Category Archives: Wildlife

Bike Trail, safety, Wildlife

American River Parkway Rangers Propose Letting Dogs Back On Bike, Horse Trails

A new effort to protect the American River Parkway would expand where people can walk their dogs, but maintain the strict guidelines on leashes.

Park rangers will present the possible law change to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Mark Gibbons walks his dog, Charlie, on the bike path often.

“I’ve never had a problem with my dogs, nor have I seen anyone else walking their dog have a problem with bicyclists or walkers,” he said.

But he also strays off the beaten path.

“There’s some secluded areas where I can let her off the leash,” Gibbons said.

But that’s against the law, according to park rangers. Under current law, dogs aren’t allowed on the trails, because they pose a public safety risk, by running  into, or even biting, cyclists.

“There have been times where dogs have been on the bike trail, and I’ve had to brake and swerve out of the way,” said cyclist Daniel Mueller.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>

Bike Trail, Fish, safety, Water, Wildlife

Guy West Bridge will undergo restoration project to remove lead-based paint

The city of Sacramento will make numerous restorations to the Guy West bridge during the spring semester, including a removal of the original lead based paint that has deteriorated since the bridge was built.

“Primarily, it’s a bridge paint job,” said Max Katt, an associate engineer at the Sacramento based Quincy Engineering.

Quincy is one of the firms collaborating in the restoration.

“The existing paint has lead based materials and other hazardous materials that need to be fully removed before they can be replaced by a modern paint system. The existing paint is faded, cracked and losing adhesion and is no longer protecting the steel and doing its job to prevent corrosion,” said Katt.

Katt also said if the paint is not restored soon, it will continue to erode the bridge and may become a bigger problem.

The lead based paint will be contained and disposed of using hazardous material standards. The process will be closely monitored to ensure the safety of the surroundings, those working on the bridge and pedestrians who come into contact with the bridge during the restorations.

Other repairs to the bridge include work on the suspension cables, the deck and railings and the loose utility conduit. The entire project carries an estimated cost of $3.2 million.

More at StateHornet.com >>>

Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Salmon restoration in American River worries some kayakers, rafters

A project to improve salmon spawning habitat in the American River has some kayakers and rafters concerned that they may lose a favorite area of rapids.

The project, which started Sept. 3, involves using bulldozers to place 6,000 tons of large gravel cobbles in the riverbed near River Bend Park and Arden Way. The gravel is needed to create spawning habitat for wild chinook salmon, which make nests for their eggs in the rocks.

The work is occurring directly downstream from the parkway pedestrian bridge between River Bend Park and William Pond Recreation Area. This stretch of river includes the Arden rapids, an area favored by kayakers and rafters.

“It was a bit of a surprise to see all that rock in there and basically changing the whole flow of the river,” said Sven Lund, organizer of the SacYakkers kayak club. “For people going in it for the first time, it seems like an unnatural flow to the river and they will get caught on the gravel.”

Lund and others eventually learned that the right side of the river has water deep enough to pass.

More at ModBee.com >>>
Bike Trail, Events, Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

Volunteers needed to help remove trash from American River and other waterways

Whether it’s the ocean you love, the rushing American River or the sparkling Yuba, you’ll have a chance Saturday to help keep the water free of debris.

Saturday is the International Coastal Cleanup, an annual event that last year drew more than 500,000 volunteers who removed 10 million pounds of trash from shorelines worldwide. Conservation groups around the country have scheduled river cleanups to coincide with the coastal effort, begun nearly three decades ago by the Ocean Conservancy. In the greater Sacramento region, these include the Great American River Cleanup, the Annual Yuba River Cleanup, the Great Sierra River Cleanup and Teaming up for the Tuolumne. (See www.arpf.org)

More at SacBee.com >>>

Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Salmon habitat project begins on American River today

The latest phase of a project to restore salmon spawning areas in the American River begins today near River Bend Park in Sacramento.

The project involves spreading gravel in the riverbed so migrating wild Chinook salmon have more room to create “redds”, or nests for their eggs. The goal is to replenish gravel that would have naturally washed downstream, but has been blocked for decades by Folsom and Nimbus dams.

Led by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which owns the dams, the project is in its sixth year and has already proven successful by increasing the number of documented redds.

About 6,000 tons of gravel will be added to the lower American River during this year’s phase of the project. Some 5,500 square yards of improved spawning habitat will be created. This year’s work is estimated to cost $400,000.

Work hours will be Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. All work is located immediately downstream from the pedestrian bridge at River Bend Park. The work is expected to be finished by Friday, Sept. 27.

More at SacBee.com >>>

 

Fire, safety, Water, Wildlife

Roads to reopen today as American fire is put out

Mosquito Ridge Road near Foresthill will reopen to all traffic at 8 a.m. today.

A portion of the road has been closed for public and firefighter safety because of the American fire burning in Placer County northeast of Foresthill.

But, as firefighters reach containment of the fire, emergency vehicle traffic on the road has decreased, said Gwen Ernst-Ulrich, the forest’s acting public affairs officer, in a news release.

The fire, which started Aug. 10 and has burned 26,817 acres, was 99 percent contained as of Thursday night, officials reported. The cause is under investigation.

Three Forest Service roads, two popular trails and a campground within the fire area remain closed until further notice.

The roads include Deadwood Ridge Road from Foresthill Divide Road to the road’s end, Foresthill Divide Road from the intersection of Humbug Canyon Road to Robinson Flat and Flat Ravine Road from Robinson Flat Campground to Mosquito Ridge Road.

More at SacBee.com >>>

 

Bike Trail, Events, Fish, Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

Join The Great American River Cleanup September 21

Saturday, September 21, will be the annual “Great American River Clean Up” during the hours of 9 a.m. to noon which over the years has generated countless volunteer hours dedicated to gathering tons of trash.  The American River Parkway Foundation sponsors the annual event as one way to maintain the natural habitat that comprises the 23 mile stretch along the American River.

Volunteers can register online and many students use the event as a way to earn community service credits for school.  Staging sites where you can check-in include Alumni Grove at CSUS, Ancil Hoffman Park, and William Pond Park.  Details and more information can be obtained online at the American River Parkway Foundation website.

Fish, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Folsom Lake Concerns: San Juan Water District Adopts Voluntary Restrictions

Customers of San Juan Water District in are being asked to reduce their water use 5 to 10 percent due to concerns that Folsom Lake may not be able to serve normal demand.

The district’s board of directors last week adopted a Stage 2 Water Alert, which calls on customers to take voluntary actions to conserve water. The district serves Granite Bay and portions of Roseville, Folsom and Orangevale.

“We’re encouraging residents to avoid all unnecessary and wasteful uses of water,” Judy Johnson, the district’s customer services manager, said in a statement.

The request comes after the driest January-through-June period in the northern Sierra Nevada region in history. Lack of snowfall and resulting poor runoff has left many California reservoirs in a depleted state, including Folsom Lake. The lake supplies most of the water used by San Juan customers, and there is mounting concern it will not be able to meet demand next year.

More at SacBee.com >>>

 

Bike Trail, Water, Wildlife

American River Bike Trail Is 11th Best In U.S., National Survey Shows

A national survey by USA Today ranks the American River recreation trail as the 11th-best urban bike trail in the country.

The newspaper cites the 32-mile long trail from Folsom to downtown Sacramento for having few road crossings. It also notes the trail serves as both commuter route and scenic recreation route for weekend rides.

In listing the 19 best urban bike trails, USA Today noted more cities are developing cycling routes that are away from motor vehicle traffic, while others are reducing car-lane space on streets to make more room for bikes.

The top urban bike trail on the list was the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis, a 5.5-mile bicycle “highway” on a sunken rail corridor through the center of town. The busy trail, with virtually no car crossings, is lit at night, has emergency call boxes and is served by snowplows in winter.

More at ModBee.com >>>

Fire, safety, Water, Wildlife

American Fire Pricetag Up To $12.5 Million

The bill for the 15,700-acre American Fire northeast of Foresthill reached $12.5 million Wednesday, with containment targeted for Sept. 1.

The fire is being described by fire officials as 63 percent contained, with firefighters watching the skies for thunderhead formations and possible lightning.

The fire has been determined to be human-caused, but Mike Johnson, information officer for the California Interagency Agency Management fire strategy team, said Wednesday that he can’t comment on the investigation or provide any additional information.

While Auburn was again free of smoke Wednesday, Colfax was suffering from a thick haze from the American Fire as atmospheric conditions changed.

On Wednesday, an army of 1,822 firefighters and support personnel was mopping up containment on the west side of the fire while improving fire lines on the north and northeast edge.

Johnson said efforts to contain the fire in steep terrain on the east and southeast perimeters were continuing, with crews directly attacking the flames where possible.

Smoke will continue to be generated in heavy volume, especially from the densely timbered Antoine, Manilla, Screrauger and Cavanah canyons, he said.

With a red-flag warning issued by the National Weather Service for thunder and erratic winds, the management team is prepared to change plans if a storm cell moves through.

“Thanks to the technology we have on weather, we can plan for that happening,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the initial cost estimate for the fire, which broke out Aug. 1, is $12.5 million.

More at FolsomTelegraph.com >>>