Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably already know that the San Joaquin River is carrying more water these days as part of the long-awaited restoration settlement.

The extra flows (350 cubic feet per second from Friant Dam as of Oct. 1) are a boon to paddlers and fishermen, who now get to enjoy an actual river instead of a glorified canal.

There will be even more water starting Sunday, when officials double the releases to 700 cfs for a 10-day period ending Nov. 10. (Officials are using the increased flows to study water temperature, fish needs and seepage losses.) Flows are scheduled to return to 350 cfs from Nov. 11-20 before dipping to 120 cfs until Feb. 1, 2010, when they go back to 350 cfs.

November sounds like a great month for a kayaking trip.