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California's Smith River Watershed Print E-mail
Written by Scott Harding   
Thursday, 26 June 2008 15:38
It was our third day of paddling in the Smith River National Recreation Area and
the rain hadn't let up for more than an hour at a time. A winter's day without
precipitation is the exception here in the soggy northwestern corner of California.
But nobody complained. The rain kept the river flowing.
The Smith is the only major undammed river system in California. Three forks of the river and 45 tributaries are designated Wild and Scenic all the way from their Siskiyou Mountains sources to the Pacific Ocean. With more than 325 miles of Wild and Scenic river within a 400,000-acre area, the Smith is considered the "Crown Jewel of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System." In 1990 Congress designated most of the watershed as a National Recreation Area. Other parts are protected by the Redwood National and State parks. Perhaps no other river in the nation is so comprehensively protected by law.

The South Fork:
Redwoods and Green Rocks
Low clouds clung to the verdant mountainsides as we slid our kayaks into the South Fork, the longest and largest of the Smith's forks. Along its 35 miles of navigable whitewater, it offers an astounding diversity of scenery and rapids from technical Class V gorges to magnificent Class III runs. This day we paddled a 12-mile length of Class III set in a dramatic gorge of deep coniferous forest. From the seat of my boat I caught fleeting glimpses of the Siskiyou Crest, a high range of glaciated mountains that tear across the skyline with all the splendor of the Grand Tetons. Witnesses to a grand display of botanical diversity, we floated through a forest of Douglas fir, cedar and hardwoods that imperceptibly gave way to a tall grove of redwoods spilling over the mountain from Redwoods National Park.
Dozens of rapids later, a large cobble bar at a broad left bend signaled our take-out. Despite the dull fatigue from three days of hard paddling, half of our group chose to continue through the South Fork Gorge, a mile-long flume of Class IV drops. Gently prodded, I continued downstream. Moments later, walls of smoothly sculpted green rock rose from the river, constricting its width by two-thirds. Distinct horizon lines suddenly appeared and the gradient increased markedly. Sitting in my boat above the largest drop, optimistically named Good Luck, I watched streams of water shoot several feet up in the air. Feeling a need to know what was making the water leap out of the river, I got out of my boat and rockhopped to a point about 20 vertical feet above the rapid. The water was shooting out of a giant, churning hole on river right. Downstream, a cataract-filled gorge lined with redwoods twisted through the mountains, fog clinging to the treetops. I stayed on the rock long enough to watch our lead boater plunge into the hole. What seemed like minutes later she came shooting out, nose to the sky, all smiles. Back at the water, I climbed into my boat, crossed my fingers and hoped for my own good luck.

The North Fork:
Gem of the Redrock Rainforest
It is a common misconception that California is falling into the sea with each new earthquake. The area around the North Fork of the Smith has actually been pushed up from deep below the ocean floor, exposing an unusual type of rock called peridotite. This rock is toxic to most plants but a very rare community of plants tolerant of the toxin has evolved in the North Fork basin. Cobra lilies, a rare insectivorous plant resembling a striking king cobra, cling to many of the more than one hundred waterfalls that plummet off the steep cliffsides to join the turquoise river. The few trees that can manage to put their roots down on the steep, eroding mountainsides end up twisted and stunted, creating bizarre silhouettes on the hillsides.
Entering one of the North Fork's seemingly endless rapids, I saw something dark bobbing in the water ahead of me. My attention reverted to the large hole threatening to devour me but as soon as I had cleared it I saw the floating object again. A small log? A piece of lost gear? I began to chase it. Then there were two. They surfaced with irregular timing and sometimes long distances from where I last saw them submerge. Drawing closer at the bottom of the rapid, I saw that they were otters. I assumed they had been attracted to this stretch of river by the rapids, which they had run with impressive finesse. But then, peering into the transparent turquoise water, I saw what the otters had really come for: giant salmon swimming upstream.
Despite being one of the most beautiful and unique wilderness rivers in the nation, the North Fork has yet to gain a reputation deserving of its remarkable character. A short season and a long shuttle keep many paddlers away. Those who do make it are rewarded by a secluded wonderland of turquoise water, rare plants, riverside waterfalls and exhilarating Class IV rapids within a half dozen canyons. The landscape of the North Fork, known to locals as the Redrock Rainforest, is unearthly, desolate and gorgeous. The land appears desert-like despite its abundantly wet climate. No other river in North America compares.

The Middle Fork: Wettest Place in the Lower 48
Back at camp on night four, the evening light faded without celebration. Stars emerged briefly before the next blanket of clouds rolled over. Rain began to fall again. Earlier in the day, during a break in the clouds, we saw Camp Six Mountain, a forested peak towering 3,000 feet above the Middle Fork. Nearly 250 inches of rain drenched the mountain in 1982, setting the record for highest annual rainfall recorded in the Lower 48. About 100 inches of rain is the annual average—still enough to ensure plenty of water.
It rained all night, this time enough to soak through my aging tent. It was also enough to raise the level of the Middle Fork substantially. We were forced to abandon our plans to paddle below the confluence with the North Fork—the added flow from the North Fork brought the river up into the trees. But above the confluence, the water level was just right. The Smith River Scenic Byway runs the length of the Middle Fork, making it easy for paddlers to move higher in the watershed to avoid high water levels. Other times, when levels are lower, paddlers can move to the downstream reaches of the watershed where there is more water.
The best water levels on the Smith usually occur between October and May but the section of river below the confluence of the South and Middle Forks, known as the Mainstem, can be paddled all year. Class II in difficulty, the Mainstem is the only major river in the world to flow through an old growth redwood forest. Sea kayaks, dories, rafts, canoes and kayaks are all suited for this run. Half a dozen tributary streams to the Smith can also be run and provide the advanced to expert creek boater with a full winter's worth of boating. With some of the clearest water in the world, an amazing diversity of pristine scenery and more than 150 miles of whitewater, the Smith watershed is a paddler's dreamland.
Worn thin from a week of boating, I sat on the bank at the picturesque confluence of the Middle and South Forks and stared into the water. At the exact spot the currents converged, I saw a glistening stone reflecting light effortlessly through the emerald water. I knew that this was it, the crown jewel.

Smith Stats
Getting there: From Interstate-5 in Oregon: take US 199 south from Grant's Pass for 51 miles to enter the National Recreation Area (NRA) from the north. From US 101 along the California or Oregon coast: take US 199 north from Crescent City for 10 miles to enter the NRA just east of Hiouchi.
Information: More information about the NRA, outfitters, water levels and an indispensable map titled Whitewater of the Smith River Watershed ($6) can be obtained from Smith River NRA Headquarters, PO Box 228, Gasquet, CA 95543, (707) 457-3131.
Season: Best water levels are found October-May. Be prepared for rain during these months. Daytime air temperatures range from 40-60 F in winter and 75-90 in summer. Winter water temperatures range from 45-53 and 58-70 in summer.
Camping/Lodging/Dining: Four developed campgrounds and abundant primitive camping areas can be found within the NRA. Camping is also available just outside the NRA at Jed Smith State Park. Fine lodging and dining can be found at the Patrick Creek Lodge along the Middle Fork. Motels, restaurants, and stores are located in Hiouchi, Gasquet, and Crescent City.

Originally Published, Paddler November-December 1999
 

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