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AllAboutRivers Forums for CA
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Middle Fork - Black Butte River to Dos Rios Info
Use this information at your own risk. See our legal notices. |
| Put In: |
Black Butte River |
| Take Out: |
Dos Rios (Main and Middle Eel Confluence) |
| Difficulty: |
Class II
, Class III
, Class IV
|
| Gradient: |
20 ft/mi |
| Run Length: |
30 miles |
| Current Streamflow |
8.8 cfs @ 08/08/2008 11:00 AM - MF EEL R NR DOS RIOS CA, reading taken from USGS
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| Good Level: |
400-10,000 cfs |
| Season Comments: |
March, April, May
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| Permit: |
None presently required. |
| Character/Similar To: |
The Middle Eel is one of the best long wilderness runs in California. The first 25 miles are fairly calm with scenic rolling hills and moderate Class II rapids and good play spots. The river then changes character and offers several big rapids. Just above the confluence with the Main Eel at Dos Rios, the river drops through a 3 mile gorge. |
| Hazards: |
Coal Mine Falls (often portaged). The Middle Fork can rise quickly during heavy rains. Isolation and difficult rapids. |
| Water Craft: |
kayak,canoe,raft |
| Land Ownership: |
Mixed |
| Camping on River: |
Numerous sites along the river except near Coal Mine Falls. |
| Location: |
In the Pacific Region (CA), 200 miles Northwest of Sacramento |
| Shuttle Logistics: |
Put-in: From Covelo, California, go 1.5 miles out of town on Covelo Road and turn right on Mendocino Pass Road. Go 14 miles and cross the Middle Eel at the Black Butte Guard Station. Here you'll find a campground that provides a good organizational site, and launching spots abound on the beaches surrounding the campground.
Take-out: Turn east off Hwy 101 some 13 miles north of Willits onto Covelo Road, which follows Outlet Creek and then the Main Eel for 16 miles to Dos Rios. Take-out on a gravel bar on the left bank of the Middle Eel just downstream from the bridge. Scout the dirt road leading down to the take-out before you attempt it in your vehicle. |
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