Category Archives: Rafting

Boating, Fish, Rafting, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Officials warn Folsom Lake could be 96% empty

Sacramento-area water officials warned Wednesday that Folsom Lake could be 96 percent empty by next January under a federal plan to increase water releases.

t’s just bad. It’s just bad,” said Tom Gohring, executive director of the Sacramento Region Water Forum, a coalition of water agencies.

Gohring spoke at a meeting of the State Water Resources Board about a proposal by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Reclamation officials have said they plan to begin releasing more fresh water from Folsom Lake and Lake Oroville in order to push back the saltwater that infiltrates the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta during drought conditions.

“We are having to make a lot of difficult decisions,” said Erin Curtis, a Reclamation spokeswoman. “And releasing extra water from Folsom right now is one of those.”

A historically low snowpack has already left Folsom and several other California reservoirs at below-average levels.

More at KCRA.com >>>

Bike Trail, Boating, Rafting, safety, Water

Firefighters urge caution over dangerous river conditions

Sacramento Metro Fire Captain Randy Gross was about to lead News10 on a tour of the American River and it’s potential dangers when a call for an injury at a rope swing suddenly sent his four-man crew of Rescue Boat 65 into action.

“The rope swing’s a very popular spot. We go there probably every weekend for a call,” Gross said. “Just last Sunday, we went for a pretty severe fracture of the arm.”

In minutes, his low-draft rescue boat is skimming the water at nearly 40 miles an hour, as his engineer deftly dodges rafts, kayaks and swimmers.

“People are adventurous. They want to try things that aren’t the smartest thing to do,” Gross said. “And here’s a perfect example, 21-year-old male who had not had anything to drink.”

The man lost his grip on the rope swing, plunging onto the river bank and nearly slipping into the water before a friend was able to pull him back.

“If somebody wasn’t there and he would have slid off into the water, even though it seems pretty calm, he could be gone – they’re not going to find him,” Gross said.

The young man was clearly in shock, but resisted having a C-spine neck collar put on. Firefighters left it off, explaining that trying to force one on can do more harm.

“Not exactly knowing what’s going on, we provide whatever care we can,” Gross explained, pointing out the man does not seem to have head or next injuries. But, internal injuries are not yet ruled out.

“Very tough impact. And we don’t know what kind of impact on him for the next month or the rest of his life,” Gross explained.

In minutes, the young man is taken across the river to a waiting ambulance for a trip to the emergency room.

“This river is extremely dangerous,” Gross reflects. “Snags, slips, people hitting their head — it just takes your ankle getting twisted with the force of the water against it and, you know, you’re gone.”

More at News10.net >>>

Boating, Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Regulator: Roseville, Folsom Could Run Out Of Water By September If Folsom Lake Releases Continue



A water regulator is warning Roseville and Folsom could run out of water in just a few months if officials continue to allow water releases from Folsom Lake.

Andrew Fecko with the Placer County Water Agency is concerned and frustrated after learning the Bureau of Reclamation has increased releases from Folsom Lake. He warns those increased releases won’t just expose ruins where water should be.

“If this lake behind me goes below 100,000 acre feet, in the September time frame, that’s a you-can’t-turn-on-your-tap moment, and that’s something we haven’t faced here before,” he said.

He says about half a million citizens use water from Folsom Lake, including the cities of Folsom and Roseville, as well as the San Juan Water District.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>

Bike Trail, News from Other Watersheds, Rafting, safety, Wildlife

Risk rises for Lyme disease in summer

As the weather warms, many look to plan fun outdoor activities, but increased time outside also increases the risk for encounters with ticks, which can be carriers of Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks, known as deer ticks, frequently encountered in tall grasses and wooded areas.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 300,000 infections occur each year, of which only 30,000 are reported to CDC by state health departments.

Lyme is a bacterial illness that is spread by tick bites. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system, officials said.

There are several tactics that can prevent tick bites and reduce the risk of tick borne disease, according to the CDC.

More at FolsomTelegraph.com >>>

Bike Trail, Fish, News from Other Watersheds, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Uncategorized, Wildlife

California Nerodia Watch

Nerodia Sipedon
Let’s hope we don’t get more Nerodia in the American River watersheds! Please report any sightings.

Nerodia Watch enlists citizen scientists to report sightings of Nerodia watersnakes in California. Nerodia threaten California’s native fish and wildlife species through predation and competition for resources. Their fast rate of population growth, ability to disperse overland to new habitat, and close proximity to special status species causes great concern for California’s native fish and wildlife species. This campaign is intended to monitor for the spread of existing populations, prevent the establishment of new populations, and facilitate rapid response management efforts to control or eradicate Nerodia watersnakes in California.

Currently, N. sipedon is established in Roseville (Placer County) and N. fasciata pictiventris is established in Folsom (Sacramento County) and Machado Lake (Los Angeles County). Areas that should be targeted for surveying include most types of permanent freshwater habitats, such as ponds, wetlands, canals, and slow-moving streams and rivers. Specific locations of interest include in and around Roseville, Folsom, the lower American River, the Sacramento River watershed west/southwest of Sacramento, Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Little Potato Slough, French Camp, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and Los Angeles County.

For more information on Nerodia watersnakes in California, visit CDFW Invasive Species Program – Species profiles, The California Nerodia website, the Stop the Spread of Non-Native Water Snakes in California Facebook group, and CaliforniaHerps.com.

In 2008, all Nerodia watersnake species were added to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s list of restricted live animals, making it illegal to possess, transport, or import them into the state without a restricted species permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Boating, Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Grave Concerns Over Folsom Lake for Water Officials

At its June 4 meeting, the Placer County Water Agency Board of Directors expressed grave concern over the projected drop in water levels at Folsom Lake.

Reacting to an order last week by the State Water Resource Control Board to conserve cold water supplies in the Shasta Reservoir system, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is releasing water from Folsom Reservoir at a rate that could drop lake levels within a few feet of the water supply outlet that serves the City of Roseville, City of Folsom, and San Juan Water District.

“If the current plan remains unchanged and we experience a dry fall, we could see half a million people in the region without water,” PCWA General Manager, Einar Maisch said. “This could, in effect, destroy the entire region’s economy.”

By holding cold water supplies at Shasta Reservoir now, it is expected cold water will be available for winter run Salmon in the Sacramento River. Releases at Folsom Lake increased from 1,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 2,000 cfs (approximately 4,000 acre-feet per day). Under current modeling, Folsom Lake levels could drop to approximately 118,000 acre-feet by the end of September. By comparison, in January 2014 Folsom reached its recent record low of 162,000 acre-feet, just before near record high February rains. 118,000 acre-feet would be 16 feet lower than the level reached in January 2014.

More at RocklinToday.com >>>

Bike Trail, Fire, Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

Illegal camping sparks concerns about fires along American River Parkway

Pressure is mounting for Sacramento County to do more about illegal camping and potential fire danger along the American River Parkway.

“Move the homeless population out of the 12th Street corridor,” said Mike Rushford of the American River Parkway Preservation Society.

Rushford was inspecting the charred-out remains of a fire in Sacramento’s urban forest, the American River Parkway.

Illegal homeless campsites “threaten this big open preserve here,” Rushford said.

“A month from now, this would just burn all the way to the Woodlake area,” Rushford said. “This year, because it’s the fourth year of a very bad drought, could be the year that we get that catastrophic fire that we all fear so much.”

Preservationists like Rushford are increasingly concerned about illegal campsites and the growing risk of fires caused by transients.

Last year a KCRA 3 investigation revealed the Sacramento Fire Department fought 85 fires over a four-mile stretch along the American River between Discovery Park and Cal Expo.

On Tuesday along the American River Parkway, KCRA 3 discovered a wide array of tents, camping gear and even barbecue grills in open display.

Sacramento County park rangers on patrol told one illegal camper to move out. “I just got here,” said the homeless man.

Park rangers last year discovered more than 1,100 illegal campsites and issued 756 citations.

More at KCRA.com >>>

Bike Trail, Events, Rafting, safety

Rafters get creative during Memorial Day alcohol ban

Sunday is the warmest day this month and hundreds of people are cooling off along the American River.

Sacramento County park rangers are busy enforcing a strict ban on booze. Despite plenty of signage, some people tried sneaking in beer, wine and even non-alcoholic glass bottles — all of which are not allowed.

“People can get very creative when they hide the alcohol,” said Chris Kemp, a park ranger sergeant. “We’ve had them in coolers with false bottoms. We’ve had them hidden in backpacks, inside of Camelback pouches on their bodies in various places in different types of containers so we know what to look for,” Kemp said.

Partygoers caught in the act were given the option of taking their contraband back to their cars or watching rangers pour it out. Getting caught with booze this weekend could lead to a $100 citation.

The 10 rangers on patrol were determined to keep people on the American River safe from drowning and vigilant in enforcing the message that alcohol and water just don’t mix.

“Yeah, I think it’s probably a good thing to keep everybody safe out here,” said Andrew Ray, a kayaker from San Francisco.

For Billy Balogh of Roseville, the no-alcohol rule makes for a better family experience for his 8-year-old daughter Alexandra.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Balogh said. “Nobody’s going to fall in the water. People are going to be more aware and keep an eye on things going on in the water. And it’s just safe overall for everybody.”

But not everybody is enamored with the ban on booze.

“I mean I feel I can handle myself responsibly, drinking a couple of beers on a hot Memorial Day weekend,” said Diana Takla, a rafter from Walnut Creek. “I don’t know what the problem is.”
“With alcohol intoxication it lowers your threshold for tolerating hypothermia,” Kemp said. ”

“People when they drink a lot of alcohol, they can hit the water and become very disoriented and very hypothermic, and it leads to a lot more drownings. And we don’t want to see that out here,” Kemp said.

Meanwhile rafters on the American River are enjoying higher water flows, thanks to bigger releases from Folsom Lake.

More at KCRA.com >>>