Scheduled releases on the South Fork American River below Slab Creek Reservoir are currently provided in Wet, Above Normal and Below Normal water years as determined annually by the California Department of Water Resources Bulletin 120 Report of Water Conditions in California. These flows are coordinated by Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, American Whitewater and California Outdoors. Flows are provided through a combination of releases out of the low level outlet of Slab Creek Reservoir and SMUD's South Fork Powerhouse. To accommodate varying advanced to expert paddling skill levels, scheduled flows are provided between 10 am and 4 pm and will range between 1400 cfs to 1500 cfs from 10 am to 1 pm and 850 cfs to 950 cfs from 1:30 pm to 4 pm. For each release USFS manages the parking and access activities at the put-in at Slab Creek Dam while BLM manages the parking and access at the take-out at Rock Creek powerhouse. There is also limited access at Mosquito Road Bridge where we ask the boating community to avoid blocking through traffic on the road.

Gate times are as follows: The gate at the top of Slab Creek Dam Road is managed by SMUD and will initially open daily on a timer from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm as of March 24, 2023. The gate at Rock Creek take-out is managed by BLM and will be open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm during scheduled recreational flow days only. If your vehicle is still in the Rock Creek take-out lot after 6:00 pm BLM is prepared to follow search and rescue protocol so, please be aware of your time on the river.