The 65.0-mile-long (104.6 km) [3] South Yuba River is a left-entering tributary of the Yuba River originating in the northern Sierra Nevada at Lake Angela in Nevada County about three quarters of a mile north of Donner Pass, about three miles east of the town of Soda Springs. After passing through Lake Van Norden with Upper Castle Creek (longer than the Lake Angela stem) entering from the right, it gathers numerous snow-fed tributaries running west through a marshy, lake-filled valley, criss-crossing Interstate 80. The river briefly enters Placer County, then flows into Lake Spaulding, then plunges westward into a steep-sided valley. Canyon Creek enters from the right, then Poorman Creek also from the right near the town of Washington. The river continues west into the foothills, crossing under State Route 49. Its mouth is on the east shore of upper Englebright Lake, formed by a dam across the Yuba River.[4]

South Yuba River
South Fork
View of South Yuba from N Bloomfield Road Nevada City, CA
Map
Location
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
RegionUpper Yuba Watershed
Physical characteristics
SourceLake Angela[1]
 • locationTahoe National Forest
MouthEnglebright Lake
 • location
Yuba River
Length65 mi (105 km), east-west
Basin size340 sq mi (880 km2)
Discharge 
 • locationnear Jones Bar
 • average454 cu ft/s (12.9 m3/s)
 • minimum1 cu ft/s (0.028 m3/s)
 • maximum53,600 cu ft/s (1,520 m3/s)
Namesakes: South Yuba River State Park
South Yuba River Citizens League[2]
High water in the South Yuba River at the old CA-49 bridge, 8 January 2017
Interstate 80 East crossing the South Yuba River in Placer County (1965)

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has issued a safe eating advisory for any fish caught in South Yuba River due to elevated levels of mercury and PCBs.[5]

Recreation

edit

The river begins within the Tahoe National Forest. Parks along or near the South Yuba River include:

Course

edit
South Yuba River course
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
description coordinates
source, Lake Angela dam 39°19′20″N 120°19′37″W / 39.3221273°N 120.3268679°W / 39.3221273; -120.3268679[1]
road, I-80 WB
dam, Lake Van Norden
road, I-80 EB
confluence, Lower Castle Creek
road, I-80 WB
road, Hampshire Rocks
road, I-80 EB
confluence, Rattlesnake Creek
road, I-80 WB
dam, Lake Spaulding
confluence, Jordan Creek
confluence, Rucker Creek 39°20′40″N 120°40′46″W / 39.344374°N 120.679491°W / 39.344374; -120.679491
confluence, Clear Creek 39°21′12″N 120°41′58″W / 39.353467°N 120.699527°W / 39.353467; -120.699527
confluence, Diamond Creek 39°21′19″N 120°44′26″W / 39.355159°N 120.740441°W / 39.355159; -120.740441
confluence, Canyon Creek 39°21′39″N 120°45′01″W / 39.360867°N 120.750156°W / 39.360867; -120.750156
confluence, Scotchman Creek 39°21′24″N 120°46′59″W / 39.356644°N 120.783104°W / 39.356644; -120.783104
road, Washington 39°21′38″N 120°47′41″W / 39.360493°N 120.794766°W / 39.360493; -120.794766
confluence, Poorman Creek 39°21′10″N 120°48′37″W / 39.352834°N 120.810291°W / 39.352834; -120.810291
confluence, McKilligan Creek 39°21′08″N 120°49′07″W / 39.352193°N 120.818654°W / 39.352193; -120.818654
border, Tahoe National Forest 39°20′15″N 120°54′31″W / 39.337451°N 120.908704°W / 39.337451; -120.908704
confluence, Humbug Creek 39°20′17″N 120°55′55″W / 39.338115°N 120.931932°W / 39.338115; -120.931932
border, Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park 39°20′15″N 120°54′33″W / 39.337384°N 120.90909°W / 39.337384; -120.90909
road, N Bloomfield (Edwards Crossing) 39°19′49″N 120°59′03″W / 39.3301664°N 120.984215°W / 39.3301664; -120.984215
border, Malakoff Diggins SHP
border, South Yuba River SP[6]
39°19′48″N 120°59′07″W / 39.330015°N 120.985351°W / 39.330015; -120.985351
confluence, Spring Creek 39°19′56″N 120°59′22″W / 39.332148°N 120.989408°W / 39.332148; -120.989408
road, Purdon (Purdon Crossing) 39°19′40″N 121°02′47″W / 39.327791°N 121.046505°W / 39.327791; -121.046505
confluence, Rock Creek 39°18′42″N 121°02′58″W / 39.311770°N 121.049323°W / 39.311770; -121.049323
former diversion, Excelsior Ditch 39°18′40″N 121°03′42″W / 39.311070°N 121.061631°W / 39.311070; -121.061631
road, CA 49 (bridge image)
confluence, Rush Creek 39°17′32″N 121°06′17″W / 39.292248°N 121.104803°W / 39.292248; -121.104803
confluence, Owl Creek
confluence, French Corral Creek
road, Pleasant Valley 39°17′34″N 121°11′37″W / 39.29286°N 121.193576°W / 39.29286; -121.193576
border, South Yuba River SP[6]
road, Bridgeport Covered Bridge
39°17′34″N 121°11′42″W / 39.292739°N 121.194906°W / 39.292739; -121.194906
mouth, Englebright Lake

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: South Yuba River Note: the GNIS mouth coordinates plot at the Lake Angela dam
  2. ^ "Motion to Intervene" (pdf). Friends of the River, Sierra Club, & South Yuba River Citizens League. October 17, 2005. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed March 10, 2011
  4. ^ USGS Topo Maps for United States (Map). Cartography by United States Geological Survey. ACME Mapper. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  5. ^ Admin, OEHHA (2018-09-13). "South Yuba River". OEHHA. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  6. ^ a b "South Yuba River SP". California State Parks. Parks.CA.gov. Retrieved 2010-09-30.
edit