The Red Bluff Diversion Dam spans the Sacramento River and diverted water into the Tehama-Colusa and Corning canals to irrigate the west side of the Sacramento Valley. Completed in 1964 as part of the federal Central Valley Project, the 52-foot-high dam included fish ladders and fish counting structures at each end to allow fish migrating upstream.
*For this Earthcache we are going to be testing the pH levels of the water. You will need a Freshwater pH test strip or a container to take a sample of the water. Some hardware stores will test the water for you for free. 
This section of the river has had some recent changes over the years. The dam’s gates were permanently raised in 2011 and now remain open. There also used to be a lake above the dam. In 1996 to 1997 the pH values ranged from 6.9 to 8.5. We are going to see if there have been any dramatic changes in the pH level over the years.
Understanding pH:
pH is a chemistry term. A pH number indicates how acidic or alkaline a solution is. In a pH definition, "pH" stands for "potential of Hydrogen." The "H" is capitalized because the symbol for hydrogen is capital H. The pH of river water is the measure of how acidic or basic the water is on a scale of 0-14. It is a measure of hydrogen ion concentration. U.S. natural water falls between 6.5 and 8.5 on this scale with 7.0 being neutral. The optimum pH for river water is around 7.4. Water's acidity can be increased by acid rain but is kept in check by the buffer limestone.
To log this cache you need to email me the answers to the questions through my profile. If you do not email me, I will delete your log without notice. Please add the additional names of Geocachers if you are sending the answers for a group.
Questions:
#1. Using a Freshwater pH test strip, test the pH level of the water. What is the pH level of your sample.
#2. Based on your results, is this healthy river water?
Bonus Points: If you can, show a picture of yourself here with your GPS.