Klamath, California, US/Oregon, US |
|
| Usual Difficulty | III-IV+ (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Avg. Gradient | 40 fpm |
| Max Gradient | 90 fpm |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KLAMATH RIVER BLW JOHN C.BOYLE PWRPLNT, NR KENO,OR | ||||
| usgs-11510700 | 1000 - 3300 cfs | III-IV+ | 00h22m | 371 cfs (rc= -0.3 ) |
Other Resources
BLM
Lakeview
Location
The Upper Klamath flows from Upper Klamath Lake in Southern Oregon to Copco Reservoir in
Northern California. The Hell's Corner section starts at JC Boyle Powerhouse and ends at Copco
Reservoir. The powerhouse is located about 30 miles from Klamath Falls and 50 miles from Ashland.
River Description
The Upper Klamath flows through a secluded canyon with gorgeous scenery, abundant wildlife, and a
lot of whitewater. The first 5 miles are relatively easy with class II and III rapids for warm
up. The 7 miles that follow are known as Hell's Corner Gorge! The rapids are more frequent and
they are long. Many people refer to the Upper Klamath as continuous in nature however; it is a
pool drop river. The difficulty increases due to the length of the rapids, the numerous 90 degree
blind corners and the brown water that the rocks are camouflaged by.
The rocks create the majority of the hazards mainly pins and nasty swims. At high water these hazard lessen however the Upper Klamath doesn't wash out it just gets bigger, and develops a mean push over 3000 cfs.
On the fun side the Klamath offers some play on the fly, 6-8 foot haystack waves, and 3-4 foot pile on friendly holes!
Access
The Upper Klamath is a remote river and has little access.
Spring Island Launch is the main put-in about 1/4 mile below the powerhouse. There is a trip registration box, pit toilets, gauge, and a practice eddy. Overnight camping at the Spring Island Launch is prohibited. Campers should stay at Topsy Campground located along Boyle Reservoir just upstream. For those that wish a back woods camping experience a rough 3 mile drive past Spring Island put-in down the jeep road along the river leads to the BLM camps. Outhouse toilets and fire pits are available.
Frain Ranch is an alternative put-in that shortens the trip by about 5 miles. Frain Ranch is a great place to camp however there are no facilities. There use to be a composting toilet that BLM had to close due to vandalism. Most campsites have approved fire rings. Know the fire regulations before you build a fire. There are 2 main places where boaters put in at Frain. Where ever you put in you are about 10 minutes above Caldera Rapid.
Stateline Access is the first takeout on river left after the gorge and is a popular place to take out for those that put in at Frain Ranch. There is camping and during the summer a port-o-potty. Access #6 is a short distance downstream on river left and is the take-out typically used by commercial outfitters because it comes at the end of the big whitewater.
Access #1 is located at the beginning of Copco Reservoir on river left and is the primary take-out for most boaters. There is no camping at Access #1 there is a port-o-potty. The take-out is easy to recognize because you will be entering the reservoir and will see the first couple homes that are part of the Copco community in the distance.
Shuttles
There are few shuttle services for the Upper Klamath. For trips starting at Spring Island and
ending at Stateline or #1 a shuttle driver is recommended. Try calling one of the raft companies
a couple days in advance if you are looking for a shuttle service they can typically recommend a
raft guide or shuttle driver they use who is not working that day. From Spring Island to either
of the take-outs the shuttle is approximately 100 miles. Please refer to the shuttle map to plan
your trip.
History
The Klamath Canyon is rich with Wild West history. The main stage coach route from Yreka to
Klamath Falls traveled up the south side of the canyon which is now the Topsy Grade. Along the
road are small history markers that tell the tails of the ranchers and stage coach robberies.
The primary industry used to be logging the large ponderosa pine. After cutting the trees loggers would slide them down a long chute to the river where they could be floated down stream to the mill. The remains of the Pokegama log chute can still be seen by those with a keen eye.
By visiting the Frain Ranch all sorts of historic relics can be found that tell the tail of the hardships and rewards Martin Frain must have gone through while he was homesteading the area.
Current Politics
The water rights issues of the Upper Klamath are complicated and seemingly endless. Water is
needed both upstream and downstream in a basin that is currently in a drought.
Release Information
Pacific Power and Light Company operates Boyle Powerhouse for power generation and through this operation navigable flows occur all summer.
To get the daily release information directly from Pacifcorp:
View the Summer Operational Schedule
visit the unit start time web page http://www.pacificorp.com/hydro_hiws/JCBoyleEstFlow.html.
Call the public service recording at: 1-800-547-1501
Most guides on the UK refer to the flow in terms of the generators that are running for the day. 1 generator refers to flows from 1200-1800 cfs where 2 generators refers to flows of 2200-3000 cfs. On the lower side of the spring island eddy there is a gauge marked off in terms of generators. Launch when the water level is at the 1 generator mark. It is possible to float the creek to Caldera at base flow however if for some reason the release does not happen you will not be able to continue to the take out.
It takes the release about 1 hour to reach the top of Caldera and consequently the same during ramp down. Keep this in mind when you take time to scout, lunch, play, or resolve incidents. Always keep an eye on the water marks on the rocks. This can give you clues to any operational changes at the power house.
Pacificorp Disclaimer:
There is always the possibility of a mechanical failure causing unplanned outages. Any unplanned outages at J.C. Boyle could impact the rafting schedule. Check the water release schedule daily, to see if unplanned outages have any effect on rafting.
The intent in providing the above information is to provide raftable flows, as listed. However, if difficulties arise in the power supply situation, PacifiCorp reserves the right to operate the project later in the day or as necessary. PacifiCorp recommends all river users check the water release schedule daily, to verify flows and release times. If you have questions or comments about the information provided herein, contact the Klamath Project Production Manager, (530) 459-2003.
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KLAMATH RIVER BLW JOHN C.BOYLE PWRPLNT, NR KENO,OR | ||||||||||||
| usgs-11510700 | 1000 - 3300 cfs | III-IV+ | 00h22m | 371 cfs (rc= -0.3 ) | ||||||||
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| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Klamath River [OR] |
JC Boyle Powerhouse
|
n/a | justin wellman | |
| Klamath [OR] |
John Gangemi - Raft Guide, River Stewardship Institute Instructor
|
Low | Kevin Colburn | |
| Klamath [OR] |
Snag Island TEST
|
n/a | Thomas O'Keefe | |
| 175d15h07m | @Klamath C. JC Boyle Powerhouse to Copco Reservoir (Hell's Corner) |
Upper Klamath Trip
|
1800 cfs | Thomas O'Keefe |
| 3y158d12h26m | KlamathC. JC Boyle Powerhouse to Copco Reservoir (Hell's Corner) [OR] | Account of 09/05/09 | 0.00 ft | n/a |
| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | Spring Island |  | |
| 0.1 | Saddle Horn | II | |
| 0.6 | Osprey | III | |
| 2.0 | Gunslinger | III | |
| 5.1 | Frain Ranch |  | |
| 5.3 | Caldera | IV+ |  |
| 5.6 | Burmuda Triangle | III | |
| 5.7 | Gunsmoke | III | |
| 5.8 | Rock Creek | II+ | |
| 5.9 | Stage Line | III | |
| 6.0 | Branding Iron | III+ | |
| 6.3 | Satans Gate | IV+ | |
| 6.5 | Hells Corner (upper) | IV+ |  |
| 6.8 | Hells Corner (lower) | IV+ | |
| 7.0 | Dragon | IV | |
| 7.2 | Jackass | III | |
| 7.5 | Scarface | IV | |
| 7.6 | Dance Hall | II | |
| 7.8 | Ambush | IV | |
| 7.9 | Ol' Bushwacker | III | |
| 8.2 | Pony Express | III | |
| 8.4 | Captain Jack | III | |
| 8.6 | Roughshod | III | |
| 9.0 | Snag Island (right side) | III | |
| 9.0 | Snag Island Falls (left side) | III | |
| 9.7 | Wells Fargo | III | |
| 9.9 | High Side Rock | III | |
| 10.1 | Stateline Falls | III | |
| 10.2 | Stateline Access |  | |
| 17.0 | Access #1 | |
Caldera Rapid IV+
Branding Iron
Arron Exiting Hells Corner
Dragon reach
state
state
reachlink
C. JC Boyle Powerhouse to Copco Reservoir (Hell's Corner) , Klamath California, US/Oregon, US (mobile)
User Comments
using the south bank rd (which has three different names; Copco Lake Rd., Ager Beswick Rd.. Topsy
Grade Rd.) By google mapping Copco Lake Rd. you'll see where to go. Some people (including me) find
using this access a bit unnerving as you'll be putting in right above Caldera with no warm-up. But
it relieves the need for a shuttle driver and cuts shuttle time by hours.
thinking we would be able to work out a shuttle since this was the only thing over class 2 running
in the state. We called the number listed in the description, along with every other rafting
company in the area, and got no answer and no returned calls. We even stopped by the local
outfitter in Klamath Falls, the Ledge, and they acted like they had never heard of the river? We
also got mixed messages of whether or not Copco store, the store mentioned in Soggy Sneakers, was
open and its a 2 hour drive, one way, to go check. They don't have a listed number anywhere. I
would recommend calling Noah's River Adventures, 1-800-858-2811, or Living Waters for shuttle info.
They seem to be the only companies running trips in September. Also, Ashland seems to be a better
starting point than Klamath Falls. We got skunked on the Klamath, but had some good runs on the
North Fork Rogue. Edit