Category Archives: Wildlife

Bike Trail, Events, safety, Water, Wildlife

Sacramento Area Creeks Council expects random trash trophies in annual cleanup

A lawn Santa, a blow dart, a wig, a flat-screen TV and a rocking horse are some of the dubious trophies volunteers have hauled out of Sacramento-area creeks during annual cleanups.

The Sacramento Area Creeks Council spotlights each year’s quirkiest finds to call attention to human activities that are harmful to dozens of urban creeks and their tributaries. The perils to creeks include roadside litter, illegal dumping, invasive plants and development- related storm runoff.

The 22nd annual Creek Week will get under way today with a Splash Off from 11 a.m. to noon at the William Pond Recreation Area on the American River. The big event will take place April 14, when about 2,000 volunteers will fan out across the county to remove trash from waterways.

More at The Modest Bee >>>

Bike Trail, safety, Wildlife

Detours to begin Thursday for parkway bike trail repairs

A detour will be in place for a one-mile section of the American River Parkway Bike Trail beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday to allow for trail repairs.

The detour, between the mile markers 2.5 and 3.5, will take trail users up on the adjacent levee, according to a Sacramento Regional Parks news release. Officials said work is necessary to repair damage to areas of the trail undermined by beavers.

The trail will be open through the repair site during the weekend. The closure and detour will resume Monday and continue during the week until repairs are completed.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

State Water Project allocation is slashed

The California Department of Water Resources has reduced its estimate of the amount of water the State Water Project will deliver this year.

DWR on Wednesday dropped its projected delivery total, or allocation, from 60 percent to 50 percent of the requested amount of slightly more than 4 million acre-feet.

‘’Stubbornly dry conditions this winter give us no choice but to roll back our water supply estimate,” says DWR Director Mark Cowin. “We continue to hope, however, that wetter conditions in the remaining winter weeks will allow us to boost deliveries back up.”

DWR says that precipitation so far this winter has been only about half of normal and the mountain snowpack is less than a third of normal.

Water Year (Oct. 1-Sept. 30) runoff from rain and snow is forecasted to be far below average in both the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River systems. The median runoff forecast of 9.4 million acre-feet for the Sacramento River system would be the 16th driest in 106 years.

The February 1 median water year runoff forecast of 3.2 million acre-feet for the San Joaquin River system would be the 21st driest in 111 years.

Average runoff is 18.3 million acre-feet for the Sacramento system, and 5.9 million acre-feet for the San Joaquin.

Much of California’s water comes from the mountainous country from Shasta Lake in the north to the American River basin in the south. DWR’s eight precipitation gages covering this area recorded an impressive 130 percent of average rainfall and snow in October, but only 43 percent in November, 4 percent of average in December, 84 percent of average in January, and 18 percent of a normal February total to date this month. Overall, this “Eight-Station Index” area to date is at 51percent of its seasonal precipitation average. Records go back to 1920.

More at CentralValleyBusinessTimes.com >>>

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

Federal Partnership Helps State Parks; 25-Year Agreement Signed

State and local officials gathered in Auburn on Tuesday morning to celebrate the signing of the new Managing Partner Agreement for the Folsom and Auburn State Recreation Areas.

The agreement is between the federal Bureau of Reclamation and the State Parks Department for the next 25 years.

It means that state parks will continue to manage the Folsom and Auburn State Recreation Areas. These areas consist of Folsom Lake, Lake Natoma and the Auburn Project Lands, including Lake Clementine.

The area covered represents 50,000 acres of land and waterways.

More at KCRA.com >>>
Fish, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Lack of rainfall signals driest season since 1976-77

The water-supply picture for Placer County is growing grimmer.

While a Pacific Gas & Electric Co. official has briefed the Placer County Water Agency’s board about conditions that could signal one of the driest years since records have been kept, water providers remain hopeful that precipitation to replenish reservoirs will provide a March – or even April – miracle.

Dave Ward, PG&E partnership coordinator, said that as of Thursday, seasonal precipitation across the Sierra Nevada was 42.6 percent of average. Seasonal precipitation is measured between July 1 and June 30.

“This year is barely above 1976-77,” Ward said. “If the current pattern continues, it could be the sixth or seventh driest year in 117 years of record-keeping.”

PG&E is also currently projecting that less than half of normal runoff will occur on the Yuba River and American River watersheds. As the season continues and warmer weather moves in, there will be less opportunity for snowpack to build up water reserves.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>

Fish, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Auburn Ravine salmon restoration effort aims for Auburn

The goal is clear: To allow salmon to move upstream along the Auburn Ravine to spawn at two Auburn city parks.

But for Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead President Jack Sanchez, what looks like a quixotic quest to some can be done with determination and cooperation.

Sanchez outlined the organization’s movement toward the ultimate goal of spawning salmon turning the Auburn Ravine shades of gold and red on a future fall day.

The Nevada Irrigation District has been working to retrofit two dams – Hemphill and Gold Hill – before salmon can reach Wise Powerhouse, at the corner of Ophir and Wise roads in Ophir, just outside Auburn city limits.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>

safety, Water, Wildlife

Deer Trapped In Frigid Canal Waters Pulled To Safety

Sacramento Metro fire crews had to use their skills and training to rescue a helpless deer trapped Tuesday in the frigid waters of a canal near the American River.

Just before noon, the deer somehow became trapped in the drainage canal in the area of White Rock and International Drive. The powerful current forced the deer north down the canal.

When fire crews arrived at the scene, they found the deer unsuccessfully making an effort to get out of the canal. The deer — believed to be a couple of years old — kept sliding back into the water because of the slippery slopes of the canal.It was unknown how long the deer was trapped in the canal before fire crews arrived at the scene.

Firefighters decided to make a rescue attempt and got a raft into the canal. A crew in the raft was able to lasso the animal and pull it ashore.

More at KCRA.com >>>

Bike Trail, Water, Wildlife

Legal fight looms over valley elderberry longhorn beetle

A group of Sacramento-area property owners and land managers has threatened to sue the federal government if it does not remove a native beetle from the endangered species list.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed removing the valley elderberry longhorn beetle from the endangered species list in 2006. But the process dragged and the beetle is still protected.

The Pacific Legal Foundation, a Sacramento nonprofit law firm, claims the delay may have cost its clients millions of dollars. Those clients include landowners, levee maintenance districts and farm organizations required to protect beetle habitat.

There are signs that the beetle population has improved, and its habitat is relatively abundant. The valley elderberry bush, the beetle’s specific host plant, is hardy and commonplace. But because the beetle remains protected, construction projects are often required to relocate or replant the bushes at great expense.

More at SacBee.com >>>