Hazard Warning: Hazard information may be user-submitted and unverified. Conditions change frequently. Always scout rapids and obstacles yourself.
Hazard CA Class I

Lower Owl Hollow Riffle

San Joaquin - Friant Dam to Mendota Pool Dam (CA)

Monitor this Rapid
Gauge Conditions
San Joaquin River below Friant CA Upstream Primary
Runnable: 150.0 – 15,000.0 CFS

Good for canoes and beginners.

Data from American Whitewater & USGS
CDEC Flow Data California
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER NFW Primary
Elevation: 5,200 ft
Data from California Data Exchange Center (CDEC)
Photo
Lower Owl Hollow Riffle
Photo courtesy of American Whitewater
Description

The main channel runs against the left bank.  The riffle gradually turns to the right as it drops and the safest tactic is to stay on the rights side of the riffle or to cut from left to right across the riffle.  Beginners tend to crash into the left bank.  Since 2011 this is a more serious area, because a huge oak tree fell of the left bank and fills the left and middle of the channel at the bottom of the riffle.  At low flows of  350 or less I have not seen anyone have problems here even though many drift down to this tree.  At higher flows it should be easier to stay to the right side of the channel and avoid the tree. 

A variety of right side channels open up at high flows.  Even at 350 cfs there is a narrow & exciting right side channel that reenters the main channel just below the fallen tree. Paddlers must duck under and crash past a number of drooping branches in this narrow channel. These right side channels must be entered from far upstream in the middle of the Owl Hollow pool. 

Location
Type
Hazard
Difficulty
Class I
Mile Marker
8.1 mi
Directions
Navigate
View Full Run
Friant Dam to Mendota Pool Dam
San Joaquin
I 61.6 mi
Hazard — Exercise extreme caution in this area.
Current Conditions
5-Day Forecast
Whitewater data from
American Whitewater