Category Archives: Rafting

Bike Trail, Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

Guy West Bridge Is A Neglected Icon

Drive down Fair Oaks Boulevard and across the bridge over the American River, look south and you will see what appears to be a miniature version of the Golden Gate Bridge, which is precisely what was intended when it was built in 1966.

It connects California State University’s Sacramento campus with University Avenue and the Campus Commons neighborhood, and is heavily used by students at Sacramento State, as well as nearby residents who like to stroll over to the campus for lunch or to attend an event.

The Guy West Bridge, for pedestrians only, was named in honor of the founding president of what was then Sacramento State College.

But it has fallen into disrepair and is only a shadow of its former self, its once bright red-orange color faded and rusty, showing its age and rapidly becoming more of an eyesore than the icon it was meant to be.

More at SacBee.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, 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 >>>

 

Bike Trail, Events, Rafting

Coming Saturday: Your chance to paddle and pedal for charity

Thousands of Sacramento-area residents will participate this week in a peculiar local tradition.

No, not the State Fair, although that’s happening too. It’s Eppie’s Great Race, a 24.67-mile triathlon that combines biking and running with paddling a boat rather than the usual swimming.

The 40th annual Eppie’s will be held Saturday on the American River Parkway. About 2,000 people participate each year, from casual joggers and cruisers to serious contenders.

Some complete the entire course; others form teams to split up the 5.82-mile run, 12.5-mile bike ride and 6.35-mile long paddle, which can be done in either a kayak or a canoe.

The race is named after local restaurant legend Eppie Johnson, 85.

An avid kayaker, Johnson started Eppie’s in 1974 and remains involved in organizing and fundraising.

Proceeds – a total of $1 million so far – have gone to Sacramento County’s Therapeutic Recreation Services, which offers activities for those with physical and mental disabilities.

For more information and to register, visit www.eppiesgreatrace.org.

More at SacBee.com >>>

 

Bike Trail, Events, Rafting, safety

‘Rafting Gone Wild’ on American River less extreme this year

They came in hordes, ready for a wild time.

Several thousand rafters jammed the American River on Saturday for “Rafting Gone Wild,” tugging ice chests full of drinks and, in some cases, alcohol.

Showing up in skimpy bathing suits, the rowdy crowd of youngsters was unfazed by the massive police presence and a county ban on alcohol for river activities from Hazel Avenue to Watt Avenue.

By early evening, approximately 20 arrests had been made, said Sgt. Steve Dutra of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. The first arrest occurred just before 1 p.m. when a man jumped off the footbridge at Sunrise Park with a backpack full of alcohol, said R.L. Davis, Rancho Cordova’s assistant police chief.

There were also four medical transports by 6 p.m., all due to alcohol, said Capt. Bryan Thomson, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District spokesman.

Thomson said the criteria for medical evacuations were that people were “so intoxicated they can’t take care of themselves. They need to be evacuated.”

There were 39 medical transports last year, Thomson said.

More at MercedSunStar.com >>>

Bike Trail, Events, Rafting, safety

Thousands expected at Rafting Gone Wild

Officials said they expect more than 5,000 people to show up for the Rafting Gone Wild event on the American River.

For the first time, alcohol has been banned, and a huge police presence is expected to crack down on partygoers.

The non-licensed event begins at 11 a.m.

The alcohol ban was implemented to avoid fights and problems among rafters.
Officials said anyone who brings beer or other liquor will get a citation, be removed from the event and not allowed on the river or the shoreline.

Fire Department Capt. Bryan Thomson said dozens of drunken people need to be rescued from the water every year.

More at KCRA.com >>>
Bike Trail, Events, Rafting, safety

Sacramento County slaps drinking ban on Saturday’s ‘Rafting Gone Wild’

Sacramento County officials have decided to ban alcohol on a portion of the American River this Saturday to prevent any risk to the public from the upcoming “Rafting Gone Wild” event.

In 2011, a sandbar known as Gilligan’s Island, was a main gathering point for drunken revelers during Rafting Gone Wild. Last year, more than 3,000 people showed up at the event, with 23 people arrested.

Witnesses described deputies and rangers having difficulty keeping up with the large and chaotic crowd. Fights erupted on the riverbanks and rocks were thrown at rafters, they said.

County parks officials predict that the same unsafe circumstances could occur this Saturday if alcohol was allowed. To forestall any destruction of property or injury, County Director of Parks Jeff Leatherman issued the alcohol restriction today.

“This is based on our experience last year,” said Leatherman. “Last year, when people became more and more intoxicated, they began fighting with each other and fighting with law enforcement.”

Leatherman said that the decision to ban was based on viewing social media where the event is posted and speaking with law enforcement. It appeared that this year’s Rafting Gone Wild would also be alcohol-fueled.

The ban was issued for the American River from Hazel Avenue to Watt Avenue.

More at SacBee.com >>>

 

Rafting, safety, Water

Body Found in River May be Missing Swimmer

Rescue crews believe they have found the body of a man who drowned Sunday.

The body was found in the American River behind Cal Expo Thursday morning. Sacramento Firefighters responded and say the preliminary description matches that of a man in his 20s who went missing Sunday while swimming with friends.

Crews spent Sunday afternoon looking for the unidentified man, but had to call off the search.

More at Fox40.com >>>