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Recreational Guide: The American River

Posted on August 1, 2008 - Filed Under Travel

The American River in Northern California is the most recognized and popular river destination in the entire state.  Known for it’s modern historical presence (Gold Rush) and natural beauty, the American River is a landmark visited by thousands of people every year. changed world history in 1848 when California’s first gold was discovered in its stream bed at Sutter’s Mill. This discovery triggered the California Gold Rush of 1849, sometimes referred to as the largest human migration for a single purpose since the Crusades. Thousands of people migrated from everywhere with high hopes to find gold in the American River.  Unfortunately, once the easily found gold was removed, the miners made a mess of things with their hydraulic pumps, causing folks downstream to complain. Eventually, the mining operations were shut down, and today you can still find huge trenches created by the miners 150 years ago.The American River and its tributaries (like most of California’s rivers) are extensively dammed and diverted for hydroelectricity production. Since the California Gold Rush was centered along the American river, it was one of the earlier California rivers to be populated and used for milling. By the end of the nineteenth century some of these former mill sites were converted to some of the earliest hydroelectric plants, with Folsom State Prison using the river to generate electricity in 1893. The Natoma Company completed its Folsom Powerhouse and began delivering power 22 miles (35 km) away to the city of Sacramento by 1895. Today, the five power plants on the Middle Fork are owned by the Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) owns eight plants on the South Fork. The SMUD plants are run on a peaking basis, although reservoir flood control capacity and minimum flow requirements impose some constraints on their operation. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) owns the Chili Bar power plant on the South Fork downstream from SMUD’s plants. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) has two hydroelectric plants downstream at Folsom Dam and Nimbus Dam. The Bureau of Reclamation operates Nimbus as a base load plant and Folsom as an intermediate plant.American River Rafting and RecreationBecause of the high adventure level and fast flow of the American River, white water rafting and kayaking has become one of the more popular recreational activities on the river.  Most people choose to go with commercial , camping and tourist spots.  Coloma is a popular destination on the river.  Many parks and picnic areas surround the popular town where you can tour Sutter’s Mill and original sites of historical significance.

Tags: california gold rush, california gold rush of 1849, california rivers, chili bar, city of sacramento, county water agency, delivering power, flood control, flow requirements, folsom powerhouse, folsom state prison, gold rush of 1849, human migration, hydraulic pumps, hydroelectric plants, minimum flow, natoma company, pcwa, pg e, placer county water agency

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