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Fish, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Huge gates in Delta stuck open, posing threat to migrating salmon

A pair of massive water diversion gates in the Delta near Walnut Grove has become stuck open due to a mechanical problem, posing a potential threat to juvenile salmon migrating to the ocean.

The Delta Cross Channel Gates, operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, are used to divert Sacramento River water into the interior of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and then to Reclamation export pumps near Tracy.

This time of year, the gates are normally closed on weekdays to ensure migrating salmon are not diverted from their migratory path in the Sacramento River, and opened on weekends to accommodate boat traffic.

But on Tuesday, while officials were attempting to close the gates after the Memorial Day weekend,one of the two gates could not be closed due to a mechanical problem. So Reclamation has left both gates open while it works on a fix.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, Events, Rafting, safety, Water

Thousands of families pack river for Memorial Day weekend

Thousands of people are expected to pack area rivers this Memorial Day weekend.

Rescue crews will be out at Discovery Park urging rafters and swimmers to wear life jackets in the river.

Drowning Accident Rescue Team President Bob Erickson said he is 90 percent sure his team will be called out to perform a rescue.

Park rangers will be cracking down on those breaking the booze ban.

They will issue citations if necessary.

Sacramento Metro fire officials said 60 percent of the drownings they respond to every year are alcohol-related.

Pool safety is also a big concern, especially for children.

More at KCRA.com >>>
Events, Rafting, safety, Water

Life jacket trade-in planned at area Kohl’s stores in Sacramento region

In advance of the Memorial Day weekend and the start of the summer recreation season, a life jacket trade-in will be held today at Kohl’s store locations in the Sacramento region.

The event, now in its 13th year, is sponsored by the California Department of Boating and Waterways, Radio Disney and UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

The life jacket trade-in gives parents the opportunity to have life jackets inspected by professionals. Life jackets that have been outgrown or are no longer serviceable will be exchanged for new, properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets while supplies last.

For those who don’t own life jackets, the American River Parkway Foundation announced that it will purchase and supply life vests for “Kids Don’t Float,” a program that lends life vests to children during the summer at seven access points along the American River.

More at ModBee.com >>>
Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

Wet April boosts State Water Project deliveries

The State Water Project should be able to deliver 65 percent of requested water this year, the Department of Water Resources says. This is up from the 60 percent delivery estimate – or allocation – announced on April 16.

Originally, DWR projected in November that it would be able to supply 60 percent of the slightly more than 4 million acre-feet of SWP water requested, but a dry December, January and February dropped that figure to 50 percent.

A wet March and above-average reservoir storage boosted the allocation back up to 60 percent in April, and Wednesday’s increase to 65 percent is due to April’s wetter-than-usual weather.

A 65 percent allocation is not unusually low.

Wet conditions last year allowed the SWP to deliver 80 percent of the slightly more than 4 million acre-feet requested by the 29 agencies that supply more than 25 million Californians and nearly a million acres of irrigated farmland. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons of water, enough to cover one acre to a depth of one foot. The final allocation was 50 percent in 2010, 40 percent in 2009, 35 percent in 2008, and 60 percent in 2007. The last 100 percent allocation – difficult to achieve even in wet years due to pumping restrictions to protect threatened and endangered fish – was in 2006.

April rainfall was 167 percent of normal in the mountainous area between the American River and Lake Shasta that produces much of California’s water supply. The April rainfall total in the San Joaquin River basin was 137 percent of average.

More at CentralValleyBusinessTimes.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

Modest flows bode well for summer river rafting season

California must have some of the hardest-working water in the world. Our mountains scrape abundant snowfall out of the sky to offer a playground for skiers and snowboarders.

Then, as snow melts in spring, runoff gushes down river canyons and provides thrills to rafters and kayakers.

Ultimately, of course, the stuff offers habitat for fish (and anglers), generates hydro power, gives us working showers, irrigates farms and provides so many other blessings into the bargain.

Each whitewater season has its own profile. For 2012, late spring and summer river-running looks to be benign, filled with sun and fun, reasonably safe, and of surprisingly long duration. Especially if you compare 2012 with last year, when a double- deep snowpack created an embarrassment of riches. Too many rivers ran too cold and too high for too long. It was mid-summer before recreational users could really enjoy their sports. In contrast, this year the watchword is: Get out there right now, and begin enjoying yourself.

“Last season, all our whitewater outfitters had a pretty slow start,” said Dan Crandall, who runs Current Adventures kayak school and The River Store on the popular south fork of the American River at Coloma. “But this year, many rivers that have little or no dam control, like the Carson, are sweet and runnable right now. And other drainages that are metered with dams and reservoirs, such as the south fork and the Trinity, have enough water to provide good recreation all summer long.”

More at SacBee.com >>>

Events, Wildlife

Spend ‘A Day on the Farm’ with Soil Born on Sunday

Take the family to the farm in the city Sunday during Soil Born Farms’ annual “A Day on the Farm.”

With something for every member of the family, this kid-friendly event features cooking classes, workshops, nature walks, local arts and crafts, children’s activities, music, food, native plant sale, farm stand and more.

Among the workshop topics are raising chickens and beekeeping.

Soil Born Farms’ American River Ranch is located at 2140 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova. The fun starts at 10 a.m. and runs through 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5.

For more details, click on www.soilborn.org or call (916) 363-9685.

Bike Trail, Rafting, safety

Sacramento County Parks To Use Volunteer Rangers

Sacramento County will use volunteer park rangers in an effort to put more law enforcement officers on patrol.

The auxiliary ranger program will bolster a force that has been reduced from 25 to 14 rangers. Currently, people on the popular American River Parkway and Dry Creek Parkway are hard pressed to seen a ranger on duty.

“It’s not like it used to be. Three or four years ago you’d see a lot more of them out here,” said cyclist Rod Stoy.

“I have a real issue with that,” said hiker Andrew Mortimer, of the budget cuts that reduced the number of Park Rangers in the county. He’s upset because he sees people on the parkway that make people feel unsafe.

“The fact that this is built for people to enjoy recreational activities and they don’t even feel safe to be out,” said Mortimer.

The county is currently doing extensive background checks for the first six auxiliary rangers who must have police academy training under their belt. They will also get the training that full time paid rangers undergo. Rangers say with the current staffing, they spend the bulk of their time responding to calls rather than doing preventive and proactive policing on the parkway.

More at Fox40.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Water

Heart attack may have killed rafter on North Fork American River run

A Rohnert Park man has died while whitewater rafting on the North Fork of the American River near Colfax and authorities are looking into the possibility of a fatal heart attack.

The man was identified by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office as Stan Decker, 59, of Rohnert Park. Decker died Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

The Associated Press initially reported that Decker drowned after apparently trying to help two rafters who were struggling with some fast-moving rapids.

But State Parks Supervising Ranger Scott Liske of the Auburn State Recreation Area said Monday that an ashen-faced Decker was reported by onlookers to have collapsed while standing in ankle-deep water after a particularly frenetic ride both in and out of the churning whitewater.

Decker was part of a commercial rafting trip by Auburn’s Whitewater Excitement outfitters that left from the Mineral Bar put-in near the Iowa Hill Bridge at 12:15 p.m. Saturday, Liske said.

At least two boats and a kayaking outrider set out and the boat Decker was in ended up pitching four occupants out at Slaughter’s Sluice, about half a mile downstream, Liske said.

Decker was one of the rafters who wemt in after the craft hit something in the water. He and another occupant were able to get back into the inflatable rubber raft and try to help pull the other two – a man and a woman – back in, Liske said.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Water

Man Dies Rafting on American River

A 59-year-old man died early Saturday afternoon after rafting near the North Fork of the American River near Colfax, known as Chamberlain Falls.

Officials are waiting for the coroner to determine if it’s an apparent drowning. They have not identified the man, although they say he is with the rafting company there.

According to Cal Fire, they received a 911 call with reports of CPR in progress along the river bank near the Mineral Bar campgrounds. Responders tried to get to the scene by foot, but couldn’t and had to get to the man by helicopter.

More at Fox40.com >>>