Tunnel Run (Ralston Powerhouse To Greenwood)
For those without the skill or equipment to run this on their own, this could be one of the best commercial trips in CA. This area is not nearly as crowded as the South Fork but still offers year round boating due to dam controlled flows coming out of the Oxbow reservoir.
Suggested river levels for paddling this section of the American River, Middle Fork are between a bare minimum of 700cfs and a high of 3,000cfs.
River conditions sourced from USGS 11427000, the Nf American R A North Fork Dam Ca
Remember only watercraft are permitted
at Tunnel Run (Ralston Powerhouse to Greenwood).
Run Stats
| Status | Too Low |
| Class Level | IV- to IV |
| Elevation | 717 ft |
| Run Length | 16.5 Mi |
| Gradient | 23 FPM |
| Streamflow Discharge | 614 cfs |
| Gage Height | 1.2 ft |
| Air Temperature | 63° |
| River | American River, Middle Fork |
| Reporting Streamgage |
Nf American R A North Fork Dam Ca
USGS 11427000 |
|
Panic Alley Rapid
Class III |
|
Last Chance Rapid
Class III |
|
Tunnel Chute
Class IV+ |
|
Kanaka Falls (Cartwheel Rapid)
Class IV |
|
Upper Ruck-A-Chucky (Chunder) Rapid
Class IV- to IV |
|
Ruck-A-Chucky
Class V+ to VI |
|
Lower Ruck-A-Chucky
Class III+ to IV |
|
Driver's Ed Rapid
Class III to IV |
|
Catapult Rapid
Class III to IV- |
|
Shareen's Dream Rapid
Class III+ |
| Gauge | Streamflow | Stage |
|---|---|---|
|
Laguna C Nr Elk Grove Ca
USGS 11336585 |
1 cfs | 2.2 ft |
|
N Yuba R Bl Goodyears Bar Ca
USGS 11413000 |
514 cfs | 3.5 ft |
|
Prosser C Bl Prosser C Dam Nr Truckee Ca
USGS 10340500 |
61 cfs | 1.7 ft |
|
Sagehen C Nr Truckee Ca
USGS 10343500 |
3 cfs | 1.6 ft |
|
Truckee R A Tahoe City Ca
USGS 10337500 |
50 cfs | 2.1 ft |
|
Independence C Nr Truckee Ca
USGS 10343000 |
27 cfs | 3.4 ft |
|
Dry C A Vernon St Bridge A Roseville Ca
USGS 11447293 |
159 cfs | 10.3 ft |
|
Unnamed Trib Bl Gavin Mandry Dr Nr Marysville Ca
USGS 11424546 |
8 cfs | 1.1 ft |
|
Blackwood C Nr Tahoe City Ca
USGS 10336660 |
12 cfs | 8.2 ft |
|
Ward C At Hwy 89 Nr Tahoe Pines Ca
USGS 10336676 |
8 cfs | 5.6 ft |
| Snotel Site | Snowpack | 24hr Change |
|---|---|---|
|
Independence Lake
SNOTEL 541 |
88" | 0" |
|
Rubicon #2
SNOTEL 724 |
50" | 0" |
|
blue canyon
SNOTEL BLU |
47" | 0" |
|
alpine meadows-base
SNOTEL AMBC1 |
57.4" | -1.06" |
|
Squaw Valley G.C.
SNOTEL 784 |
51" | -1" |
|
tahoma .5 s, ca
SNOTEL CA-ED-9 |
32.7" | 2.11" |
|
Css Lab
SNOTEL 428 |
71" | -1" |
|
soda springs 1.5 ssw, ca
SNOTEL CA-PC-1 |
66.94" | 2.1" |
|
Independence Creek
SNOTEL 540 |
31" | 0" |
|
Tahoe City Cross
SNOTEL 809 |
33" | 0" |
|
Ward Creek #3
SNOTEL 848 |
61" | -1" |
|
Truckee #2
SNOTEL 834 |
43" | 0" |
|
black springs
SNOTEL BLSC1 |
54.58" | -0.09" |
|
blue canyon alert
SNOTEL BLUC1 |
46.39" | -1.04" |
|
alpha
SNOTEL ALPHA_MADIS |
45.38" | 2.79" |
|
Independence Camp
SNOTEL 539 |
53" | 0" |
| Campground | Campsites | Reservations | Toilets | Showers | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Gap | 35 | 3,686 ft | |||
| Finnon Lake | 14 | 2,427 ft | |||
| Big Reservoir | 19 | 4,161 ft | |||
| Shirttail | 30 | 3,943 ft | |||
| Dru Barner | 47 | 3,237 ft | |||
| Ponderosa Cove | 18 | 4,293 ft |
| Ski Area | Snowpack | Air Temperature | 5 Day Forecast |
|---|
| River Run | Streamflow | Length | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation and Giant Gaps (Tadpole to Colfax-Iowa Hill Road) | 614.0cfs | 26.8 Mi | IV to IV+ |
| Yankee Jim Road to Ponderosa Way (Shirttail) | 614.0cfs | 5.0 Mi | II to III |
| Coloma to Greenwood - (C to G) | 614.0cfs | 5.0 Mi | II to III- |
| Chili Bar | 614.0cfs | 8.0 Mi | III to IV |
| Tunnel Run (Ralston Powerhouse to Greenwood) | 614.0cfs | 16.5 Mi | IV- to IV |
| Greenwood to Mammoth Bar | 614.0cfs | 7.0 Mi | II to II+ |