Middle Fork Feather River
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Middle Fork Feather River
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| name_other = El Rio de las Plumas{{cite gnis|id=263528|name=Middle Fork Feather River|entrydate=1981-01-19|accessdate=2010-09-16}} NOTE For the coordinates of the Middle Fork's mouth, the USGS's National Elevation Database lists a different elevation (902.7 ft):
- {{cite web |title=Elevation query for "X_Value=-121.2807956&Y_Value=39.6376648" (returns "902.739597430692 … FEET") |publisher=USGS Elevation Query Web Service |url=http://gisdata.usgs.gov/xmlwebservices2/elevation_service.asmx/getElevation?X_Value=-121.4871904&Y_Value=39.5337752&Elevation_Units=FEET&Source_Layer=-1&Elevation_Only=FALSE |accessdate=2010-09-25}}
| name_etymology = "Plumas" means "feather" in Spanish
| image = Middle Fork of the Feather River in Plumas County-5266.jpg
| image_caption = The Middle Fork near Red Bridge Campground, May 2022
| image_size = 300
| map = Feathermap-01.png
| map_size = 300
| map_caption = Map of the Feather River watershed including the Middle Fork Feather
| pushpin_map =
| pushpin_map_size =
| pushpin_map_caption=
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = United States
| subdivision_type2 = State
| subdivision_name2 = California
| subdivision_type3 = Region
| subdivision_name3 = Sierra Nevada
| subdivision_type4 =
| subdivision_name4 =
| subdivision_type5 = Cities
| subdivision_name5 = Beckwourth, Portola, Cromberg, Graeagle
| length = {{convert|98|mi|km|abbr=on}}, East-west
| width_min =
| width_avg =
| width_max =
| depth_min =
| depth_avg =
| depth_max =
| discharge1_location= Merrimac
| discharge1_min =
| discharge1_avg = {{convert|1489.5|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_max = {{convert|86200|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}{{cite web|url=http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/peak?site_no=11394500&agency_cd=USGS&format=html|title=USGS Gage #11394500 on the Middle Fork Feather River near Merrimac, CA (Peak Streamflow)|publisher=U.S. Geological Survey|work=National Water Information System|date=1951–1986|accessdate=2010-09-16}}
| source1 = Near Beckwourth
| source1_location = Sierra Valley, Plumas County
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|39|48|49|N|120|22|46|W|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation = {{convert|4872|ft|abbr=on}}{{cite gnis|id=264126|name=North Channel Little Last Chance Creek|entrydate=1981-01-19|accessdate=2010-09-16}}
| mouth = Lake Oroville
| mouth_location = About {{convert|10|mi|km}} northeast of Oroville, Butte County
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|39|38|29|N|121|17|11|W|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation = {{convert|928|ft|abbr=on}}
| progression =
| river_system = Feather River watershed
| tributaries_left = Sulphur Creek, Frazier Creek, Gray Eagle Creek, Jamison Creek, Nelson Creek, Onion Valley Creek, South Branch Middle Fork Feather River, Fall River
| tributaries_right = Little Last Chance Creek, Big Grizzly Creek, Bear Creek, North Fork Middle Fork Feather River
| custom_label =
| custom_data =
| extra =
}}
The Middle Fork Feather River is a major river in Plumas and Butte Counties in the U.S. state of California. Nearly {{convert|100|mi|km}} long, it drains about {{convert|1062|mi2|km2}} of the rugged northern Sierra Nevada range.{{cite web
|author=George, Holly
|url=http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/1820/36228.pdf
|title=Upper Feather River Watershed (UFRW) Irrigation Discharge Management Program
|publisher=University of California Davis
|work=State Water Resources Control Board
|date=March 2007
|accessdate=2010-09-16
|display-authors=etal
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612162819/http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/1820/36228.pdf
|archivedate=2010-06-12
}}
Geography
Its headwaters are located near Beckwourth in the largest alpine basin in the Sierra Nevada, the Sierra Valley. The convergence of several streams there creates the Sierra Valley Channels,{{cite map
|publisher=ACME Mapper
|title=USGS Topo Maps for United States
|year=
|cartography=United States Geological Survey
|accessdate=2010-09-16
|url=http://mapper.acme.com/}} the largest of which is Little Last Chance Creek, flowing out of Frenchman Lake across the northeast side of the valley. Flowing west, it is joined by Big Grizzly Creek, with waters from Lake Davis. The river continues west, passing Portola and turning northwest at Clio, where it is joined by Sulphur Creek. In the area of Graeagle, It is joined by Frazier Creek, flowing out of Gold Lake, then Gray Eagle Creek, flowing out of Long Lake.
After flowing through the Mohawk Valley, it then turns westwards into a canyon. Jamison Creek and Nelson Creek enter from the left, then Onion Valley Creek a few miles onward. Bear Creek, Willow Creek and the North Fork Middle Fork Feather River all come in from the right as the river courses west-southwest through a tight, steep canyon strewn with rapids. It is then joined by the South Branch Middle Fork Feather River from the left. As the river widens into an arm of Lake Oroville, a reservoir formed by the Oroville Dam, the Fall River joins from the left. The reservoir is fed by the North, Middle, West and South Forks of the Feather River, which once joined in the valley to form the main Feather River. That river continues southwards to join the Sacramento River near the unincorporated community of Plumas Landing.
One of the Middle Fork Feather's tributaries, the Fall River, feeds the Feather Falls.{{cite book
|last1=Soares
|first1=John R.
|last2=Soares
|first2=Marc J.
|title=100 Classic Hikes in Northern California
|publisher=The Mountaineers Books
|page=[https://archive.org/details/digitalphotograp00jame/page/68 68]
|year=2008
|isbn=978-1-59485-062-2
|url=https://archive.org/details/digitalphotograp00jame/page/68
|last=Adkison
|first=Ron
|title=Hiking Northern California
|publisher=Globe Pequot
|page=267
|year=2000
|isbn=1-56044-701-X
|author1=Swan, Bryan |author2=Goss, Dean |url=http://www.world-waterfalls.com/database.php?s=T&t=G&category=country&search=USA&orderby=height%20DESC
|title=Showing all Waterfalls in USA
|publisher=World Waterfall Database
|date=
|accessdate=2010-09-16}}
Wild and Scenic River
The Middle Fork is recognized by the US Government for its untamed beauty and is designated a National Wild and Scenic River for 77.6 miles of its length.{{Cite web |title=Middle Fork of the Feather Wild and Scenic River, California |url=http://www.rivers.gov/wsr-feather.html |publisher=rivers.gov |accessdate=2011-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015075917/http://www.rivers.gov/wsr-feather.html |archive-date=2011-10-15 |url-status=dead }} The 32.9 mile stretch inaccessible to roads is home to some of the best wild trout fishing in California.
Grizzly Valley
The Grizzly Valley is a {{Convert|21|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}} landform of the upper Middle Fork Feather watershed that receives 29-37 inches of annual precipitation.{{Cite web |date=2004-02-27 |title=Grizzly Valley Groundwater Basin |url=http://www.water.ca.gov/pubs/groundwater/bulletin_118/basindescriptions/5-59.pdf |accessdate=2010-09-24}} The valley is the location of Lake Davis, an impoundment of Big Grizzly Creek by the 1967 Grizzly Valley Dam.{{Cite web |title=Appendix H |url=http://www.epa.gov/espp/litstatus/effects/redleg-frog/rotenone/appendix-h.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204104853/http://www.epa.gov/espp/litstatus/effects/redleg-frog/rotenone/appendix-h.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 4, 2011 |publisher=EPA.gov |accessdate=2010-09-24}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Central Valley Rivers}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Tributaries of the Feather River
Category:Rivers of Plumas County, California
Category:Rivers of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
Category:Plumas National Forest