Water, Power, & Fish - October 12th

Overview

Water, Power, and Fish has been one of the most popular tours offered by the Sierra Institute since the Center of Forestry started offering tours in 2005. The tour follows the water (and the money) from the penstock at Prattville intake on Lake Almanor to the powerhouse at Butt Valley Reservoir and on to the Caribou Powerhouses and the North Fork of the Feather River. Tour participants will also have the opportunity to go inside the Caribou Powerhouse on a guided tour with PG&E representatives. The Water, Power, and Fish tour discusses the many aspects of hydroelectric power production and its impacts on fisheries, ecosystems, recreation, and rural communities. The tour is offered in the fall, offering beautiful fall scenery as we travel along.

Accolades

Here's what past participants have said about this tour:

"Excellent balance of socio-economic and political content!"
—2006 Tour participant

"Presenters were very dedicated to environmental and water/fish issues."
—2007 Tour participant

"Seeing the inside of the Caribou Powerhouse was the highlight of the tour!"
—2008 Tour participant

"Ken Roby and Mike Willhoit were so knowledgeable and friendly, that they made the tour come alive!"
—2010 Tour Participant.

"The best part of this tour was having all the conversations with the nice people!"
-2011 9th Grade Student Tour Participant

The tour will begin in Chester at the Collins Pine Museum, where participants will be introduced to the day's events and tours guides and enjoy morning refreshments. Participants will then board a hired bus and begin the journey down the "Stairway of Power." The first stop will be at the Prattville intake on the southwest shore of Lake Almanor. Discussion will be centered around lake ecology, PG&E's re-licensing process, and the potential for a thermal curtain to be installed in the lake to lower the temperature of the North Fork of the Feather River one degree Celsius. The bus will follow the water down to Butt Valley Reservoir, where participants will discuss the ecological effects of dams on fisheries. The group will then travel down to Caribou and walk the catwalk, where we can view the turbines inside. We'll stop at the Belden Powerhouse for a brief tour with a PG&E employee. Participants will learn about the process and benefits of hydroelectric power from PG&E.

Ken Roby, Retired US Forest Fisheries Biologist and Mike Willhoit, retired PG&E Manager will be our tour guides for this tour. Emily Creely, Watershed Coordinator for Sierra Institute will also be on board to answer any questions regarding the Lake Almanor watershed.

Tour Itinerary

8:30 am	Meet at Collins Museum: Intro to the day's events and the Sierra Institute
8:45 am	Drive to Prattville intake on Lake Almanor
9:00 am	Prattville Intake: lake ecology, PG&E's re-licensing agreements, and the potential for a thermal curtain
9:40 am	Drive to Butt Valley Reservoir
9:55 am	Butt Valley Reservoir pipeline: Reservoirs and fisheries
10:15 am	Drive to Alder Creek
10:20 am	Alder Creek Picnic Area: Ecological impacts of dams
10:50 am	Drive to Caribou Powerhouse
11:25 am	Caribou Power House: walk the catwalk
12:55 pm	Drive to Gansner Bar Campground
1:15 pm	LUNCH at Gansner Bar campground. Discussion on the effects of dams on fisheries
1:50 pm	Drive to Belden Powerhouse
2:00 pm	Belden Powerhouse: impact of recreational flows on invertebrates, amphibians, & fish: Tour with PG&E Employee
4:0pm	Drive back to Collins Pine Museum - Chester

What to bring on this tour

Wear comfortable, closed-toes shoes for this tour. Please bring a re-fillable water bottle and don't forget your camera!

Register Today!

To register for this tour, call us at (530) 284-1022 or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Last Updated on Tuesday, 06 March 2012 17:33