North Fork Feather River

The North Fork Feather River is a watercourse of the northern Sierra Nevada in the U.S. state of California. It flows generally southwards from its headwaters near Lassen Peak to Lake Oroville, a reservoir formed by Oroville Dam in the foothills of the Sierra, where it runs into the Feather River. The river drains about 2,100 square miles (5,400 km2) of the western slope of the Sierras. By discharge, it is the largest tributary of the Feather.

North Fork Feather River
Freight train crossing the North Fork, 2017
Map of the Feather River drainage basin. The North Fork flows from Lassen Peak southward to Lake Oroville.
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionNorth Fork Feather Watershed
1,090 sq mi (2,800 km2),[1] including the
West Fork but not East Branch Watershed
Physical characteristics
Source confluenceRice Creek (Feather River) & South Arm Rice Creek
 • locationFeather River Meadows
MouthLake Oroville, North ArmA
Length70 mi (110 km)
Basin size2,100 sq mi (5,400 km2)[1]
Discharge 
 • locationmouth at north arm, Lake Oroville; max and min at Pulga[2]
 • average2,930 cu ft/s (83 m3/s)[2]
 • minimum5.4 cu ft/s (0.15 m3/s)
 • maximum105,400 cu ft/s (2,980 m3/s)
APrior to Oroville Dam construction, the North Fork flowed to its former mouth[3] in the current lake's Main Basin.[4]

It rises at the confluence of Rice Creek and a smaller unnamed stream in the southern part of the Lassen Volcanic National Park. The river flows east, receiving Warner Creek from the left, and passes the town of Chester. It then empties into Lake Almanor, which is formed by the Canyon Dam. After leaving the dam the river cuts south into a gorge, and turns southwest to receive Butt Creek from the right. The East Branch North Fork Feather River, the North Fork's largest tributary, comes in from the left near Belden, where the river is impounded again at the Rock Creek Dam. It then flows southwards, through several hydroelectric dams, into the north arm of Lake Oroville.

The fork's portion of the Feather River Canyon is notable as part of the Feather River Route, and the railroad's North Fork Bridge near the river's mouth is the longest reinforced concrete bridge in the US.[5]

The North Fork is heavily developed for hydroelectricity generation and is impounded by five dams, as part of three hydroelectric projects – the Upper North Fork Feather River Project, the Rock Creek-Cresta Hydroelectric Project and the Poe Hydroelectric Project. The system is so extensive that it has been dubbed the "Stairway of Power".[6][7]

Kings Creek (foreground) headwaters flow >11 mi (18 km) from the SE slope of Lassen Peak (background), >7 mi (11 km) in Warner Creek, and >63 mi (101 km) in the North Fork to Lake Oroville's northern arm.
A railroad trestle and CA 70 over the North Fork in the Feather River Canyon

.

Watershed

The North Fork Feather Watershed (USGS Huc 18020121)[8] extends from the North Fork headwaters south-southwest to the Lower Feather Watershed.[9] The headwaters are in the Shasta Cascades and the northern Sierras along the Pit River and Eagle-Honey watersheds. The drainage divide for the headwaters begins in Shasta County at the Lassen Peak quadruple watershed point of East Sulpher Creek (Mill-Big Chico), Manzanita Creek (Upper Cow-Battle watershed), Lost Creek (Lower Pit River), and Kings Creek (North Fork Feather). The headwater divide extends in an arc east to Lassen County, then to the Great Basin Divide triple point of the Feather, Pit, and Susan Rivers. The divide arcs southeast to Pegleg Mountain and along 13 mi (21 km) of the Sierra Crest to the triple point with the East Branch North Fork Feather River on the east slope of Indicator Peak (40.012069°N 120.187554°W / 40.012069; -120.187554).

For a list of Sierra Nevada (U.S.) headwater creeks that drain to the North Fork, see Sierra Crest.

Downstream of Shasta and Lassen counties, the majority of the North Fork Feather Watershed area is in Plumas County. The west divide of the watershed is along the Mill-Big Chico Watershed, southward to the West Branch Feather River triple point. The southeast divide of the North Fork Feather Watershed is the watershed of the East Branch to the triple point with the Middle Fork Feather River.

The lowest elevations of the North Fork Feather Watershed are in Butte County, with the emergency weir crest at 901 ft (275 m) and, at average storage capacity, the Lake Oroville level of 812 ft (247 m) .[10]

North Fork Feather River course,
including associated Lake Oroville points
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
description coordinates
headpoint summit SSE of Mount Helen 40.460728°N 121.498103°W / 40.460728; -121.498103
Rice Creek confluence, headwaters w/ Rice Cr 40.455242°N 121.485572°W / 40.455242; -121.485572
inflow to Crumbaugh Lake 40.447829 121.488361
border, Shasta/Plumas counties
border, Stump Ranch Marsh Area
confluence, South Arm Rice Creek 40°21′47″N 121°27′5″W
North Fork source, North Fork
confluence, flow from Buzzard Sprs 40.354884 121.366396
confluence, Warner Creek 40.333133 121.306529
diversion channel W of Lake Almanor 40.302538 121.263914
road, CA 36 N of Chester 40.310753 121.228638
inflow to Lake Almanor 40.303225 121.212373
Canyon Dam 40.174578 121.087017
confluence, Bear Creek 40.107487 121.080408
dam, Belden ForeBay 40.076167 121.160789
confluence, Mosquito Creek 40.060731 121.200657
North Fork in
Feather River
Canyon[5]		 confluence, East Branch 40.014074°N 121.225934°W / 40.014074; -121.225934
confluence, Indian Creek 40.005068 121.264
dam, Rock Creek Reservoir 39.986919 121.28314
confluence, Rock Creek 39.899959 121.359487
confluence, Jackass Creek 39.937283 121.316013
road, Rock Creek Camp 39.925535 121.316013
road, CA 70 39.918031 121.321507
confluence, Bucks Creek 39.91418 121.326742
dam, Cresta Reservoir 39.876118 121.373477
confluence, Mill Creek 39.805008 121.440425
confluence, Flea Valley Creek 39.802107 121.446948
North Fork road, 1932 arch bridge (CA 70) 39.79482 121.451669
railroad, trestles S of CA 70 39.7948 121.451669
dam, Poe Reservoir
border, Plumas/Butte counties
mouth, North Fork (912 ft elevation)[3] 39°43′27″N 121°28′19″W
Lake Oroville,
North Arm		 railroad, 1962 North Fork Bridge 39.716529 121.470551
confluence, Rock Creek 39.716034 121.455402
border, Lassen NF 39.71336 121.468663
confluence, Chino Creek 39.719005 121.422701
confluence, Mosquito Creek 39.69705 121.406007
confluence, W of Stephens Ridge 39.688101 121.400127
confluences, Berry & Frazier creeks 39.670166 121.431456
confluence, West Arm 39.666499 121.496773
former town, Big Ripple 39°37′38″N 121°29′33″W
former town, Bloomer 39°37′28″N 121°29′29″W
mouth, lower North Arm 39.57857°N 121.471882°W / 39.57857; -121.471882
Lake Oroville,
Main Basin		 inflow, lake's Main Basin[4]
landing area for seaplane base 39.5662750°N 121.4685789°W / 39.5662750; -121.4685789
former town, Bidwell 39°33′25″N 121°27′56″W
former mouth,A North F w/ Feather R 39°33′20″N 121°28′0″W
former town, Land 39°33′13″N 121°28′04″W)
intake (main), Hyatt powerplant
Oroville Dam road on crest (900 ft elevation)[3] 39.5387752°N 121.4855237°W / 39.5387752; -121.4855237
downstream dam face (702 ft) 39.5348863°N 121.4827459°W / 39.5348863; -121.4827459
diversion, Palermo Canal (505 ft) 39.532942°N 121.482825°W / 39.532942; -121.482825
road, Oro Powerhouse (360 ft) 39.534696°N 121.486216°W / 39.534696; -121.486216
Feather River source, downstream of dam[4] 39°32′1.59″N 121°29′13.88″W
former community, Quartz 39.5326641°N 121.4983018°W / 39.5326641; -121.4983018
confluence, Oroville Spillway[11] 39.5356933°N 121.5016958°W / 39.5356933; -121.5016958
For river points downstream of the spillway confluence (e.g., the Oroville Wildlife Area border), see Feather River.

References
  1. "Boundary Descriptions and Names of Regions, Subregions, Accounting Units and Cataloging Units". USGS.gov. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
  2. Wills, Leah. "upper Feather River Integrated Regional Water Management Plan" (PDF). Water.lgc.org. Plumas County. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  3. "Query Form For The United States And Its Territories". U.S. Board on Geographic Names. Retrieved 2010-07-30.
  4. "Section 2: Proposed Action and Alternatives". Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Oroville Facilities Project. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. p. 17. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  5. Oxlade, John (31 December 2003). "Out-n-About - The Feather River Canyon, California, USA". WorldRailFans.info. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 2010-09-11. the actual "canyon" portion petween Pulga and Keddie is only approx. 42 miles
  6. "Rock Creek - Cresta, California : Pioneering Recreational Whitewater Flow Studies" (PDF). Npg.gov. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  7. "NORTH FORK FEATHER RIVER PLANNING UNIT : Feather River Watershed" (PDF). Lcp.stewardshipcouncil.org. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  8. "North Fork Feather Watershed -- 18020121 - Surf Your Watershed - US EPA". Cfpub.epa.gov. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  9. "Lower Feather Watershed -- 18020106 - Surf Your Watershed - US EPA". Cfpub.epa.gov. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  10. "Oroville Dam (ORO)". Retrieved 2010-09-15. NOTE: The 2010 measurements closest to average capacity (2,332,203 acre feet (2.876730 km3)) were 2,331,494 acre feet (2.875856 km3) & 2,342,112 acre feet (2.888953 km3)
  11. "Oroville Dam". UCDavis.edu. Archived from the original on 2010-06-20. Retrieved 2010-09-15. Oroville Spillway ... gated flood control outlet and emergency weir
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