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NORTH COAST RIVERS Along California's scenic North Coast, most rivers remain relatively undeveloped, The Klamath, Trinity, Eel, Russian and Smith rivers are the major waterways that drain this sparsely populated, forested area, Portions of the Klamath, Trinity, Eel, Smith, Van Duzen, Salmon and Scott rivers are protected from fu- ture dams and diversions under state and federal wild and scenic rivers legislation. The Russian and Napa rivers over- flow routinely during wet years, The Russian River is one of the most flood-prone rivers in California. As storm systems approach California, the very wet bands of clouds are uplifted by the Coast Range, releasing precipitation first and most intensely on the coastal streams. There is no flood control dam on the Napa River. There is one flood control dam on the Russian River and one on Dry Creek, a tributary to the Russian River, which can capture about 20 percent of flood flows, in 1951, 3,000 acres of orchards and vineyards in the Alexander Valley and Guerneville were flooded, In 1955, discharges from the Klamath River were one and a half to two times greater than recorded peak flows, Peak flows were surpassed more than 30 percent in 1964 by the Eel, Klamath and Smith rivers. Guerneville originally was primarily summer homes but full-time residents began moving into the area in the 1960s, increasing the impact of seasonal floods, In 1986, 1,000 residents along the banks of the Russian River were evacuated because of flooding, In Guerneville, the river crested at 49,1 teet, more than 17 feet above flood stage, In 1995 the Russian River broke through private levees along a 1 O-mile stretch of the Middie Reach section and inundated a series of gravel pits, includ- ing a 72-acre pit used for storage of Healdsburg's secondarily treated sewage. Inundation of these pits threatened to permanently change the course of the river and damage water supplies and fisheries. The California State Coastal Conservancy recommended a long. range plan to reclaim a stretch of the flood- plain, which would allow the river to meander and flood without adverse environmental effects. In 1997, the swollen Russian River crested at approximately 44 feet at Guerneville, 12 feet above flood stage, Ffood water inundated numerous homes and businesses. There also was flooding along the Napa River, which primarily impacted vineyards. Heavy Raills illl/or/hem California during /995 caused creeks to ol'f!lj7mr and f700d local (,ol1/lll/miries. RESERVOIR CAPACITY AND FLOOD SPACE 4,5. 4 a; ~ W 3 13 <0: '02.5 <f) c Ji: 2 :::;: ,~ ~ '13 '" Q. '" U ~. ,5 Shasta Oroville Folsom New Melones New Don Pedro . Total Capacity U Res!'.rve~ Flood Space .~.~~ McClure Millerton Pine Flat 7