New Access Completed on North Fork Feather River

As part of the Poe hydropower license on the North Fork Feather River, Pacific Gas and Electric company was required to build a new trail from the Cresta Powerhouse house parking lot, down to the Poe Reservoir. This trail now provides much improved takeout access for the lower section of the Class II/ III Cresta run. Previously, taking out at the Cresta Powerhouse required paddlers to climb a steep scree slope that was challenging with kayaks and nearly impossible with rafts. Additionally, this trail now provides access to Poe Reservoir for flatwater kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and canoeing. While this reservoir is immediately adjacent to highway 70, it has been virtually inaccessible to the public for recreation.

The trail was part of the water quality conditions crafted by the California State Water Resources Control Board. These conditions must be included in the license, issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Other recreation improvements for this project include facilities at the put-in for the upper Class V Poe run, access at the put-in for the lower Class III/ IV Bardees Bar Run, and a parking lot at the takeout for the Bardees Bar run, put-in for the Big Bend run into Lake Oroville. American Whitewater began working on this relicensing back in 2000. These recreation facilities are a direct result of American Whitewater’s advocacy over many years. We are very pleased to see these long-awaited improvements become a reality!

By Dave Steindorf

This post originally appeared on americanwhitewater.org.