Smiling participants in Sunday's rafting fund-raiser navigate one of the Mokelumne River's many Class II or III rapids on the run between the Electra power plant and the Middle Bar Bridge take-out. photo courtesy of Katherine Evatt

Last Sunday, OARS professional rafting company, headquartered in Angels Camp, took 72 paying customers on a five-and-a-half mile ride through the swiftly flowing, chilly water of the Mokelumne River.

A special permit from the Bureau of Land Management had to be obtained by OARS for this Foothill Conservancy fund-raising event, due to the fact that the company was making commercial use of public land. No such permit is required for recreational rafting or kayaking on the river, said Foothill Conservancy President Katherine Evatt.

Most of the rafters were local, though some came from as far away as the Bay Area. The Mokelumne River constitutes a major section of the border between Amador County and its neighbor to the south, Calaveras County, and its future as a commercial rafting venue could be of major benefit to both counties.

Judy Spadoni of Railroad Flat said, "It would be great for everyone if we made this a commercial run."

"It's absolutely beautiful," beamed Sherry Siems of Folsom. "We even saw turtles."

OARS representative Clavey Wendt explained that the future of commercial rafting on the Mokelumne is dependent upon the BLM, which will need to strike a deal with the East Bay Municipal Utility District. The river flows into Pardee Reservoir, the primary water storage for EBMUD's millions of customers.