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Mokelumne - 5) Electra to Middle Bar

Mokelumne, California, US

5) Electra to Middle Bar (Electra)

Usual Difficulty	II-III (varies with level)
Length	5.5 Miles
Avg. Gradient	24 fpm

Mokelumne, Ponderosa Way

Mokelumne, Ponderosa Way
Photo of Megan runs the last and biggest drop

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
Mokelumne, Electra
pge-ELEC	400 - 4000 cfs	II-III	12h52m	202 cfs (rc= -0.5 )

River Description

The Electra Run is a wonderful class 2 section suitable for beginning white water boaters. It has dependable summer flows and nice scenery.

John Gangemi reports:

The opening of the Middle Bar Bridge take-out now makes the run from Electra Afterbay Dam to the bridge about 5.5 miles. This is a great Class-II reach with nearly dependable water in the summer due to peaking power generation. Getting this formerly restricted area open to boaters was a key focus for American Whitewater in the relicensing of the upstream PG&E Mokelumne hydropower project.

To view a movie of the Mokelumne, click on the link below.

Click To Play

Annual Mokelumne River Races:

Each September since 1978, the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Paddlers has hosted slalom and downriver races on the Mokelumne. The official race website is at: mokeraces.com

Pardee Expansion Plans:
The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) diverts large amounts of water out of the Mokelumne for use by the cities and counties of the east San Fransisco bay. They use Pardee and Comanche reservoirs to store the water till they need it in the summer and fall. EBMUD has recently developed a plan to enlarge Pardee reservoir to store a lot more water. The high water mark of the enlarged reservoir would be about 1 mile upstream of the Highway 49 bridge. When the new lake is at its highest, the Electra run would only be 2 miles long. The last mile of the Electra run and the entire Middle Bar section would be underneath the reservoir. The Middle Bar Bridge would be abandoned and the Highway 49 bridge would have to be rebuilt at a higher elevation.

Specifics of the proposal can be found in the EBMUD Water Supply Management Program 2040 Draft Program Environmental Impact Report.
The Foothill Conservancy asks that users Save the Mokelumne from Pardee Expansion.

Column by Calaveras County Supervisor Steve Wilensky from Upcountry News/West Point News

Other Information Sources:
cacreeks.com
Foothill Conservancy: Wild and Scenic possibilities for Mokelumne
Foothill Conservancy: Photos
BLM River Database
CA Hydro Power Reform Coalition: Mokelumne page
AW-PG&E flow page
1-866-629-3925 AW-PG&E Flow Phone

Schematic Map of Diversions and gauges