Boaters began a routine rafting trip on the North Fork of the Kern River but diverted to protest by carrying a raft 16 miles on foot. The group aimed to highlight the scarcity of water due to the diversion at Fairview Dam. Approximately three-fourths of the river's flow was redirected to a power plant, creating a shallow stream condition downstream. Whitewater enthusiasts demanded modifications to the hydroelectric plant's operations to preserve river flows for recreational purposes. Jonathan Yates, organizer of the protest, conceived the marathon portage as a bold statement to draw attention to the issues caused by the dam.
"That 16 miles of river is not runnable in a boat," said Jonathan Yates, an avid kayaker who organized the protest.
As the diverted water spins turbines to generate electricity, the section of river between the dam and the power plant is often reduced to a shallow stream among boulders.
Yates and other whitewater enthusiasts, including some who run rafting businesses, are demanding changes in the hydroelectric plant's operations to leave more water in the river.
Yates said he came up with the idea of a marathon portage to raise awareness about the lack of water in this part of the river.
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