Category Archives: Fish

Fish, Salmon, Wildlife

Federal Project Aims To Increase Salmon, Trout In American River

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Gravel, sand and rocks are being sorted and washed along the American River – preparing the area for salmon and trout.

It’s a huge federal project underway with a plan to increase the number of salmon and trout.

So who’s footing the bill, and how much does it cost?

About a mile west of Sunrise Boulevard is where workers are cleaning and sorting rocks getting the river primed for salmon. Heavy construction equipment traverses the banks of the American River at Sacramento Bar four miles downstream from Nimbus Dam.

“They’ll be habitat in here for the small fish. We’ll put wood in here and some willows growing up,” said John Hannon, a fish biologist with the Bureau of Reclamation.

This federally backed program has a mission: a home makeover for Chinook salmon and steelhead trout.

“The existing gravel is too large for the fish to use in this area, so this new gravel is smaller and the fish will be able to reproduce successfully,” Hannon said.

According to the Bureau of Reclamation, the number of spawning fish here has been on the decrease since early 2000.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>

Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Old pipe removal requires less American River flow

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Flows on the American River will be lower and rafting will be excluded one morning later this month to allow for removal of an old water pipe.

The Carmichael Water District on Sept. 13 will take away concrete debris from the south side of the river and remove an existing 33-inch steel water pipeline crossing the river just upstream from Ancil Hoffman Park.

Flows are scheduled to be reduced from 1,500 cubic feet per second to 1,000 cubic feet per second starting in the morning and continuing through 2 p.m. Sept. 13. The old pipeline is in the river but is partially exposed.

“This removal of the old pipeline is one the things we are most excited about – to restore the river to its original condition,” said Chris Nelson, Carmichael Water District spokesman.

Also beginning at dawn and continuing until about 1 p.m., watercraft launching in the water will be prohibited beginning at Rossmoor Bar and at other upstream access points, including at Sunrise Boulevard. The watercraft prohibition between those points is needed for safety reasons due to heavy equipment being used that day to remove the pipeline.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Fish, History, News from Other Watersheds, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

California high court upholds ban on dredges to extract gold

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California’s ban on the use of suction dredges to extract gold from rivers is legal and not overridden by a 19th century federal law that allows mining on federal land, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The court’s unanimous decision was a victory for environmentalists and a blow to miners, who argued that the ban essentially stopped gold mining because doing it by hand is labor intensive and makes the enterprise unprofitable.

Environmentalists say suction dredge mining risks killing fish and stirring up toxic mercury.

The high court’s ruling came in an appeal of a criminal case in which miner Brandon Rinehart was convicted of a misdemeanor for suction dredge mining without a permit in 2012 and sentenced to three years of probation.

Associate Justice Kathryn Werdegar, writing for the court, said the federal Mining Law of 1872 did not guarantee a right to mine free from regulation.

Instead, its goal was to protect miners’ property rights involving the federal land to which they laid claim, she said.

“The mining laws were neither a guarantee that mining would prove feasible nor a grant of immunity against local regulation, but simply an assurance that the ultimate original landowner, the United States, would not interfere by asserting its own property rights,” she wrote.

Rinehart’s attorney, James Buchal, said the high court showed a “casual disregard” for federal law.

He said Rinehart would likely ask the court to review its ruling or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Suction dredges are powerful underwater vacuums that suck up rocks, gravel and sand from riverbeds to filter out gold.

More at USNews.com >>>

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

Great American River Clean Up – Saturday, September 17th 2016

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Great American River Clean Up – Saturday, September 17th 2016 from 9am-12pm

Great American River Clean Up Sep 20, 2014 2015 RESULTS:

25 sites cleaned.
1,550 volunteers participated.
20,000 lbs. of trash removed.

Come join us for our annual Great American River Clean Up! Bring your coworkers, neighbors, friends and family. Help us reach our goal of 2,000 volunteers!

There are 20+ Clean Up locations spanning the Parkway.
Click here for a map of Clean Up locations.
Click here for driving directions.

Click HERE to Register!

For more information please do not hesitate to contact the ARPF office at (916) 486-2773, or send email to volunteer@arpf.org.

Boating, Fish, safety, Water, Wildlife

Folsom Lake dropping, marina boats must go

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Folsom Lake levels are dropping rapidly and within a month boats at Brown’s Ravine Marina must be pulled.

Shane Hunt, spokesperson for the Bureau of Reclamation, said based on current estimates and operations, July releases will remain around 5,000 cubic feet per second.

“July is the highest demand for the Central Valley Project,” he said. “The reservoir releases form Folsom and Shasta are expected to be their highest this month.”

The Central Valley Project is the largest water delivery system in the country. It was devised in 1933 to provide irrigation and municipal water to much of California’s Central Valley.

“We provide water to millions of acres of farmland and well over a million people,” Hunt said. “It’s a combined system of 20 dams and reservoirs that we operate to meet a multitude of demands.”

While farmers and folks and fish downstream may benefit, boaters aren’t happy about the shortened boating season on Folsom Lake.

The past several years boats were pulled in July, due to the drought.

Joe Phum, of Folsom, and his father Joseph Phum were out enjoying Folsom Lake on a recent afternoon. Phum was not pleased after learning that the lake level will be getting lower and lower in the next month, cutting the boating season short.

More at FolsomTelegraph.com >>>

Fire, Fish, Rafting, safety, Wildlife

River access closed off due to Trailhead Fire

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Access to the Middle Fork of the American River From Oxbow Reservoir put in to Ruck-A-Chucky take out was closed Friday to protect firefighter and public safety, due to the continued growth of the Trailhead Fire.

The fire near Foresthill, in Placer and El Dorado counties, was up to 2,151 acres with 12 percent containment being reported Friday.

As of 7 a.m. Friday, no structures had been damaged or destroyed; all evacuations were still in effect.

Nearly 2,000 firefighting personnel were battling the Trailhead Fire along the Middle Fork of the American River.

At 5:30 p.m., a spokesperson from CalFire said there had been a shift on the eastern side of the fire, with a run up Jakey’s Hill that was getting close to Volcanoville.

Several dozer lines had been constructed and it was hoped that early diurnal winds down the hillside would keep the fire from reaching the Volcanoville area.

Firefighters did use some firing on the southern side of the fire to try and burn out fuels, and have been holding the fire to the north at the Placer County Line.

Crews were able to complete and strengthen lines overnight to prevent fire spread up Peachstone Gulch, and contingency lines are in place to protect the community of Todd Valley.

More at TheUnion.com >>>

Bike Trail, Boating, Fish, Wildlife

Bald Eagles Spotted in Sacramento County

A couple of bald eagles have been seen recently near Lake Natoma, just about 20 miles east of Sacramento off Highway 50.

During a visit to the lake on Wednesday, FOX40 spoke with several people who reported recent bald eagle sightings.

“I was shocked that we even have them here,” remarked Mary Ann Williams, who captured iPhone images of the birds perched high up in a tree while she was hiking with a friend a few weeks ago.

“I don’t know why, but I looked up, and I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Williams said.

Wildlife experts say bald eagles are thriving due to conservation efforts.

“For the last 40 years or so, every wildlife agency has worked to bring them back,” explained Andrew Hughan of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Lake Natoma, surrounded by high dense trees, is a suitable habitat.

More at Fox40.com >>>

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

Snowpack melting quickly in Sierra causes faster rapids

With temperatures in the 90s Tuesday, the water was raging along the North Fork of the American River thanks to fast-melting snow.

The raging waters are good news not only for rafters and boaters, but also for Northern California reservoirs, which are filling up fast.

Lake Shasta is 93 percent full Tuesday, thanks to a healthy snowpack. Lake Oroville is 96 percent full while Folsom Lake is 86 percent full.

More at KCRA.com >>>

Boating, Fish, Rafting, safety, Video, Water, Wildlife

Water flow great for rafting on the American River

For the first time in three years, the rafting industry has a chance to make a comeback. Water flow on the South Fork of the American River has returned to normal levels.

Drought seriously reduced the amount of water on the South Fork in previous years. Chili Bar Dam controls the water flow on the South Fork. Three years ago water released from the dam was reduced. Rafters could only float the South Fork five days out of the week for only three hours a day. This year Chili Bar Dam is releasing a steady flow of water seven days a week.

The higher water flow is also boosting business along the South Fork of The American River. Sierra Whitewater Rafting says when there is steady flow of water coming out of the dam, the company can now book multiple trips every day. This reduces crowding and allows flexible raft trip times for travelers looking to do a day trip.

More at abc10.com >>>

Fish, Wildlife

Placer County family leaves legacy of land, sharing

The legacy of Betty and Matt Bailey lives on in a new 40-acre preserve recently donated by the couple’s family on the north fork of the American River, near Alta.

The Auburn-based Placer Land Trust took possession of the rugged, scenic canyon land in April. It’s located at the bottom of the Green Valley Trail, south of Interstate 80.

It’s a fitting transfer of a legacy of land the Baileys sought to preserve.

The Baileys played key roles in advocating for the preservation of the north fork American River under a federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act designation. In 1978, Congress approved wild and scenic status for 38 miles of the north fork upstream of the Iowa Hill bridge. It was one of the first rivers in the U.S. to receive the status, preventing any future dams from being built.

The 40 acres are being named the Bailey North Fork Preserve and permanently protected as natural and recreational land. Matt Bailey died in 2015 at 89. Betty Bailey died eight months earlier at 90. They were nearing their 60th wedding anniversary.

Lisa Balmain, an Auburn resident, said her mother and father loved the river, the canyon and their community. While her father was the public face of the two, also advocating against an Auburn dam, Betty Bailey took over at home to allow her husband the time and energy to pursue his commitment, Balmain said.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>