Bike Trail, Boating, Rafting, safety, Water

Firefighters urge caution over dangerous river conditions

Sacramento Metro Fire Captain Randy Gross was about to lead News10 on a tour of the American River and it’s potential dangers when a call for an injury at a rope swing suddenly sent his four-man crew of Rescue Boat 65 into action.

“The rope swing’s a very popular spot. We go there probably every weekend for a call,” Gross said. “Just last Sunday, we went for a pretty severe fracture of the arm.”

In minutes, his low-draft rescue boat is skimming the water at nearly 40 miles an hour, as his engineer deftly dodges rafts, kayaks and swimmers.

“People are adventurous. They want to try things that aren’t the smartest thing to do,” Gross said. “And here’s a perfect example, 21-year-old male who had not had anything to drink.”

The man lost his grip on the rope swing, plunging onto the river bank and nearly slipping into the water before a friend was able to pull him back.

“If somebody wasn’t there and he would have slid off into the water, even though it seems pretty calm, he could be gone – they’re not going to find him,” Gross said.

The young man was clearly in shock, but resisted having a C-spine neck collar put on. Firefighters left it off, explaining that trying to force one on can do more harm.

“Not exactly knowing what’s going on, we provide whatever care we can,” Gross explained, pointing out the man does not seem to have head or next injuries. But, internal injuries are not yet ruled out.

“Very tough impact. And we don’t know what kind of impact on him for the next month or the rest of his life,” Gross explained.

In minutes, the young man is taken across the river to a waiting ambulance for a trip to the emergency room.

“This river is extremely dangerous,” Gross reflects. “Snags, slips, people hitting their head — it just takes your ankle getting twisted with the force of the water against it and, you know, you’re gone.”

More at News10.net >>>

History, News from Other Watersheds

Cave Valley near Auburn drawing climbers 7 days a week

Surf Tower, Tilting Vertex and Wreckage Wall may sound like roller coaster rides at a favorite amusement park, but these routes along the limestone cliffs at Cave Valley climbing area provide a different kind of adrenaline rush for local enthusiasts.

Cave Valley reopened to allow daily access to climbers last year, but a few climbing routes are off-limits this summer as the California Department of Parks and Recreation works to protect a nearby aerie, or nest, of peregrine falcons. The partial closure is an experiment to strike a balance between providing recreational activities to the rock climbing community and fostering local wildlife.

“It’s exciting and interesting that they were able to find a compromise between industry, recreation and the environment,” said Eric Peach, board member of Protect American River Canyons.

Jason Flesher, Sierra marketing manager for REI, an outdoor company that contracts with the Parks Department to teach classes in the canyon, said the partial closure has disrupted only one of REI’s classes so far. That class was moved to another location and subsequently was rained out.

“We were worried the whole area would be closed,” Flesher said “We’re glad it’s only a partial closure. REI is also interested in (protecting) the environment.”

The closure doesn’t seem to have slowed down activity in that area of the canyon. It was 90 degrees on a recent Sunday, but the quarry was full of climbers, coiled ropes and clinking carabiners. One experienced climber scaling the cliff face that day was Gordon Ainsleigh, founder of the Western States Endurance Run. Ainsleigh rides his bike from the trailhead to the climbing site a couple of times a week in preparation for a Yosemite climb later this summer.

“The falcons are usually noisy in the morning,” Ainsleigh said. “That’s when they’re hungry.”

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>

Boating, Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Regulator: Roseville, Folsom Could Run Out Of Water By September If Folsom Lake Releases Continue



A water regulator is warning Roseville and Folsom could run out of water in just a few months if officials continue to allow water releases from Folsom Lake.

Andrew Fecko with the Placer County Water Agency is concerned and frustrated after learning the Bureau of Reclamation has increased releases from Folsom Lake. He warns those increased releases won’t just expose ruins where water should be.

“If this lake behind me goes below 100,000 acre feet, in the September time frame, that’s a you-can’t-turn-on-your-tap moment, and that’s something we haven’t faced here before,” he said.

He says about half a million citizens use water from Folsom Lake, including the cities of Folsom and Roseville, as well as the San Juan Water District.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>

Bike Trail, News from Other Watersheds, Rafting, safety, Wildlife

Risk rises for Lyme disease in summer

As the weather warms, many look to plan fun outdoor activities, but increased time outside also increases the risk for encounters with ticks, which can be carriers of Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks, known as deer ticks, frequently encountered in tall grasses and wooded areas.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 300,000 infections occur each year, of which only 30,000 are reported to CDC by state health departments.

Lyme is a bacterial illness that is spread by tick bites. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system, officials said.

There are several tactics that can prevent tick bites and reduce the risk of tick borne disease, according to the CDC.

More at FolsomTelegraph.com >>>

Bike Trail, Fish, News from Other Watersheds, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Uncategorized, Wildlife

California Nerodia Watch

Nerodia Sipedon
Let’s hope we don’t get more Nerodia in the American River watersheds! Please report any sightings.

Nerodia Watch enlists citizen scientists to report sightings of Nerodia watersnakes in California. Nerodia threaten California’s native fish and wildlife species through predation and competition for resources. Their fast rate of population growth, ability to disperse overland to new habitat, and close proximity to special status species causes great concern for California’s native fish and wildlife species. This campaign is intended to monitor for the spread of existing populations, prevent the establishment of new populations, and facilitate rapid response management efforts to control or eradicate Nerodia watersnakes in California.

Currently, N. sipedon is established in Roseville (Placer County) and N. fasciata pictiventris is established in Folsom (Sacramento County) and Machado Lake (Los Angeles County). Areas that should be targeted for surveying include most types of permanent freshwater habitats, such as ponds, wetlands, canals, and slow-moving streams and rivers. Specific locations of interest include in and around Roseville, Folsom, the lower American River, the Sacramento River watershed west/southwest of Sacramento, Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Little Potato Slough, French Camp, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and Los Angeles County.

For more information on Nerodia watersnakes in California, visit CDFW Invasive Species Program – Species profiles, The California Nerodia website, the Stop the Spread of Non-Native Water Snakes in California Facebook group, and CaliforniaHerps.com.

In 2008, all Nerodia watersnake species were added to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s list of restricted live animals, making it illegal to possess, transport, or import them into the state without a restricted species permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Boating, Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Grave Concerns Over Folsom Lake for Water Officials

At its June 4 meeting, the Placer County Water Agency Board of Directors expressed grave concern over the projected drop in water levels at Folsom Lake.

Reacting to an order last week by the State Water Resource Control Board to conserve cold water supplies in the Shasta Reservoir system, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is releasing water from Folsom Reservoir at a rate that could drop lake levels within a few feet of the water supply outlet that serves the City of Roseville, City of Folsom, and San Juan Water District.

“If the current plan remains unchanged and we experience a dry fall, we could see half a million people in the region without water,” PCWA General Manager, Einar Maisch said. “This could, in effect, destroy the entire region’s economy.”

By holding cold water supplies at Shasta Reservoir now, it is expected cold water will be available for winter run Salmon in the Sacramento River. Releases at Folsom Lake increased from 1,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 2,000 cfs (approximately 4,000 acre-feet per day). Under current modeling, Folsom Lake levels could drop to approximately 118,000 acre-feet by the end of September. By comparison, in January 2014 Folsom reached its recent record low of 162,000 acre-feet, just before near record high February rains. 118,000 acre-feet would be 16 feet lower than the level reached in January 2014.

More at RocklinToday.com >>>

Fire, Fish, safety, Water, Wildlife

Lightning strikes cause fires, concern for Cal Fire

A wave of lightning strikes swept across parts of Northern California Thursday, touching off flames and causing concern more fires could erupt as temperatures warm next week.

“We’ve had over 500 lightning strikes in Northern California in the last six hours,” Cal Fire spokesman Brice Bennett said early Thursday evening, as dispatchers monitored lightning strikes at the Amador-El Dorado Unit’s joint operations center in Camino.

“Butte’s had a couple strikes and the fire has actually grown to over 20 acres,” Bennett added.

The biggest concern is that strike-caused fires would keep burning, even as rain continues to fall.

“So, we’re seeing lightning-sparked fires, with rain, grow. And that’s a cause of concern for us,” Bennett said. “Some of the units in Northern California have activated their lightning plan due to the number of strikes and the fires they are finding from these strikes.”

Up the South Fork of the American River to the east, camper Rebekah Huitema recalled the arrival of thunder and lightning there.

“I screamed like a little girl,” Huitema said. “It was right here. You could almost feel the pulse from it.”

More at: News10.net >>>

Fish, History, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Scientists find a way to reduce mercury in wetlands

Scientists have found new ways to reduce mercury in wetlands, providing hope that Sacramento-area waterways can be decontaminated of the potentially toxic element that dates back to Gold Rush-era mining activities.

The new research, published recently in Environmental Science and Technology, found that dosing wetlands with two chemicals, iron or aluminum salts, was successful in removing mercury from wetlands.

Researchers spent two years on the project and built nine wetlands on public land in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta at Twitchell Island. They applied water with aluminum salts to three wetlands, water with iron to another three and regular water to the last set of three, according to Tamara Kraus, a research soil scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey and a co-author of the study.

To determine the effects, researchers introduced mosquitofish. They found mercury levels in the mosquitofish decreased by 62 percent in wetlands dosed with aluminum salts and by 76 percent in wetlands where iron was used.

The mercury lingering in area rivers, creeks and wetlands dates back to the 19th century, when miners used the element to help extract gold in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Controlling mercury levels in area rivers, creeks and wetlands is a key health issue because many people continue to eat fish they catch from mercury-contaminated waters, despite advisories.

“The mercury levels are of concern to us because people are still fishing regularly out of the Delta,” said Sonney Chong, chairman of Capital, an umbrella organization representing the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

A 2013 assessment by the California Department of Public Health found that Hmong, Laotian and Cambodian residents are avid fishermen in the Delta, but that some have low awareness of the mercury issue.

“They’re feeding their family. It’s an outright source of food, so they’ve ignored the advisories,” Chong said.

Ingestion of mercury can lead to problems that include mental impairment and other developmental abnormalities, especially in fetuses and young children.

Mercury bioaccumulates in fish tissue and is passed up the food chain in greater quantities as larger fish eat small fish.

In 2011, a survey of 16 species of sport fish from 63 locations done by the State Water Resources Control Board found that fish caught in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed had higher concentrations of mercury than anywhere else in the state. The highest contamination was in fish high up the food chain – smallmouth and largemouth bass, striped bass and the Sacramento pikeminnow.

Contaminated river sites included the American River at Discovery Park and the south fork of the American River at Coloma. Fish tested from the San Joaquin River pier at Point Antioch and at Louis Park in Stockton also showed high mercury levels.

More at: SacBee.com >>>
Bike Trail, Fire, Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

Illegal camping sparks concerns about fires along American River Parkway

Pressure is mounting for Sacramento County to do more about illegal camping and potential fire danger along the American River Parkway.

“Move the homeless population out of the 12th Street corridor,” said Mike Rushford of the American River Parkway Preservation Society.

Rushford was inspecting the charred-out remains of a fire in Sacramento’s urban forest, the American River Parkway.

Illegal homeless campsites “threaten this big open preserve here,” Rushford said.

“A month from now, this would just burn all the way to the Woodlake area,” Rushford said. “This year, because it’s the fourth year of a very bad drought, could be the year that we get that catastrophic fire that we all fear so much.”

Preservationists like Rushford are increasingly concerned about illegal campsites and the growing risk of fires caused by transients.

Last year a KCRA 3 investigation revealed the Sacramento Fire Department fought 85 fires over a four-mile stretch along the American River between Discovery Park and Cal Expo.

On Tuesday along the American River Parkway, KCRA 3 discovered a wide array of tents, camping gear and even barbecue grills in open display.

Sacramento County park rangers on patrol told one illegal camper to move out. “I just got here,” said the homeless man.

Park rangers last year discovered more than 1,100 illegal campsites and issued 756 citations.

More at KCRA.com >>>