Category Archives: Fish

Fish, Rafting, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Placer County Water Agency: Water Forum Transfer Partnership

The Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) Board of Directors on Thursday (Aug. 15) approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) to move forward on development of a potential long-term water transfer that meets their mutual water supply reliability interests and improves the ecosystem of the lower American River.

The potential transfer of water from PCWA’s Middle Fork American River Project would further affirm PCWA’s Water Forum stewardship commitments to the lower American River and likewise assist EBMUD in strengthening its water supply reliability needs.

Under the PCWA board action, staff will develop details of the transfer, including duration and financial terms, for future board consideration.

PCWA, as one of many local water purveyors in the American River basin, is a signatory of the Water Forum agreement.  The agreement outlines a multipart plan to increase diversions from the American River to meet increasing future demands locally while at the same time implementing dry year actions to protect the lower American River’s aquatic resources, including Chinook salmon and the federally-threatened Central Valley steelhead.

More at RocklinToday.com >>>

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

Sacramento’s River District On The Cusp Of Big Growth

More than a century ago, what is now known as Sacramento’s River District was known for flooding.

In the 1930s, it was known for canning. Later, it became a gritty mix of working factories and derelict buildings, close to downtown but isolated and often forgotten.

But now, the 830-acre district north of the historic railyard and Sacramento’s downtown core is seeing an influx of residential, office and commercial land-use projects.

In recent years, a new road and a light-rail extension have provided better connection to the rest of the city. More than $450 million has been invested in the district through public and private projects, bringing along more than 1,000 new jobs.

Patty Kleinknecht, executive director of the River District nonprofit association representing business and property owners, said the area’s transformation has been the result of a “genuine partnership” among businesses, developers, transportation officials, government leaders and urban planners.

“Particularly over the last five years, we’ve seen smart growth, mixed-use development close to the business center of our region, with easy access to a lot of different forms of transportation,” Kleinknecht said.

Long-established companies still dot the area, including the venerable Blue Diamond Growers cooperative, dating back to 1910. But recent arrivals have been numerous, adding a modern vibe to the district.

They include the California Lottery headquarters building, an imposing structure with curving exterior lines, hundreds of square feet of blue glass and aluminum, and LED lighting.

Inside the building, food truck operator Krush Burger opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant late last year.

The Party Concierge, the special event services/amenities business whose facilities burned in an August 2012 fire, has reopened nearby in a 42,000-square-foot building at 601 N. 10th St. The significantly upgraded building features modern architectural touches inside and out, including ceiling-high windows letting in natural light.

Last year, a new light-rail station opened at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard. The open-air brick-and-metal structure, topped by a Township 9 sign that lights up at night, has the look of a train stop in a European capital.

The station borders the 65-acre Township 9 mixed-use development site, where construction continues on the Cannery Place Apartments, a 180-unit, $40 million development that also will include retail. Construction is expected to be completed in October next year.

Steve Goodwin, president of the River District board of directors and Township 9, uses the word “momentum” repeatedly when describing the area.

“That’s momentum … from more employment, more businesses, more services and more investment,” he said.

Goodwin remembers a different time, when the decades-old Tri-Valley Growers cannery was being readied for the wrecking ball, clearing space for Township 9 work.

“We’ve been here for about 14 years now, and back then, well, it was kind of a dump. It was considerably more blighted,” he said. “There was a lot yet to be done. It was really in its infancy in terms of its redevelopment.”

Numerous projects, including a widening of Richards Boulevard, altered the district, but Goodwin points to the Seventh Street extension project, completed in March 2004, as the key milestone.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

American River Flow Changes This Week For Fish Weir Installation

Flows will change in the American River this week while federal officials install a fish weir below Nimbus Dam to prepare for the fall salmon migration.

Overnight Wednesday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation planned to drop American River flows from 2,500 cubic feet per second to 1,000, then return to 2,500 during the day. This is planned so crews can do maintenance on the weir structure.

Then on Friday starting at 1 a.m., flows will be dropped again to 1,000 cfs to install the weir, and increased back to 2,500 cfs by afternoon.

These actions will change the river elevation by about 14 inches, as measured in Fair Oaks. People recreating and traveling along the river are advised to use caution near the water’s edge.

The weir is installed across the river annually to guide spawning fall-run Chinoook salmon into the Nimbus Hatchery fish ladder.

More at SacBee.com >>>

 

Fish, Rafting, Water, Wildlife

Placer Land Trust, Emigrant Trails Greenway Trust, To Protect Another 160 Acres On The North Fork American River

Placer Land Trust has teamed with the Emigrant Trails Greenway Trust to acquire another 160 acres of land on the North Fork American River at Gillis Hill, guaranteeing a five-mile stretch of the river stays forever wild and scenic.

“This is the only private parcel on the river for miles in either direction,” said Placer Land Trust’s Executive Director Jeff Darlington. “Protecting this property from development ensures that a five-mile stretch – from above the Colfax Iowa Hill Bridge downstream past Indian Creek and Shirttail Creek all the way to Yankee Jim’s Bridge – will remain wild and scenic, forever.”

The “Mergen North Fork Preserve” borders existing public land within the Auburn State Recreation Area along stretch of the North Fork American River containing Staircase Rapids, well known by rafters, kayakers, and other river enthusiasts. Emigrant Trails Greenway Trust (ETGT), a private philanthropic foundation, partnered with Placer Land Trust to protect this property from residential development within the canyon.

“Protecting this critical portion of the watershed strengthens national wild and scenic values upstream, and water quality downstream,” said Patty Schifferle, ETGT Trustee. “This purchase connects substantial investments along the North Fork American River where habitat corridors and scenic corridors are critical to our community.”

ETGT funding was augmented by funds from Placer Land Trust’s wetlands mitigation account (funded by Placer County Water Agency) as well as support from over 700 land trust members. Placer Land Trust purchased the property from Paul & Joy Mergen for $175,000.

The North Fork American River has long been an area of special interest and continues to be a priority for Placer Land Trust, due in large part to its popularity as a recreation destination.

More at YubaNet.com >>>

Fish, safety, Water, Wildlife

Guidelines Issued On Eating Fish From California Lakes, Reservoirs

A state environmental health agency has issued its first-ever set of statewide guidelines for eating fish from California’s lakes and reservoirs, including many in Northern California and the Sierra.

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment’s advisories are meant to help the public decide what fish can be safely eaten – especially from hundreds of lakes and for reservoirs that have not had fish consumption advisories established.

Most bodies of water with fish-eating advisories – because fish sampled there have high levels of methyl mercury – are found in Northern California and the Gold Rush country, as well as in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

“Prior to these new guidelines, hundreds of lakes and reservoirs in the Sierra had no fish consumption warnings – which led the public to believe that the fish from those locations were safe to eat,” said Amber Taxiera, community outreach coordinator with the Sierra Fund. “This is a big step forward for OEHHA.”

The new advisory recommends that women between the ages of 18 and 45 and children under 18 should avoid eating bass, carp and brown trout larger than 16 inches because of a risk of methyl mercury exposure, which has been shown to damage the brain and nervous system.

Some species of fish, including bullhead, catfish and bluegill, are acceptable for consumption at one serving a week. Species that are safe to eat include wild-caught rainbow trout and small brown trout. The advisory and guidelines stem from OEHHA’s evaluation of 272 lakes and reservoirs, and 2,600 fish samples.

The advisory combined mercury data from fish in California lakes that currently do not have advisories and compared those mercury levels to acceptable human exposure levels.

In the Sacramento region, at Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma, the advisory recommends following the new guidelines if the fish caught are not covered by already set location-specific guidelines.

More at ModBee.com >>>

 

Fish, safety, Water, Wildlife

Low Water Levels Forcing Boats Out Of Folsom Lake

The people who dock their boats at Folsom Lake, about 25 miles east of Sacramento, keep track of how dry the reservoir is by how many steps it takes to get from the parking lot to the floating dock.

In the spring, when melting snow and rainfall fill the lake’s basin, less than ten steps peek out from above the water. Last week, the number was 80. Jeff Gomez said he made sure to count as he trekked up and down the stairs eight different times. “I came down to refuel the boat,” Gomez said as he caught his breath after dragging a cooler down the 80 steps. “That took two trips. Now this was two trips.”

Gomez and his family were getting ready for one of their final boat rides of the year. Folsom Lake is at half its capacity, and low water levels will force Gomez and everyone else who docks their boats in the lake to remove their crafts from the water by Sunday, August 11.

It’s not unusual for Folsom Lake to lose water over the course of the summer, but the boat-removal order typically comes in the fall, not early August. “It’s not shocking, because we expected it. Lack of snow, lack of rain” said Gomez as he prepped his speedboat for an afternoon of tubing. “It’s kind of sad, though.”

More at KQED.org >>>

Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Folsom Lake, American River levels to hit 5-year lows

Water levels in Folsom Lake and the American River this fall will drop to levels not seen in five years as California verges on another extended drought period.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates Folsom Dam, estimates the lake will fall to a storage level of 241,000 acre-feet by December. That is about one-fourth of total capacity.

The lake has not reached such lows since December 2008, the last extended drought period, when it fell to as low as 199,000 acre-feet.

Already, boat owners at Folsom Lake Marina face an Aug. 3 deadline to vacate their berths. The floating docks will be resting on the lake bed by then, when the storage level reaches 412,000 acre-feet, said the marina’s manager, Ken Christensen.

It won’t be long after that, he added, that a lakewide 5 mph speed limit will be imposed for safety. Though not unprecedented, these early restrictions on the lake are a convincing sign that dry times are at hand.

In an average water year, boats don’t have to be hauled out of slips at the marina until Oct. 1.

More at SacBee.com >>>

 

Fire, Fish, safety, Wildlife

Crews contain Foresthill Bridge fire that threatened homes

Fire crews from multiple agencies fully contained the four-acre fire that threatened structures on the Auburn side of the Foresthill Bridge at 4:20 p.m. Tuesday, said Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire public information officer.

“This whole canyon, once it gets racing in a canyon like this, it could take several days to stop it,” Berlant said. “Fortunately where we stopped it was right below these homes. It was a real good save.”

The fire that started just before 2 p.m. originated at the bottom of the American River Canyon and crawled up the hillside toward Auburn, headed for a neighborhood with dozens of homes, but crews were able to halt its progress and no evacuations had been ordered, Berlant said.

Of those in the neighborhood, only two buildings were immediately threatened by the fire, he said.

One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion, Berlant said.

More than a dozen fire engines, a couple water tenders, three hand crews, two air tankers, a helicopter and a bulldozer had been dispatched to battle the blaze, Berlant said. Cal Fire, Placer County Fire, Auburn City Fire, Newcastle Fire, Placer Hills Fire and the U.S. Forest Service all responded to the scene.

“This is an incredibly steep hillside, so trying to get our firefighters down there to actually … build a containment line is very difficult,” he said. “That’s why we do so much work in here to actually clear it up.”

The blaze spread under the bridge, burning either side of the Auburn slope. The cause of the vegetation fire is under investigation.

“If we hadn’t been able to jump on it quickly this fire had a lot of potential to make its way all the way up the hillside to Auburn,” Berlant said. “Fortunately our station is less than a mile away, Auburn City Fire is less than a mile away, and we were able to bring engines out of Foresthill, so a lot of different agencies were able to get there quickly and that helped us, obviously.”

A spot fire broke out away from the main area of the blaze, but a U.S. Forest Service helicopter quickly attacked it and stopped it from spreading, Berlant said.

Work to reduce fuels on either side of the canyon had been performed recently, and this fire emphasizes to homeowners there how important it is to create defensible space, because a blaze naturally is going to spread up the hillside, he said.

“It’s a beautiful view, right? But they’ve got to make sure they’ve got the clearance, because the fire is going to race right up,” Berlant said. “And if you’ve got good clearance around it, it helps us stop the fire.”

The area near the bridge is a “hot spot” for fires, and a blaze two or three years ago burned 30 acres on the Foresthill side, Berlant said.

Foresthill Road traffic was stopped on either side of the bridge, and was expected to resume around 5:30 p.m. Traffic was also significantly backed up on Highway 49 near the confluence, Berlant said.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>

Bike Trail, Fish, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

State eyes east Sacramento sites for possible new railyard, maintenance facility

Sacramento has spent decades cleaning up and finding new uses for two historic city railyards. Now the state of California wants to build a new one in the urban core.

State transportation planners are looking at sites in east Sacramento and at Sutter’s Landing Regional Park along the American River, as places to build a major new railyard and maintenance facility for Amtrak trains.

Word of the state Department of Transportation’s plans spread in the last few days and surprised city officials and developers hoping to build hundreds of homes on the east Sacramento site.

“We just learned about it this week,” said Megan Norris, vice president of Riverview Capital Investments. The firm, headed by former state Treasurer Phil Angelides, has been promoting plans to build McKinley Village, a 328-home development, on the vacant swath of land by the Capital City Freeway. The property is commonly known as Centrage, after one of several failed projects there.

Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn, whose district contains both areas under consideration, said the revelation that Caltrans was looking at the sites to service Amtrak trains “came as news to me.”

He said any plans to put a railyard at Sutter’s Landing Park, built atop a former landfill, would be unacceptable. A map of the proposal suggests the railyard could impinge on city parkland. Even if it didn’t, Cohn said the city is planning to expand the park by acquiring acreage now in private hands. “We spent a lot of time and effort to convert an industrial facility into a park,” he said.

Caltrans spokesman Mark Dinger said the department’s plans are preliminary, with the two Sacramento locations being evaluated.

More at SacBee.com >>>

 

Bike Trail, Fish, safety, Water, Wildlife

Rules are tricky for spearfishing in American River

If you want to try spearfishing in the American River, don’t start by purchasing a spear gun, or investigating where to dive for the biggest bass. Instead, you may want to call your attorney first.

New regulations approved by the California Fish and Game Commission in 2012 opened the American River to spearfishing for striped bass for the first time, and only downstream of Harrington Way, near Sacramento’s William Pond Recreation Area. The new rule took effect May 1 this year.

Trouble is, the commission didn’t consult Sacramento County, which manages the American River Parkway as part of the county parks system.

It classifies spears and spear guns as weapons, which are banned in the American River Parkway just like guns, and bows and arrows.

In other words, if you drive to the parkway, pull your spear gun out of the trunk and walk over to the river, a county park ranger or a state game warden could cite you for a misdemeanor and confiscate your weapon.

More at SacBee.com >>>