Beginning September 17, 2011 and ending on approximately October 23, 2010, United Water Conservation District will provide escorted access from its property to Piru Creek to whitewater boaters during the annual fall water conservation release from the Santa Felicia Dam located at Lake Piru. Access will be provided on Saturdays and Sundays only, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. when the dam is releasing water in excess of 200 cubic feet per second. Access will not be permitted without an advanced reservation. The first opportunity for whitewater boating will be Saturday, September 17 and Sunday, September 18.

Boaters will be escorted by shuttle from the parking lot located on Piru Canyon Road, at the entrance to the Santa Felicia Dam, to the put-in site at Piru Creek. Boaters are responsible for getting themselves and their gear back from any take-out point along the Piru Creek to their vehicle. Boaters will not be allowed access through United Water Conservation District's property to Piru Creek without an advance reservations and a signed waiver form. Waiver forms can be obtained at the shuttle site or at United's Santa Paula office.

Whitewater boating and other related activities are inherently dangerous and hazardous recreational activities, and can lead to bodily injury, injury to property, and death. Inclement weather and water conditions may contribute to the dangers. Piru Creek may contain natural and artificial hazards, such as submerged and exposed trees, fences and wires. Also, measuring instruments have been installed in multiple locations in Piru Creek as a part of a required study plan to quantify the effects of the Santa Felicia Dam and water releases on steelhead habitat. Although the instrument has been flagged where possible, some may submerged in the creek and may pose a hazard. Whitewater boaters accessing Piru Creek from District property must sign a release waiver.

The Santa Felicia Dam was constructed to create the Lake Piru Reservoir with the capacity to store more than 100,000 acre-feet of winter runoff from Piru Creek and its tributaries. Its purpose is to recharge groundwater basins. Each fall, United Water Conservation District releases water from the Santa Felicia Dam down Piru Creek and into the Santa Clara River where it replenishes the Piru, Fillmore and Santa Paula groundwater basins. Some of water reaches the Freeman Diversion Facility in Saticoy where a portion is used to recharge groundwater basins on the Oxnard Plain. Whitewater boaters wanting more information about access to Piru Creek and water release flow rates can visit United's website at www.unitedwater.org call the Santa Paula office at 525-4431. For escorted access reservations to Pint Creek, please call 525-4431.