Bike Trail, safety, Water

Rangers cite half as many homeless people this year for American River Parkway camping

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That people camp on the American River Parkway in violation of county law is well established. What might come as a surprise is just how settled some of them are.

On a December weekday before the last storm, a metal door attached to two trees blocked access to a campsite otherwise surrounded by thick brush. Another site under the 12th Street bridge had a television powered by a generator. Upriver, Fred Gurr had a large cooler, an office chair and other items clustered around his site, which he shares with his black cat, Bug Out.

“I’ve lived here for four years,” said Gurr, a veteran who said he became homeless after losing a job. “I’ve been at the same location the whole time.”

Just last year, county supervisors approved funding to hire more rangers to enforce an illegal camping ban, clean up the parkway and connect homeless people with services. Now, county rangers are ticketing far fewer people for illegal camping, with 602 citations through the end of November, roughly half the pace of the 1,278 issued last year.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, Fish, safety, Salmon, Wildlife

Closures and Detours​ UPDATE

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UPDATE 12/19/16—Closures and Detours​

The following American River Parkway closures will remain in place until further notice: Discovery Park, Watt and Howe access, the PCA Bridge (Lower Sunrise Area) and the American River Parkway multi-use trail from Mile 0-5.

The Gristmill boat launch is closed, although park access is open.

There is a detour in place at Mile 20 of the American River Parkway multi-use trail.

– Sacramento County Regional Parks

Bike Trail, Boating, Fish, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Water Releases Lowered Following Days of Dangerous American River Levels

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The Bureau of Reclamation lowered water releases from Folsom reservoir after several days of high-water flows that resulted in several river rescues along the lower American River.

“As of noon we’ve lowered releases from 36,000 to 30,000 cubic feet per second,” said Louis Moore, spokesperson for the federal agency.

Less than a week ago flows were at just 1,200 cubic feet per second. Large inflows from Folsom’s 1,800 square mile watershed forced the releases by federal water regulators who have to reserve 40 percent of the space reservoir to protect against sudden surges of water from large storms.

More at Fox40.com >>>

Fish, safety, Salmon, Uncategorized, Water, Wildlife

Fishermen Get Trapped On Island Below Nimbus Dam After Gates Open

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Four fishermen were stranded after the gates of Nimbus Dam opened and increased the water flow around the island they were on.

The incident happened late Tuesday morning just below the Nimbus Dam on the American River.

Sacramento Metro Fire says some fisherman were on an island just below the dam gates. The gates were getting ready to open and when they did, the water flow increased to the point that the fishermen couldn’t make it back across.

A crew was launched to rescue the fishermen and bring them back safely. No one was injured.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>

Boating, Fish, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Folsom Lake water release going into rising American River

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Water releases out of Folsom Lake were doubled Tuesday morning after weekend rains increased the inflows into the lake, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.

The outflows via Folsom Dam were increased from 3,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 6,000 cfs, with the flows expected to sprawl downstream into the low-lying areas, as opposed to the American River rising, the bureau said. The initial plan was to increase the outflow by up to 8,000 cfs by Thursday, but it may increase to as high at 15,000 cfs.

More at KCRA.com >>>

Uncategorized

Folsom Lake rises 15 feet after weekend rains

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Runoff from the rainy weekend continues to spill into Northern California reservoirs — in some cases doubling the water stored in area lakes.

Folsom Lake picked up more than 100,000 acre-feet of water between noon on Saturday and noon on Sunday.

The lake also increased by more than a tenth of its capacity during the same 24-hour period.

The surge in water flowing from the north and south forks of the American River caused the lake’s level to rise more than 12 feet during that time.

But by Monday morning, Folsom Lake was 15 feet higher than it was Friday afternoon and 127 percent of normal capacity for this time of year.

More at KCRA.com >>>

Boating, Fish, safety, Salmon, Uncategorized, Water, Wildlife

Folsom Lake Level Far Ahead of Last Year

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Folsom Lake level continues to rise.

Per the California Department of Water Resources, as of November 27, the lake stands at approximately 447,000 acre feet, about 3 times as much as last year at this time.

Although it is still 5% below the average for this time of year, note that usually we’re still losing water, with levels decreasing through late December. This year, the level has been growing since mid-October.

More at MyFolsom.com >>>

Bike Trail, safety

Woman falls 70 feet to slippery ledge along American River where she is rescued

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A woman was rescued Sunday night from a slippery spot on a steep bluff in Orangevale along the American River.

The 46-year-old woman was hoisted up the bluff by Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters who tied one end of a rope to an ambulance and hauled her up the slope.

The incident began about 10:30 p.m. Sunday when crews were dispatched to a home in nearby Fair Oaks for an overdose report. However, when firefighters and Sacramento County Sheriff’s deputies arrived, the overdose patient was gone.

After searching the neighborhood, they decided to pinpoint her location by using technology to receive a ping response from her cell phone, which was in her possession. Her location showed as the north side of the American River near Hazel Avenue, the location of the bluffs.

The Orangevale bluffs been the site of numerous rescues through the years as adventurers and drunken revelers have found themselves trapped on the steep hillside, unable to safely ascend or descend.

The arrival of the California Highway Patrol helicopter allowed its crew to use infrared technology to see the woman. She was on a ledge above the river in what was determined to be slippery terrain.

As fire crews responded, one of two deputies on the scene climbed down the slope to make sure the woman didn’t tumble further down the slope. She appeared to have rolled 70 feet before coming to a stop on the ledge, which was just a few feet above the cold waters of the river.

She was not responding to the words of the officers. Metro Fire rescuers, aided by Folsom Fire Department firefighters, began what is described as a “low angle rescue” using an ambulance as a rope anchor.

More at SacBee,com >>>

Fish, History, Salmon, Wildlife

Gigantic Spike-Toothed Salmon Swam In California Rivers 5M Years Ago

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At 400 pounds and 8 feet long, this salmon would be good eating—if only it wasn’t extinct. Oncorhynchus rastrosus, the giant spike-toothed salmon, lived in California for around 7 million years, going extinct 5 million years ago. This monster salmon, which is closely related to modern Pacific salmon and actually a member of the same genus, luckily left behind clues about its life and behaviors in its fossil remains. New research by paleontologist Julia Sankey at California State University Stanislaus and colleagues in PaleoBiosgets to the bottom of how this behemoth lived and bred.

Spike-teeth or saber-teeth? When this salmon species was first described, researchers called it a “sabertooth salmon” because of the long, robust teeth on its upper jaw, but actually they point outward instead of downward. This makes them more spike-teeth rather than sabers. The teeth were around 1.5 inches long and pointed straight out from the top of the jaw– likely used for breeding, digging and fighting. Living Pacific salmon fight with each other during mating season for the breeding rights to females, but did O. rastrosus do the same?

More at Forbes.com >>>