Im going to be running fordyce in late august and am a little worried about the water crossings in my 2400lb ride that kinda floats already, should I be? thanks guys glad to see this great trail getting some positive attention.

Traditionally the flows are not real bad that time of year.

http://www.dreamflows.com/graphs/yir.063.png

Depends on the snow pack. This year might not be too bad considering the relative lack of snow. Also depends on how tall your rig is. Here's 42's and the river running at 250 cfs at the committee crossing.

http://fourdice4x4.com/photos/albums/pebbles/sunkenlr.jpg

Just kidding, here it is really.

http://fourdice4x4.com/photos/albums/album12/IMG_1646.sized.jpg

Dreamflows seems to be back up and running so it's a good idea to go there and check it out before a trip.

http://www.dreamflows.com/realtime.php#California_Sierra_West_Slope

When it's running like that it's really important to know the proper lines to take and where the holes are. Even in low flow times like right now there is a big hole at the first water crossing that will swallow a 40" tire.

That time of year you will be fine. On the first crossing do not go directly across. When you get in the water go down stream about 15 feet above the rapids and the start heading back up the other side. It is a lot shallower that the middle.

On the second and third crossings just drive across.

on the committee crossing you have two lines. On the upper line it is easy in and easy out with a fairly deep hole in the middle. The lower line is easy in and a 4' ledge to get out but it is not as deep. I have always taken the lower line.

This is the lower line.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=267232&d=1160584302

Middle of July '06. 240 CFS from an internal PG&E site at Fordyce Guaging station. First Crossing, Jeep is on 35" tires.
http://gerg.smugmug.com/photos/141681609-M.jpg

Fordyce gauging station shows a jump from 100 CFS to 200 CFS this week. Lots more water for the rest of the summer.

damn better bring my anchor and board shorts

kinda stupid to be running your fan in the water dont you think?? i know my truck doesnt have a electric fan. and maybe his doesnt either but you think you would atleast go the shallower route

kinda stupid to be running your fan in the water dont you think?? i know my truck doesnt have a electric fan. and maybe his doesnt either but you think you would atleast go the shallower route

fan was off, thats the alternator :laughing:

kinda stupid to be running your fan in the water dont you think?? i know my truck doesnt have a electric fan. and maybe his doesnt either but you think you would atleast go the shallower route

No that I really need to answer this but what the hell. Yes I have an electric fan and yes it was off. As Keith said it was the alternator kicking up all the water.

Second, that is the shallower route. The water release was somewhere between 250 to 300 that weekend.

Third, it's probably better if you just leave these kind of posts in chit chat. We're trying to do something constructive here and it's a waste of everyone's time to read and answer posts like them.

Fourth, you really hurt my feelings when you called me stupid.:flipoff2:

Fordyce gauging station shows a jump from 100 CFS to 200 CFS this week. Lots more water for the rest of the summer. 200 is not a lot of water, it is when it gets to 300 plus, that it gets fun!!!!!!

Not sure what the water situation is in the northern sierra but they only ran it at 200 CFS for three days (looks like the 4th at noon until the 7th at noon) since then it's been running at just under 100 CFS. This corresponds with the peak water at the lake. The peak was 46000 acre feet. If the lake didn't fill then they wouldn't run a bunch of water out. The lake drew down 150 acre feet on the 17th and it's been drawing down since the 5th (currently at 44500). I suspect low flows for the remainder of the year because it was running near 300 CFS this time last year.

Keep in mind this is just the flow at the gauging station just below the lake and doesn't allow for any of the feeder streams below.