Feather Headwaters
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The Feather Headwaters is the watershed of the Feather River above Lake Oroville, totaling 3,450 sq mi (8,900 km2). Subdivided into 3 watersheds, the North Fork Feather Watershed is 1,090 sq mi (2,800 km2)—including the West Branch drainage of about 282.5 sq mi (732 km2), the East Branch North Fork Feather Watershed is 1,010 sq mi (2,600 km2),[1] and the Middle Fork Feather Watershed is 1,350 sq mi (3,500 km2)[1]—including the South Fork drainage of about 132 sq mi (340 km2).[2] Headwaters drainage is impaired by the Palermo Canal at Oroville Dam, the Hendricks Canal at the West Branch Feather River, and the Miners Ranch Canal at the South Fork's Ponderosa Reservoir. Additionally, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company releases Upper Feather water into the Hyatt Generating-Pumping Plant for hydroelectric generation during daily peak demand.[specify]
The North Fork Feather Watershed (USGS huc 18020121) includes the West Branch and North Fork rivers and receives flow from the East Branch North Fork Feather Watershed.
- West Branch
- The West Branch (or West Fork) Feather River originates in Butte County and Lassen National Forest and flows near the North Fork watershed's drainage divide with the Mills-Big Chico Watershed generally north-to-south to the northwest arm of Lake Oroville. The West Branch flow is impaired by up to 125 cu ft/s (3.5 m3/s) diverted to the 8.66 mi (13.94 km) Hendricks Canal, and the Magalia 73 Dam conveys water to the Lime Saddle and Coal Canyon powerhouses near Lake Oroville, then to a Thermalito powerplant.[3] The Little West Fork West Branch River is a similarly named West Branch tributary.
- North Fork
- The North Fork Feather River is the Feather River's source tributary with the largest watershed area and the highest average discharge into Lake Oroville. The fork's portion of the Feather River Canyon is notable as part of the Feather River Route, and the railroad's 1962 North Fork Bridge near the river's mouth is the longest reinforced concrete bridge in the United States.[4] The East Branch North Fork Feather River is the largest tributary of the North Fork, and the headwaters of the North Fork Feather watershed extend from Lassen Peak in the Shasta Cascades to the east slope of Indicator Peak in the northern Sierras.
East Branch North Fork
The East Branch Feather Watershed (USGS huc 18020122) is the middle watershed of the headwaters of the Feather River basin and includes the American and Indian valleys.
- East Branch
- The East Branch North Fork Feather River is a left tributary of the North Fork Feather River extending past Twain to near Belden.[5] East Branch headwaters begin along ~46 mi (74 km) of the Sierra Crest from the triple watershed point with the North Fork (Bear Valley Creek headwaters) across Diamond Mountain (Indian Creek), Black Mountain, and the Middle Fork triple point.