Always check out river conditions and bring the correct equipment for such conditions. High flows mean faster water, more unfamiliar hazards and differences than you may be used to on the river, and there will likely be many more dangerous strainers. Use wetsuits/drysuits if the water temperature is below 52 degress F., faster water means colder temperatures no matter how hot the air temperature is. Longer swims are likely in faster moving water and may allow hypothermic results to set in. Hypothermia means your reaction time and reasoning decreases quickly. Wetsuits are still recommended with swiftwater / high water.

Helmets should be worn in faster water to prevent head injuries even on rivers less difficult than Class IV. High water, swiftwater means swimmers must be more prepared to practice self-rescue and get out of the water on their own. Boat rescues will likely take longer than ususal and require more skillful maneuvering. Remember your life is more important than any equipment, paddle, kayak, or even a raft. Save yourself first!

Never boat alone, you always need at least another boat to back you up or help out. And make sure you have rescue gear, throw bags, flip lines, first aid, and safety to handle most situations whether it be a "dump truck", flip, or wrap. Boats should always stay in the line of sight of each other. Special situation statement on South Fork American.

Private Boaters be Dammed!

South Fork American Special Situation Letter

Supposedly "Professional", the commercial rafting companies don't help out that much with private boaters or others, they are more concerned with taking care of their "paying" customers, staying together in their groups, and not bothering with private boaters. South Fork is used by most commercial companies as a training river, their best guides go on to other rivers any chance they get. You cannot count on the commercial guides for help because of their limited training and perhaps also because of the liability/insurance limitation.

River Recreation Supervisor, Parks and Recreation Division, General Services Department, 3000 Fairlane Court, Suite 1, Placerville, CA 95667 (530)621-5349, (530)621-7433 El Dorado County Parks and Rec's Jeff Novak has "aggressive" anti-private boater policy even at Skunk Hollow which is outside their jurisdiction, it is a state park. El Dorado County Sherrif has been "aggressive" in oppressing the non-commercially licensed private boaters. In fact, Jeff Novak, has pursued an anal retentive policy to discourage private boaters in the interest of the commercial boaters. They have made it extremely difficult to obtain or gain information about getting commercial permits and the number of permits is extremely limited. Jeff Novak has also initiated practices which are borderline harrassment, needs a refresher in conceptual objectivity or probably should be replaced. He has gone very far out of his way to make trips less safe for private boaters by for example, intercepting and confiscating medical statement and emergency notification information of private boaters, applied an accusatory "Placerville" style of law, accusing private boaters of being pirates by association with supposedly convicted "pirates". Conviction is for charging any amount for boating, even if its below the cost of doing such trips, usually these are trumped up charges anyway. Guilt by association has never stood up in the courts. Private boaters are treated much worse than convicted felons by Jeff Novak and the Sherriffs Department.

Result, lesser skilled boaters on South Fork, increased accidents and injuries, fewer skilled rescue boaters around, increased liability to the county of El Dorado. What is really being achieved is a negative effect for all. This is a great lose-lose situation now because of shortsighted and regressive river management policies.

• January 16, 1998 - Non boater fatality on Black River, Ohio
• April, 1998, two skilled boaters killed, 10 EVAC'ed out of Green Wall on the Illinois River in Oregon.
• May, 1998, two boaters killed on S. Fork Yuba River.
• June 6, 1998 - OARS guide killed at Graves Grindstone, Tuoloumne River on 6/6/98, 9000 cfs reported. Boat flipped, 4 paddlers ok, ran right side into the big hole, "dry" drowning.
• Week of 6/13/98 - drowning on Kern River, 13 year old.
• 6/18/98 - rafter fatality on Lower Stanislaus, no further details.
• 6/18/98 - rafter killed on Klamath River, no further details.
• 6/17/98 - rafter killed on Upper Kern River, no further details.
• 6/17/98 - 6'3", 300 lb. private boater flipped his boat at Meatgrinder on S. Fork American, running 6900 cfs, swam a long way, possible head trauma, body found in strainers above Triple Threat. One additional EVAC.
• 6/20/98 - 2 recreational fatalaties on Chico Creek.Chico residents Faye Gettis, 47, and Richard Campbell, 12, drowned in Chico Creek in Butte County after toppling from the air mattress they were riding, said Assistant Sheriff Perry Reniff.
• 6/20/98 - Kayaker drowning above Satan's Cesspool on S. Fork American River, running 6200 cfs, also 1 EVAC heart attack, swimmer, Adventure Connection participant, also above Satan's.

  Joann Welte, 41, of Long Beach, drowned Saturday on the south fork of the American. She was knocked overboard and swept two miles downstream after her raft overturned, authorities said.

• 6/21/98 - Brenda Cerone, 27, of Vallejo, was critically injured when she fell from a raft on the south fork of the American and was trapped underwater against a tree. She was taken to Marshall Hospital in Placerville, where her condition was listed Monday as critical.
• 6/21/98 - 3 rafters bodies recovered, 2 near Consumnes Falls on Consumnes River. Hydrolic forces reportedly stripped all of their clothes. This was a solo boat trip. Three Sacramento-area men drowned after their raft overturned on the Cosumnes River between Sloughhouse and Wilton. Two of the victims have been identified by the coroner's office as Heath J. Hodgeson, 30, and RoyAllenJohnson III, 26, both of Rancho Cordova. The identity of the third man was not immediately available. Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Richard Madrigal said the three men set out from Rancho Murieta on Sunday morning, and had planned to meet their families downstream at Wilton several hours later. When they failed to show up, their families searched unsuccessfully, then reported them missing about 11:30 p.m. One body was found about 4 a.m. Monday, about 100 yards downstream from an abrupt 4- to 5-foot drop in the river. A second body, tangled in rope, was found later that morning under an overturned raft in churning water at the foot of the drop. The third body was nearby on the bottom of the river. "Their raft just kept tumbling and tumbling and tumbling," with the water creating a washing-machine effect, said Larry Wooster of the Drowning Accident Rescue Team, or DART. "You have to be very lucky and very skilled to get out of a situation like that." Two of the Cosumnes River victims were found wearing life preservers. The other victim's flotation device was found near his body. "The current is so strong it just stripped away the clothing they were wearing," Madrigal said.

1997 Departures

1996 Departures

1995 Departures

1994 Departures

1993 Departures

1992 Departures

1991 Departures

1990 Departures

1989 Departures

Call for Entries / Photos / Submissions

Class V Calendar 2000 [Y2K] We are looking for photos for the new Class V Calendar, must be a picture of a Class V rapid with a boater in it, kayak, canoe, raft, cat, I.K., or other whitewater vehicle. Photos must be of high quality, 8X12, and we may need to borrow your negatives if selected. Contact Luis Saravia. And you can preview our calendar here. Spasibo, The X-Stream Dream Team™

Project Whitewater Russia / USA

Kak Dela?
International and Multi-National Effort
Russkie i Amerikantsy

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