Kwá·n·a·tuk (Forgotten Forest)

Below the former Copco 2 Dam site, the canyon bends sharply left and the gradient increases. Kwá·n·a·tuk (KWAH-nah-took), also known as Forgotten Forest, is a long, continuous rapid with numerous rocks, holes, and waves. Mid-rapid eddies are limited to the banks at low flows, an even then shoreline tree may present hazards. A swim here can be long and rocky, potentially extending into the next rapid—one of the primary hazards.

Scouting is best from river right at the top, where there is a a long downstream view. Scrambling higher up the bouldery slope reveals a bit more, though the end of the rapid remains hidden around a slight bend.

The end of Kwá·n·a·tuk is indistinct, as it flows directly into Kit·árʔ (Salmon Slapper) without a significant pool or break. At low and medium flows, a river-left eddy offers a regrouping spot, but at higher flows this disappears, fully merging the two rapids. Many raft groups choose to run them together at all flows.

About the name: Kwá·n·a·tuk is a Shasta word meaning “lost place.” The alternate name “Forgotten Forest” recalls the trees that grew in the dewatered riverbed during 98 years of Copco 2 Dam operations. These hazardous in-channel trees were removed during dam deconstruction due to American Whitewater’s advocacy and involvement, restoring the river to a natural, navigable state.