White-water rafting/kayaking on East Fork of Carson River

By Don Quilici

This is that time of the year when white-water enthusiasts are attracted to traveling down the highly-popular East Fork of the Carson River, also known as the East Carson River.

The East Carson River begins in the high country of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, flows down into Nevada and then ultimately joins the West Carson in Carson Valley to become the main Carson River, which ends up in Lahontan Reservoir.

That small river is very popular with private and commercial rafters, kayakers, canoers, etc., particularly the scenic, 20-mile section between Hangman's Bridge, just out of Markleeville, Calif. and the old broken dam, just out Gardnerville.

Persons who are interested in traveling down the East Carson River in a raft, kayak or canoe, can visit a government website to get the current levels of the water flows of that river. That website is: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/uv?site_no=10308200.

Note: On April 11, the East Carson River water flow was reproted to be 400 C.F.S.

Four days earlier, the water flow was at 800 C.F.S.

That drop was caused by the cooling temperatures.

For those interested in booking a white-water trip with a commercial rafting or kayak guide, this the 2005 list of U. S. Forest Service East Fork Carson River Permittees:

Rafting Guides:

• American River Recreation, P.O. Box 465, Lotus, Calif. 95651 (530) 622-6802.

• ARTA River Trips, 560 Peterson Lane, Lotus, Calif. 95651 (530) 621-2811.

• Get Outfitters, Inc., 4338 S. Carson St., Carson City, 8970 (775) 885-7773.

• Great Basin Sports Company, 1581-B Highway 395, Minden 89423 (775) 782-5657.

• Tahoe Whitewater Tours, P.O. Box 7466, Tahoe City, Calif., 96415 (530) 581-2441.

• Tributary Whitewater Tours, 20480 Woodbury Drive, Grass Valley Calif., 95949 (530) 346-6812.

Kayaking Guide:

• Sierra Nevada Outdoors, 3650 Sebastian Circle, Reno 89503 (775) 747-1587.

For information, call the U. S. Forest Service Carson Ranger District office at 882-2766 during regular business hours.