Channel Cat River Rafting Club

We are a non-profit group focused on the preservation of our favorite stretch of the Tuolumne River. The club holds regular trips down the lower Tuolumne during the summer months. Since it's conception, members have been true to the club motto:

Events schedule:

2-14-02: Construction of the river bike jump has begun. Preliminary engineering studies indicate survival is probable. Impact studies will take place in the spring of 2002 or when water temperature allows.

2-16-02: Second seasonal meeting is scheduled at the Presidents house beginning at 5:00 P.M.
-Summary Of meeting: Total success! All who attended got drunk! Details to follow!

3-5-02: Search party volunteers are instructed to gather for the effort to find missing treasurer. Last seen heading out onto Lake McClure.

4-5-02: Meeting at Johns, all are invited, especially the homeless folks for a free hot meal.

4-14-02: The Prez and Tom raft down from Fox Grove to Hughson. Special thanks to John for filling his boat with trash!

5-6-02: The bike jump is no longer a virgin! The first professional tests have been completed and the jump is now open to amateurs.

Sometime during either 2000 or 2001 two of our members, Tom Kehoe and Eric Jamison, dowsed an arsonists fire after noticing smoke rising from the riparian oak habitat. The incident made the Modesto Bee but we have been unable to locate it.

The Tuolumne River has also been designated a Wild and Scenic River, under the 1968 California Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The Act provides that rivers possessing extraordinary scenic, recreational, fishery, or wildlife values shall be preserved in their free-flowing state, together with their immediate environments, for the benefit and enjoyment of the people of the state. The Tuolumne was added to the Wild and Scenic Rivers System on September 28, 1984.

The name for the Tuolumne River (twah'-luh-me) has as many possible meanings as it does spellings. The original meaning of the word "Tuolumne" may have been "cave people" or "stone wigwams," both taken from the history of tribes known as "Taulamnell," or "Tahualamne," or Yokuts Indians living near Knights Ferry in the rocks and recesses by the river. Another theory is that "Tuolumne" is derived from a Central Sierra Miwok word "talmalmne" whose meaning is unclear today.

The Tuolumne River drainage basin is a spectacular natural feature that has offered an abundance of natural resources to people inhabiting the area for generations. The Tuolumne River drainage is traditionally known as the southern boundary of the range of the Central Sierra Miwok. There is reason to believe that it also served as a main corridor of travel, trade and communication.

The benefits of living along the river and on its adjacent flats are easy to recognize. Water is plentiful, and a wondrous variety of plant and animal foods are bountiful within the several biotic communities that coexist within the drainage basin. The deep canyon, with its steep sides, rock outcrops and overhangs, and dense tree stands, offers protection from wind and snow, and a cool haven from the summer heat. The rock outcrops also were useful to the Miwok as natural pestles for processing traditional native foods such as acorns.

Another resource of the river that became important in the late 1840's is gold. This treasure attracted a variety of ethnic groups with a common goal, and initiated a complex relationship between newcomers and natives, as well as between people and the environment Miners' cabins dotted the Tuolumne River shores and slopes, and previously existing trails became thoroughfares. In late 1861 and early 1862, a series of torrential rains sent a major flood down the river leaving death, destruction, and illness in the remnant mining camps.

1904 saw a resurgence of mining camps along the Tuolumne River. Plans were made at this time to provide both mines and surrounding towns with electricity through the construction of the Tuolumne Electric Company's powerhouse just below the confluence of the Tuolumne and Clavey Rivers.

You may find remnants of the rich history of this portion of the Stanislaus National Forest as you travel its scenic passageways. These relics of the past are part of the landscape now and are protected by federal laws. The removal or damaging of archaeological or historical sites and artifacts is prohibited by law and punishable by penalties such as fines, prison sentences, property forfeiture, and damage assessments. Finding historical sites and artifacts can be exciting, but preserving them will make the experience available to people for years to come. Look and enjoy, but please leave these sites as you found them.

Tuolumne Powerhouse
Past the confluence of the Tuolumne River with the Clavey River, the foundation of the Tuolumne Powerhouse on is visible on the right bank of the Tuolumne.

In 1905, a steep road was cut on the south side and into the drainage area of Indian Creek. The final mile ran alongside the river on a masonry foundation that can still be seen today. Still standing are the stone abutments of the cable bridge that went across to the powerhouse. This structure was largely destroyed by the Cave Diggings Fire of 1928, and the 1937 flood.

Below is the river bike jump critical figures for survivability research purposes and optimal velocity calculations.