water Temperature Model" (Google Docs). Biological Assessment on the Continued Long-term Operations of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region. p. J-1. Retrieved 2010-09-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help) [dead link‍]
  6. ^ a b c "Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Oroville Facilities Project". Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
    2. "Section 2: Proposed Action and Alternatives". p. 17. Retrieved 2010-09-15. Water from the six-unit underground [Hyatt] power plant (three conventional generating and three pumping-generating units) is discharged through two tunnels to the Feather River just downstream of Oroville dam. NOTE: Pumpback returns Feather River water back to Lake Oroville during off-peak periods when California Edison Company (SCE) external power is inexpensive, allowing subsequent hydroelectric generation (6-7% of Hyatt total) during peak (higher price) periods.
    3. "Section 3, Environmental Analysis". Retrieved 2010-10-06.
  7. ^ "Motion to Intervene" (pdf). Friends of the River, Sierra Club, & South Yuba River Citizens League. October 17, 2005. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
  8. ^ a b Kondolf, G. Mathias. "Management of Coarse Sediment on Regulated Rivers". California Water Resources Center. Retrieved 2010-09-28. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); More than one of |first1= and |first= specified (help); More than one of |last1= and |last= specified (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  9. ^ a b Eilers, Christopher D. "Review of Present Steelhead Monitoring Programs in the California Central Valley". Retrieved 2010-09-19. Twenty four receiver stations will be deployed in the lower Feather River from the Fish Barrier Dam (river kilometer 108) downstream to the confluence with the Sacramento River (river kilometer 0). {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  10. ^ "Feather River Fish Hatchery" (PDF). California Department of Fish and Game. Retrieved 2010-09-19.
  11. ^ Williams, John G. (2006). "Gravel-Bed Streams". San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science. John Muir Institute of the Environment: 5. Retrieved 2010-09-20. {{cite journal}}: |chapter= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |issu= ignored (help)
  12. ^ a b "North/East/Middle Feather & Upper Yuba ↔ Honey-Eagle watersheds" (county & watersheds map with url list). Surf Your Watershed (Plumas County). Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  13. ^ "Sutter By-Pass (GNIS code 233372)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
  14. ^ http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=sto&gage=tisc1&rssDate=1274077800
  15. ^ "USGS Gage #11425000 on the Feather River near Nicolaus". National Water Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1944–1983. Retrieved 2010-09-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)[outdated source]
  16. ^ "USGS Gage #11390500 on the Sacramento River below Wilkins Slough, near Grimes, California: Water-Data Report 2009" (PDF). National Water Information System. United States Geological Survey. 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  17. ^ "tbd". TBD.
  18. ^ "Welcome to the National Wildlife Refuge System". FWS.gov. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
  19. ^ "Sutter Bypass Wildlife Area - Sutter County". California Department of Fish and Game accessdate=2010-10-07. {{cite web}}: Missing pipe in: |publisher= (help) (map of area)
  20. ^ "The August 1, 1975, Earthquake Investigation". Retrieved 2010-09-27.
  21. ^ a b "Boundary Descriptions and Names of Regions, Subregions, Accounting Units and Cataloging Units". USGS.gov. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
    a. "sum, USGS watershed values (Lower Feather + North Fork + East Branch + Middle Fork + Honcut Headwaters + Upper Yuba + Lower Yuba + Upper Bear + Lower Bear". Google Calculator. Retrieved 2010-09-24.
  22. ^ USGS Gage #11397000 on the South Fork Feather River at Enterprise. Accessed 2010-09-29
  23. ^ "Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Application for Authorization to Divest Its Hydroelectric Generating Facilities and Related Assets, Section 4: Hydrology & Water Quality" (PDF). Battle Creek Watershed Conservancy. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  24. ^ Oxlade, John (31 December 2003). "Out-n-About - The Feather River Canyon, California, USA". WorldRailFans.info. Retrieved 2010-09-11. the actual "canyon" portion petween Pulga and Keddie is only approx. 42 miles
  25. ^ "Plumas National Forest map". Retrieved 2010-08-22.
  26. ^ a b USGS Topo Maps for United States (Map). Cartography by United States Geological Survey. ACME Mapper. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
  27. ^ "Wet Winter Strengthens Cascading Waterfalls in California State Parks" (PDF). California Department of Parks and Recreation. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
  28. ^ a b George, Holly; et al. "Upper Feather River Watershed (UFRW) Irrigation Discharge Management Program" (PDF). University of California. Retrieved 2010-09-07. The Maidu Indians were the main Native American inhabitants of the American, Sierra, and Indian Valleys. Historically, Maidu villages were located in the Big Meadows area (current site of Lake Almanor), at the site of Quincy High School, and many Maidu families lived in the Indian Valley, which they called "This Place Meadow". The Maidu Indians migrated to Sierra Valley in late spring and early summer, however they did not stay for the harsh winters. The Washoe Indians from the Territory of Nevada moved with hunting parties through the Long Valley, Sierra Valley, and Mohawk Valley. There is also evidence that there were settlements of the Paiute and Washoe Indians in the Long Valley area. In the 1880's-1990's, the Indians from Indian Valley would travel to Sierra Valley to work during the hay and grain harvest time. The Maidu had no written history of past, however it is believed that the Maidu and their ancestors have lived in Plumas County for thousands of years. It was after the gold rush of 1849, when white man first settled in the main valleys. The American and Indian Valleys were settled by immigrants in the 1850's. It was reported that settlers first came into Sierra Valley in 1852. {{cite web}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |first= (help)
  29. ^ http://www.energy.ca.gov/portfolio/documents/List_RPS_CERT.pdf
  30. ^ a b "1955 Flood". Safe Levee Home Page. Retrieved 2010-09-26. NOTE: This source cites the Flood Plain Information Feather and Yuba Rivers Marysville-Yuba City, California (Report). United States Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District. {{cite report}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)[verification needed]
  31. ^ Starr, Kevin. "Golden Dreams: California in the Age of Abundance, 1950-1963". p. 278,279,281. Retrieved 2010-09-25.
  32. ^ Matthews, Larry (March 27, 2010). "The Oroville Dam Train Tunnel Disaster". Retrieved 2010-09-27. The [train crash] tunnel is part of the Brad Freeman Trail (along the Feather River).
  33. ^ a b "Draft Environmental Impact Report". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
    3. "Description of Existing Facilities and Operations,the Proposed Project, and Alternatives". p. 3.2-17. Retrieved 2010-09-20. {{cite web}}: |chapter= ignored (help)
    4. "end of Chapter 4, Environmental Setting" (PDF). Draft Environmental Impact Report. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
  34. ^ "Assessment of Current Flood Management Systems" (pdf). AuburnDamCouncil.org. Retrieved 2010-10-03. The objective flood control release from Oroville Dam is 150,000 cfs. ... The objective flow at Shanghai Bend [below the Yuba confluence] is 300,000 cfs. {{cite web}}: |chapter= ignored (help)
  35. ^ "Flood Insurance Study: Yuba County, California and Incorporated Areas" (PDF). p. 9. Retrieved 2010-09-26.
  36. ^ "Minutes of Regular Meeting of Board of Directors" (PDF). South Feather Water & Power Agency. January 24, 2006. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
  37. ^ Wescoatt, Sam. "Feather River Coordinated Resource Management". Plumas Corporation. Retrieved 2010-08-25. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= and |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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