RIVER GUIDE TO THE CHILI BAR RUN ON THE SOUTH FORK OF THE AMERICAN RIVER

Peter Bennett
American River College, Geography 26: Data Acquisition in GIS; Spring 2000
May 15, 2001

ABSTRACT

The Chili Bar run on the South Fork of the American is one of the most readily accessible sections of class III+ whitewater in northern California.  Nestled within the Sierra Nevada’s this 5.8-mile long run passes through the granitic Sierra Nevada batholith and ends in historic Coloma, home of Sutter’s Mill where gold was first discovered in California in 1848.  This focus of this project was to georeference the major rapids on the Chili bar run, providing the user with a map of the rapids, a description of each rapid, and helpful information about river access.  Data for this project was collected and processed using a Garmin 12XL GPS unit, ESRI’s ARCVIEW, and Microsoft’s Excel.

INTRODUCTION

The South Fork of the American River is part of the Western Sierra Nevada drainage system, beginning east of Kyburz, flowing into Folsom Lake, and continuing west to where it joins the Sacramento River.  The South Fork of the American River provides many spectacular areas for recreation; one of the most popular stretches of this river is the Chili Bar Run.  Located off of Highway 49 between Placerville and Coloma the Chili Bar Run is an approximately 5.8-mile section of river featuring many class III – IV (depending on river flow) rapids.  Due to its proximity to the Tahoe area, the Sacramento Valley, and the Bay Area the Chili Bar Run attracts thousands of whitewater adventurers year round.

The purpose of this project was to provide an overview of the areas geology and history and to georeference the major rapids on the Chili Bar Run, providing the user with a map indicating the rapids location, and description of each rapid.  Data for this project was collected using a Garmin 12XL GPS unit, and the United States Geological Surveys (USGS) Coloma and Garden Valley topographic quad maps.  Data was processed and mapped using ESRI’s ARCVIEW and Microsoft’s Excel.

SITE GEOLOGY

The whitewater in Northern California is world famous, much of which is due to the presence of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The Sierra Nevada mountain range is a north-south trending geologic feature 50 to 80 miles wide and over 400 miles long.   This complex mountain range went through four primary stages of development:

1.   Over 230 million years ago (MA) the Sierra Nevada’s formation began in the Paleozoic era when the area was mostly under sea and was receiving deposits of sediments.

2.     Between 65 and 230 MA during the Mesozoic Era the Paleozoic strata were down warped in a gigantic complexly faulted synclinorium, which was filled with contemporaneous volcanic and sedimentary detritus.  Following this the area was strongly deformed and intruded repeatedly by granitic masses, and eroded to a depth of 9 to 17 miles.

3.     Less than 65 MA during the early Cenozoic Era the area went through a period of relative geologic stability

4.     This was followed by a period of uplift, tilting, and faulting preceded by and accompanied by volcanic activity in the late Cenozoic.

                                                                                                                                                        (Bateman, P. C.)

In the Vicinity of Chili Bar to Coloma and Lotus the Sierra Nevada Batholith underlies the South Fork of the American.  This large plutonic mass is granite to granodiorite in composition and makes for the spectacular geology visible from the river.  Rafters and Kayakers putting in at Chili Bar should also note the Slate mine located just above the put in on river left.

CALIFORNIA HISTORY

Passing through the heart of the Sierra Nevada Batholith is the famous California Mother Lode.  The Chili Bar Run ends in the City of Coloma home of Sutter’s Mill.  Where on January 24, 1848 James Wilson Marshall discovered placer deposits of gold in gravel banks along the South Fork of the American River.  This discovery was to trigger the California Gold Rush.  Rafters and kayakers taking out in Coloma will find themselves at the Marshall Gold Discovery State Park, where visitors can view the discovery site and mining equipment (primarily placer mining).

THE RIVER ITSELF

The South Fork of the American begins east of Kyburz and runs into the Folsom Lake and continues west where it flows into the Sacramento River.  The Chili Bar Run is approximately 5.8-miles long with an average gradient of 31-feet per mile.  The river is dam controlled and located approximately 0.5-miles upstream from the put in is the Chili Bar Dam, which is owned and operated by PG&E.  There are releases year round with scheduled releases during the summer months for commercial boating.  Permits are required for commercial and private boaters.

Flows vary throughout the year and during the winter and spring months it is best to check the flow via the flow phone (530) 621-6616 or at http://www.dreamflows.com. Summer releases generally vary from 900 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 2,500 cfs. Winter and spring conditions however can range up to 10,000 cfs, at this level the river changes drastically and scouting is advised. 

Access to Chili Bar is quite straightforward as far as rivers go.  To get to the put in coming from Sacramento take 50 east to 49 north in Placerville.  Then turn right onto 193 and continue for two miles until you reach the Chili Bar bridge.  During the summer months this run is a favorite for people throughout the Sacramento Valley, the Reno Area, and the Bay Area.  Crowds can be a problem, and it is many a kayaker who has gone down a rapid stuck to the bottom of a raft on this river during a busy summer day.  To avoid the crowds it is suggested to get to the put in early.  Parking is available on the north side of the river for a fee; however free parking along with a short walk to the river is located on the south side of the river just across the bridge.  Kayakers opting for the free method can put in via the small trail on the upstream side of the bridge, Rafters however will find this put in a bit difficult and most generally pay the fee.

To get to the take out, from Placerville go past the turn off to 193 and continue on 49 to Coloma.  Free parking is available by Troublemaker rapid and involves a short walk to your car; fee parking is available at the Marshall Gold Discovery State Park.

MAJOR RAPIDS ON THE CHILI BAR RUN

The table below lists the rapids that were located during this project.  Please note that not all rapids have been identified here in part due to an inability to acquire a 2D or 3D fix at all rapid locations.

Waypoint

Rapid Name

1

Chili Bar Hole

2

Surf City

3

Meatgrinder

4

Race Horse Bend

5

Maya

6

African Queen

7

First Threat

8

Troublemaker

The figure below shows a plot of the waypoints collected during this project on the Garden Valley and Coloma topographic quad sheets.  Following the figure is a description of each rapid starting with waypoint one, located in the lower right hand corner.

  1. Chili Bar Hole (class II+):  The river here is fairly wide and the hole, which is located left of center, is easily avoided.  Due to ease of access this is a favorite spot for kayakers to play at and is the location of the Chili Bar Rodeo held every summer.  It is possible to literally park 100 feet from the hole unload ones boat and be playing on the wave within a few short minutes.
  1. Surf City (class II+):  Shortly after Chili Bar Hole, this rapid provides an excellent spot for play.  There is a hole on the left and right of the river with a tongue down the middle.  Large eddies are located behind each hole.  The hole on the left is excellent for cartwheels and at higher water levels becomes a surging standing wave.  The hole on the right is a great front surfing spot at all water levels.
  1. Meatgrinder (class III+/IV):  Though the rapid is technically a class III due to it being a quarter mile in length it is generally rated slightly higher and is considered by some to be class IV.  A small diversion canal diverts water to the left of a house rock in the center of the river at the rapids entrance.  The normal line here is to run it right staying about 25 feet off of the house rock.  Please note there are numerous holes in this rapid and while it is possible to read and run, the rapid can be easily scouted on the right.
  1. Race Horse Bend (class III):  The river makes a sharp curve to the left around a pile of boulders while the current runs into a cliff on the right towards the bottom of the rapid.  The easiest line is to start the rapid in the center and work your way to the left thereby avoiding being pushed up against the cliff at the bottom.  Note there are several micro eddies throughout the rapid on both sides with a large eddy on the left at the bottom.
  1. Maya (class II+):  This rapid can be run either on the left over a small ledge or on the right through a small hole.  During the summer months it is common to find the eddy below the ledge on the left full of kayakers waiting in line to surf the hole.
  1. African Queen (class II+):  Several willow-covered mounds create a plethora of possible routes.  Watch out for a shallow trap at the end on the far right.  The line most people run is to start in the right channel then head to the left after the second island.
  1. First Threat (class III):  Though intimidating in appearance this rapid is one of the best play spots on the river.  At the entrance the river passes through a boulder garden then narrows up and turns right into a deep hole along a rocky outcropping on the left.  The easiest line is to start center and work your way to the right in order to avoid the meat of the hole.  There is an eddy on the left and a long narrow one on the right after the hole for people wishing to paddle back up into the hole for some surfing.  Note the eddy on the right used to be significantly bigger until a flood changed the eddy line, and prior to this the Chili Bar Rodeo was held at First Threat.
  1. Troublemaker (class IV-/IV depending on flow):  The river enters a boulder garden followed by a falls with an S channel on the far left.  At higher water the rapid can be run on the center and right, however at low water the right side should be avoided due to an undercut rock that the current runs into and the center is too rocky to be run.  The route most take is to enter on the left staying clear of the hole at the top and running the channel to the left of Gunsight rock.  The rapid is easy to scout on the left and at high water levels it is a good idea even for people familiar with the rapid.

Immediately after Troublemaker there is an eddy on the left that is used by some as a take out.  Most head on down to the Marshall Gold Discovery State Park located approximately 0.5-miles downstream of Troublemaker on the left.

DATA COLLECTION

Data was acquired using a Garmin 12XL GPS unit on April 24, 2001 along the Chili Bar run of the South Fork of the American River. Each waypoint was averaged until readings stabilized then saved.  Waypoint numbers and the corresponding rapid name were recorded in a field notebook, in conjunction with the field of merit (FOM).  The average FOM was +/- 27 feet with a maximum deviation of 29.2 feet.

Waypoints were then downloaded to a PC computer using Waypoint and imported into ArcView using the Av Garmin extension.  Waypoints were then overlain on digital copies of the Garden Valley and Coloma 1:24,000 USGS quadrangles and projected in Albers Equal-Area Conic.

CONCLUSION

The area of focus in this project is part of a region of fascinating and complex geology, and the presence of the Sierra Nevada’s provide a breathtaking backdrop to an area rich in California history.  People who wish to run the Chili Bar run will find that with its close vicinity to the Sacramento area and with numerous commercial outfitters present it is a run worth doing numerous times.

REFERENCES

Alt, D. D., Hyndman, D. W., 1987, Roadside Geology of Northern California: Mountain Press Publishing Co.

Bateman, P. C., Wahrhaftig, C., 1966, Geology of Northern California: California Division of Mines and Geology Bulletin 190, p. 107-184.

DeCourten, F., 1994: Guidebook to Selected Geologic Field Trips in Northern California: National Association of Geology Teachers Far Western Section, p. 107-111.

Hill, M., 1975, Geology of the Sierra Nevada: University of California Press

Holbek, L., Stanley, C., 1998, The Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition: Watershed Books.

Section 5 Planning Context: http://co.el-dorado.ca.us/generalservices/parks/phase_II_report/section5_3.html

EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE

Garmin 12XL GPS receiver

ArcView v3.2

            Spatial Analysis Extension, v2.o

            AV Garmin Extension, v2.1.59

Waypoint v2.0.02