Events, Rafting, safety, Water

Life jackets recommended for holiday fun in the water

Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the beginning of the summer recreation season, drawing boaters and swimmers to Sacramento region waterways.

With that in mind, public safety officials are urging people recreating in area rivers, lakes and streams to wear life jackets. Even though the river flow is low this year, they stress that strong currents exist below the surface and the water is cold.

The American River Parkway Foundation announced this week that is taking on the responsibility of purchasing and supplying life vests for Kids Don’t Float, a program that lends life vests to children during the summer months at seven access points along the American River.

The Kids Don’t Float program was initiated in 2003 by Sacramento County and its Emergency Medical Services Agency. Since then, the program has provided more than 2,000 new life vests annually to stock river access stations. Due to ongoing budget cuts, however, the county recently discontinued funding for the program, leading the American River Parkway Foundation to assume responsibility.

The foundation, a nonprofit agency, manages volunteer and donor programs to help preserve and maintain the 23-mile stretch of the parkway from the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.

The life vest stations will be re-supplied and inspected twice a week from Memorial Day through Labor Day by the Drowning and Accident Rescue Team, and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. Life jacket stations include two sites at Discovery Park, Ancil Hoffman Park, Howe Avenue river access, Watt Avenue river access, River Bend Park and the Sunrise river access. Life jackets should be returned to the appropriate stations at the end of the day so other people can use them. Each station will offer ten to 15 life vests in various sizes.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Uncategorized, Water, Wildlife

Take a Historical and Geological Side Trip from Interstate 80: Placerville

Here’s a way to turn the routine roar up I-80 into a jaunt through part of the Mother Lode in Placerville. The route starts with US Route 50, which splits off I-80 just west of Sacramento.

On this trip you stay on 50 to Placerville, then strike north across the watershed of the American River to Auburn, where I-80 is the ridge route to the crest of the Sierra Nevada. With minimal stops it takes a couple hours, but there are lots of places to linger.

More at KQED.org >>>

Bike Trail, Fish, Rafting, safety, Wildlife

Last day to reserve campsite for weekend

This is Wednesday — and that means this is the last day to book a campsite reservation at a state park for a Friday arrival on Memorial Day Weekend.

A detailed recreation forecast for the upcoming weekend will appear in Thursday’s Chronicle and at sfchronicle.com.

The first campgrounds to sell out are coastal sites. The last to sell out are in the valleys, foothills and Redwood Empire.

As of Wednesday morning, these parks still had campsites available, from just one day to all three days for the upcoming weekend:

Greater Bay Area: Big Basin & Little Basin Redwoods, Brannan Island, China Camp, Henry Cowell, Mount Diablo, Portola Redwoods.

Coast: Salt Point, San Simeon.

Foothills & valleys: Clear Lake, Clear Lake cabins, Colusa-Sacramento River, Folsom Lake, Fremont Peak, Indian Grinding Rock, Lake Oroville, San Luis, Turlock Lake, Woodson Bridge.

More at SFGate.com >>>

Bike Trail, Events, Rafting, safety

Holiday weekend has a parkway booze ban

Sacramento County officials remind the public not to consume alcohol on the American River Parkway this Memorial Day weekend.

Alcohol consumption will be illegal on the parkway Saturday through Monday. County officials promise to enforce the ordinance that allows the county to temporarily ban alcohol consumption. Violators may be cited or arrested.

Open containers will not be allowed anywhere on the parkway between Watt and Hazel avenues.

More at SacBee.com >>>

 

Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

White-water season gets mixed reviews

With snowmelt trickling down the mountainsides, white-water enthusiasts are bubbling in anticipation of big rapids. But this year, with low snowfall, rivers without dam-controlled releases are in for a short season.

“A little bit lower water does not mean there’s not good rapids,” said Janeen Stewart, operator of Earthtrek Expeditions, a rafting company based in Lotus, Calif. “Actually, some of the rapids are better because there are drops.”

Rafting companies that run the American River, Truckee River and Carson River are kicking off the white-water season. Though the flows aren’t bursting, water management through the dams will prolong their seasons on some stretches through the summer.

“We do raft three rivers, the North Fork, the South Fork and the Middle Fork of the American River,” said Brynn Allen, a guide with Adventure Connection, based in Lotus, Calif. “The North Fork is the one of the three that does not have dam release. There’s not enough water in that river to be runnable right now.”

More at TahoeDailyTribune.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Video

Shallow Parts of American River Pose Unusual Safety Risk

While parts of the American River are shallow enough to scrape the bottom, others are safe enough to jump from nearby bridges even though it is illegal.

“You just have to swim to the bottom and if you can touch the bottom, you really do not want to jump there,” said Josh Harding, who swims in the river.

Over the weekend, one teen broke their leg from jumping in the river.

Rather than use a boat to rescue them, Metro Fire said the water was too shallow so they walked.

Now Metro Fire is cautioning others on safety, suggesting swimmers find a swimming hole or an area without fast-moving water that is also deep enough.

Normally, the Folsom Dam and Nimbus Dam release water at 4,000 cubic feet per second, but a drier than regular season has them releasing at 1,000 CFS.

More at Fox40.com >>>

Bike Trail, Events, Water, Wildlife

‘A Day on the Farm’ at Soil Born Farms

On rich farmland along the American River and tucked next to Hagan Park is Soil Born Farms, the site of the fifth annual “Day on the Farm.” The May 19 event is billed as an opportunity to “Learn, Eat and Celebrate!” and will feature a fresh farm stand, cooking classes, farms tours, farm animals, plant sale, nature walks, live music, workshops, food, and arts and crafts.

At the event, participants can experience Soil Born Farms, which produces certified organic produce for local farm stands, restaurants and grocery stores. Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture and Education Project was started in 2000 to connect urbanites with healthy, local food. Soil Born Farms also offers experiential farm, gardening and cooking education, and provides healthy food access programs for the community in partnership with schools and other agencies.

More at SacramentoPress.com >>>

Bike Trail, safety

Solar Panels Stolen from American River Parkway Building

Sixty solar panels were stolen from the American River Parkway Foundation building this week.

The panels were all donated by SMUD to encourage solar electricity use in households. They provided power to the American River Foundation offices, according to Executive Director Dianna Poggetto.

“I am saddened that individuals continue to vandalize our building for a few hundred dollars’ worth of copper when it costs the Foundation thousands of dollars to repair,” Poggetto wrote in a news release.

The panels were attached to the shade structure just outside the building.

From FOX40.com >>>