The American River has been the scene of considerable history — and controversy. The California Gold Rush started here, sparking a series of crude dams for reducing river flows in favor of flumes for the mining operations. One of the first hydroelectric dams in California was built to bring electricity to California’s capital city.
In the early part of the twentieth century, PG&E coupled various mining-era and new rights into a new significant project on the South Fork American River (now owned by the El Dorado Irrigation District). In the mid last century, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (after the water board sorted out a myriad of competing claims) won the rights to dam the upper and lower watersheds.
Soon after, the Placer County Water Agency built its significant dams on the Middle Fork’s upper watershed. Some of the early and consequential Public Trust navigation easement cases were on the South Fork. Portions of the American River became parts of the state and federal wild & scenic rivers…