Yuba, Middle Fork, California, US

B) Plumbago Crossing to Our House Reservoir (Plumbago)

Gauge Information

River Description

American Whitewater is seeking information about this reach. If you have paddled this reach or are otherwise familiar with it, please leave comments and contact a StreamTeam member so your information can be included on this page.

American Whitewater is partnering with Nevada Irrigation District (NID) and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to identify a preferred range of whitewater boating flows on this reach and on numerous other reaches in the Yuba and Bear watersheds. Information obtained from surveys completed by boaters will help us identify flow preferences for whitewater boating. Flow preferences determined from boater surveys will be used to evaluate possible effects on whitewater boating from Project operation and help define flow needs.

Boater input is very important to this process. Please help us, yourself, and your friends by filling out a survey if you paddle this reach.

Click here to fill out survey.

Access from the south is down a steep, marginal road. Access from the north, through Alleghany, is long, but a better road, as long as it is dry.

Pete Arpin reports:

"I highly recommend paddling the extra couple of class 3/4 miles from Foot
Crossing bridge to Our House Res. The Foote Rd south of the river hugs the
cliff on a Chinese built retaining wall. It is the perfect location for a
3rd world bus plunge or a Foggy Mt Breakdown. The road to the north is OK
but Loooong.

My memory is foggy, but I think dragging a boat down to the put in from the
south, IF the road was impassible, would not be too difficult. Accessing the
put in from the north is verrry looong.

My notes say class 4+ with a couple of 5- @ 566 cfs. They also say I did 3
portages. The 1st was short and at river level. The 2nd is long and partly
in the river. The main obstacle was a huge log and maybe a sticky hole. I
think its described in S&H. I can't recall the 3rd portage. It may have
been a short thing at the end of the 2nd. My foggy recollection recalls a
river similar in character to the hardest portion of the NF Cal Salmon, @ 800
CFS, which I just paddled.

Although very isolated, there are many active and abandoned mining sites.
This means there are many emergency egresses from the canyon..."

Other information Sources:

NID's Public Relicensing Website