A Publication of the California Department of Boating and Waterways

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The ColoradoRiver

Canoeing from Blythe to Imperial Dam

The 1974 Recreational Trails Act recognized the need to provide forincreased recreational boatingopportunities on Californias riversby designating specific rivers forstudy as boating trails. TheCalifornia Department of Boatingand Waterways has published thisBoating Trail Guide, with the coop-eration of other agencies, to providebasic information which will assistyou in planning a safe and enjoyabletrip.

Lands along the shoreline areowned and managed by variousentities, public and private. Whenfacing downstream, usually theland to the river-right is inCalifornia, while Arizona is atriver-left. However, due to leveework and the rivers tendency tochange course, some portions ofArizona are now on both sides ofthe river.

The U.S. Fish and WildlifeServices manages the Cibola andImperial National Wildlife Refuges,primarily for migratory waterfowl.Overnight camping is prohibitedon these refuges. The remainder offederal property is managed byBLMs Yuma District Office for avariety of land uses. Picacho StateRecreation Area, which is alsoadjacent to the river, is managedby the California Department ofParks and Recreation.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation isresponsible for controlling water flows.For information regarding expectedflows, contact the bureau in Yuma or Boulder City (see back cover forcontact information).

Fishing is very good on the river andin some backwater areas. Regulationsand information are available from theCalifornia Department of Fish andGame, (909) 597-9823, and theArizona Department of Game andFish, (602) 942-3000.

Safe Boating and River HintsRiver Canoeing Since the river

current is swift and therefore potentiallydangerous, river travel should be a team effort involving at least threeboats. Never boat alone. For moreinformation on canoeing safety, see the Department of Boating andWaterways pamphlet Safe BoatingHints for Paddle Craft, viewable on ourweb site at www.dbw.ca.gov.

Life Jackets U.S.Coast Guard-approved lifejackets are required by fed-eral and state law to be car-ried for each person aboarda canoe, kayak, inflatableraft or other type of water-craft. Non-swimmers and childrenshould wear a life jacket at all times. Bylaw, children under the age of 12 mustwear a life jacket on a vessel of 26 feet or less,while under way.

Hazards Be alert for submergedhazards such as sandbars, rocks, snags,and other river debris. Visibility ofhazards varies with water level

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fluctuations.

Powerboats Canoeists will besharing the river with numerouspowerboats. The wakes created bypowerboats can be quite large. To pre-vent possible swamping, canoeists

should enter these wakes at aslight angle to the wave.

Water Dehydration is adanger. Potable water, avail-able at only a few locations,should be carried, at least a

gallon per person per day. To makeriver water potable, boil it for 10-20minutes, or use halizone tablets.

Caution Late Spring, summerand early fall air temperatures usuallyexceed 100F. Boaters should plantheir trips carefully to guard againstexposure to extreme temperatures.Between November and June, thedesert is cold at night, with drops intemperature of 30-40 degrees.

Parking Boaters should checkwith the managers of marinas orcamping areas for preferable parkinglocations.

Boat Ramps Do not blockaccess to boat ramps. Canoes shouldbe beached at either the upstream ordownstream side of the boat ramps topermit launching and retrieval with-out congestion.

Pitch In The beauty of this river

can best be preserved by itsusers. Pitch in and do yourpart to keep it clean. Takewaterproof trashbags alongand boat out what youboat in.

LightsAfter sunset, a light whichshines 360 degrees and is visible for two miles must be displayed by manually propelled craft. Powerboatsmust display all lights required by stateand federal law. (See the Departmentpamphlet The ABCs of California BoatingLaw.)

Float Plan Boaters should leaveword with a responsible personregarding their route and expecteddate of return.

Guide MapsFrom Blythe to Imperial Dam, the

river flows approximately 76 miles.Although the run does not have anywhitewater rapids, the current is fastmoving and averages 5 mph. Boat tripslonger than 76 miles may be plannedby entering the river upstream fromBlythe or by continuing downstreamfrom Imperial Dam. However, shortertrips are also possible. The followingmaps will illustrate some of the launchareas and take-out points, as well assome of the navigable side channels.The river mileage indicated on theguide maps is from the I-10 Bridge

River Flow

River Mile

Wildlife Refuge Boundary

State Recreation AreaBoundary

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LegendPortage

Boat Launch Ramp

Camping - NO FEE

Camping - FEE CHARGED

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INDEX MAP FOR CANOEING AREA

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Colorado

River

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GUIDE MAP 1

A-7 BLM Land

Primitive boat launching ramp.

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MAYFLOWER COUNTY PARK

Many canoeists start their trip at thispark. A shaded picnic area overlooksthe river.

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RIVIERA BLYTHEMARINA

This privately operatedcampground is located southof and adjacent to the I-10freeway on the California sideof the river. There is a $7 perboat fee to launch.

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GUIDE MAP 2

PETER McINTYRE

A well-developed site with potablewater, supplies and canoe rental available. (Riverside County)

MOHAVE WASHThe three jetties at this mouth provide campsites. A national historic landmark, the Ripley intaglios are largedrawings made by aboriginal inhabi-tants. They are located on the bluffs.

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Colorado

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GUIDE MAP 3

MULE WASH

HORACE MILLER COUNTY PARKAn unpaved road provides access to this undeveloped riverfront area.(Riverside County)

TAYLOR FERRYOld, disused cable ferry still crosses river.

GOULD WASHA popular day use area.

CIBOLA FARMERS BRIDGEPrivate land. First vehicle crossingsouth of Blythe.

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Colorado

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GUIDE MAP 4

PALO VERDEOXBOW OUTLET

Located just below theOxbow Bridge.A portage is necessary to return tothe river. Many canoe andfloat parties begin theirtrips at this point.Restrooms and R.V.camping are available.

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PALO VERDE OXBOWINLET

A portage may be made over the levee into Oxbow Lake. Palo Verde Park (Imperial County) is located onthe lake shore. Restrooms are available.The fishing is reported to be good.This area is closed to water skiing.

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OLD RIVERCHANNEL

Managed as a wildliferefuge, the unmarked,very difficult and longportage requiresextreme caution. Theshallow, 11-mile chan-nel has no current andportions are cloggedwith cattails. Campingis not permitted soallow sufficient daylightto reach the next camping area. (See continuation of channelon map 5, page 9.)

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GUIDE MAP 5

Colorado

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WALTERS CAMP

A privately owned concession on public(BLM) lands. Located near the lower endof the old river channel. To reach WaltersCamp via the new channel requiresentering the outlet of the old channel andpaddling upstream about one mile. Thisis a good take-out point for those want-ing a short trip from Blythe. Supplies areavailable.

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Colorado

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REFUGE BOUNDARYThe south end of the Cibola NWR isthe Northern boundary of the ImperialNWR. Overnight camping is prohibitedwithin the refuge between Walker Lakeand Picacho State Recreation Area.Trips should be planned accordingly.(It is approximately 10 miles to thenorth end of the Picacho StateRecreation Area boundary and approximately 8 miles further to themain camp site. See number 17,map 8.)

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GUIDE MAP 6

GUIDE MAP 7

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PICACHO STATE RECREATION AREA

Camping is available at theparks main campsite withrestrooms and shower (usefees charged). There is also a group campsite for up to 90 persons. Camping is per-mitted at three boat-in sites Carrizo Boat-in Camp-ground, Paddle Wheeler, andTaylor Lake (use feescharged). Water skiing isallowed in this area. TheImperial NWR continues on the Arizona side toMartinez Lake.

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GUIDE MAP 8

ISLAND LAKESmall backwater lake acces-sible from the river.

IMPERIAL NWRResumes on the Californiaside of the river.

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GUIDE MAP 9

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GUIDE MAP 10

IMPERIAL NWREnds on the California side of the river. Camping is permitted in California beyond this point.

FERGUSON LAKEHeavily used day-use area, popular forfishing. Dispersed camping only.

BACKWATER

MARTINEZ LAKE RESORTMany trips end at this well-developedprivate marina. Supplies, canoe rentals,and restrooms are available.

FISHERS LANDING

A popular take-out point. Restroomsand supplies are available.

ARIZONA CHANNELTo avoid water skiers, many canoeiststake the channel for about 4 miles.

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GUIDE MAP 11

Colorado

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SQUAW LAKE RECREATION SITEHeavily used take-out pointon the California side ofthe river. Rest