Whitewater Rafting in California
General Information (continued)

California White Water Rafting Affiliations:

America Outdoors, California Outdoors, Friends of the River, Friends of the Trinity River, South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), the Planning and Conservation League, and the American River Coalition.

Permits:

Tributary Whitewater Tours operates under permits from the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Forest Service (Klamath, Six Rivers, Shasta-Trinity, Tahoe and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests), California Dept. of Parks & Recreation, Nevada County, Tulare County and El Dorado County.

Non-Discrimination:

Tributary Whitewater Tours is an Equal Opportunity Service Provider.

"We do not discriminate by segregation or otherwise against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or handicap, by curtailing or refusing to furnish accommodations, facilities, services, or use privileges offered to the public generally." (Ref. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of Education Amendments and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975).

How difficult is each river?

Please consider this International Scale of River Difficulty before choosing a whitewater rafting trip in California. In general, Class III is of moderate difficulty - plenty of thrills and ideal if you have never been whitewater rafting before. Class IV is more challenging but fine for very adventurous first timers. Class V is the most difficult and should only be undertaken by strong swimmers with previous Class IV whitewater experience. The difficulty of a river often increases one level during the high water of Spring months.

Class I - Easy
Waves are small, regular; riffles.

Class II - Medium
Rapids of medium difficulty; swift current, passages are wide and clear.

Class III - Difficult
Waves numerous, high, irregular; rocks, eddies, rapids with passages that are clear though narrow, requiring expertise in maneuvering.

Class IV - Very Difficult
Long rapids, waves powerful and irregular; dangerous rocks, boiling eddies; powerful and precise maneuvering required.

Class V - Extremely Difficult
Long and violent rapids following each other almost without interruption; riverbed extremely obstructed; big drops, violent current, very steep gradient.

Class VI - Unnavigable
The upper extreme of whitewater rivers, commercially unrunnable.

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