Category Archives: Rafting

Boating, Fish, Rafting, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Emergency drought measures move forward at Folsom Lake

Plastic pipes that will go over Folsom Dam and connect to pump barges were rolled out Thursday as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation continues to work on a temporary emergency floating pump system.

The floating pump system will be used if water levels at Folsom Lake drop below the city’s regular intake. The bureau said this system is an insurance policy.

The barges would pump water through 10 18-inch diameter pipes, each a quarter of a mile long, to a pipeline that provides water to the city of Folsom. The barges, which were built on site, will be rolled out within the week.

More at KCRA.com 

Bike Trail, Rafting, safety

Man rescued after falling 40 feet in Rancho Cordova

A man was seriously injured Monday after falling from a tree and landing some 40 feet onto the shore of the American River in Rancho Cordova.

When rescuers arrived, they found the man badly injured near the Clay Banks, said Michelle Eidam, a captain with Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, which patrols the river in the Rancho Cordova, Sunrise and Watt Avenue areas.

As they considered a so-called “vertical rescue,” either via a rope system or helicopter, Eidam said ground rescuers secured the man to a backboard and flagged down a passing raft. Commandeering the raft, the fire officials then paddled the man about 200 feet down the river.

He was taken to UC Davis Medical Center with unknown injuries, Eidam said.

More at  SacBee.com >>>

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

PRESERVE THE PARKWAY

Saturday, September 19, is the date for the annual “Great American River Clean Up.”  During the hours of 9 a.m. to noon, please consider donating some time to help clean the American River Parkway.

The American River Parkway Foundation sponsors the annual event as one way to maintain the natural habitat that comprises this 23 mile stretch along the American River.

Volunteers can register online and many students use the event as a way to earn community service credits for school.  Staging sites where you can check-in include Alumni Grove at CSUS, Ancil Hoffman Park, and William Pond Park.   More information can be obtained online at the American River Parkway Foundation website. 

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

Flows cut at Folsom Lake to conserve Sacramento water supply

Federal officials plan to make a significant cut to flows from Folsom Lake, which is a primary water source for Sacramento suburbs, as water levels at the reservoir near historic lows.

The Sacramento Bee reports (http://bit.ly/1O4XUGy ) the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will cut flows out of Folsom Lake in half by the end of the week.

As of Monday, the lake held about 20 percent of its capacity at 196,000 acre-feet of water. Reclamation officials have pledged not to let Folsom Lake drop below 120,000 acre-feet.

More at ktvn.com >>>

Boating, Rafting, safety, Water

Drowned man recovered from south fork of American River identified as Colorado man

A swimmer who drowned in the south fork of the American River last week has been identified as a Colorado man.

The body of Luke Matson, 33, of Vail, Colo., was recovered in the river on Tuesday, the day after he went missing.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said that Matson was swimming Aug. 24 in the area of the Marshall gold discovery site. His friends last saw him floating downstream from Sutter’s Mill.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, Boating, Rafting, safety, Water

Drought May Be Responsible For Rise In Sacramento, American River Deaths

More people are drowning in two of Sacramento’s rivers, and the drought may be partially responsible.

The Sacramento Bee reports there have been six drownings on the Sacramento River in 2015 where typically there are between one and two annually. Data from the Sacramento County coroner shows drownings on the American River are two times higher than average years in the last decade.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Water

Official: 25-year-old drowns in American River

Law enforcement officials told KCRA 3 that a 25-year-old man found floating in the American River has died following a rescue attempt Sunday.
At about 2 p.m. the Sacramento Metro Fire Department was called to Rossmore Bar after a helicopter and boating units discovered a body floating in the American River.
“At that point, they located him,” said Metro battalion chief Chris Quinn. “He was submerged and they were able to take him up to the medic units and transport him to Mercy San Juan Hospital. At this point his condition was still undetermined.”
But a well-placed law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the situation told KCRA 3 the young man did not survive.
Kyle Pierce, a rafting friend of the victim, said he knew his friend was in trouble.
“I was trying to yell with them to follow me to go to the shore, before they got lost in the rapids,” Pierce said.
The American River deserves more respect than often given, fire crews said.

More at KCRA.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Water

Woman swept downstream at confluence drowns

A woman was caught in the American Rivercurrent and drowned Friday between the Highway 49 and Mountain Quarries Railroad bridges.

The woman was observed by a firefighter attempting to cross the American River at the confluence by foot shortly after 11 a.m. But the crossing went tragically wrong as he watched her slip and struggle in the fast-moving river.

A fire crew had been dispatched on a wildland fire reported in the confluence area and the firefighter could see from a vantage point above the river on Highway 49 as the woman and two other people made their way into the river upstream from the Highway 49 bridge, Auburn State Recreation Area Superintendent Mike Schneider said.

The stretch of river is just past where the middle and north forks of the river meet in the AmericanRiver canyon below Auburn, increasing the force of the current.

“They were in shallow water and trying to cross the river,” Schneider said.

While the woman’s death was still under investigation, indications were that she slipped on rocks and was carried downstream by the current, he said.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>

Boating, Rafting, safety, Water

Folsom and EDH Fire Stations offer free life jacket rentals

After the drowning of a 23-year-old man last week in the Lake Natoma, local first responders are reminding people to stay safe and act responsibly in local waterways.

The California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) are warning water enthusiasts not to become complacent because of the drought, and to take serious precautions when in or near water this summer.

DBW officials said water is still flowing and even low reservoirs and lakes still have enough water for recreation. Previously deep hazards may be closer to the surface and can create treacherous conditions for all recreationists including waders, swimmers, paddlers, boaters, anglers and even hikers cooling off at the water’s edge.

“We ask those enjoying the outdoors to be careful near mountain streams, rivers and reservoirs. Water flows can fluctuate so always be prepared for a change in conditions,” said Randy Livingston, vice president of Power Generation for PG&E.

Since conditions change quickly in open water and even the best swimmers can misjudge the water and their skills when boating or swimming, DBW officials said wearing a properly-fitted life jacket can help keep people safe.

El Dorado Hills Fire Department Division Chief/Fire Marshal Michael Lilienthal, said the department received a grant from the Life Jacket Loaner Program sponsored by the U.S. and California Boats and Waterways Association which loans flotation devices to local boaters.

“The process is simple, (people need to) provide a California driver’s license and the approximate weight of the person needing the life jacket and complete a form,” Lilienthal said. “Jackets can be borrowed for up to three days. While this is the peak season for usage, the program is available year round.”

A life jacket can also provide some thermal protection against the onset of hypothermia and keep a person afloat until someone else can rescue him or her.

More at FolsomTelegraph.com >>>

 

Boating, Rafting, safety, Water

Drowning victim’s body found in Lake Natoma

State park workers recovered the body Tuesday morning of a 23-year-old man who drowned last week at Lake Natoma after jumping into the water with friends, officials said.

The man was identified as Paul Liu of Sacramento, according to the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.

The workers recovered the body at 9 a.m. between the launch ramp and swim beach at Negro Bar, said Richard Preston, superintendent for the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area.

On Thursday, California State Parks workers received a report at about 4 p.m. that four people had jumped from rocks intending to swim to a partially submerged rock in the middle of the lake, between Rainbow Bridge and Lake Natoma Crossing, Preston said. Liu went underwater, and his friends unsuccessfully tried to rescue him.

Two of Liu’s friends were rescued by kayakers, and one made it to shore on his own.

Hours after park workers recovered Liu’s body, rescue crews pulled another body out of the American River downstream near Sutter’s Landing in midtown Sacramento.

That man appeared to be in his 20s or 30s, said Sacramento Fire Department spokesman Chris Harvey. He said identifying the man will be difficult because the body had been in the water for several days.

More at SacBee.com >>>