Category Archives: Water

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, 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 >>>

Bike Trail, safety, Water, Wildlife

Progress Towards New American River Bridge

The City of Sacramento wants to take a closer look at three proposed American River bridge projects connecting Natomas and Downtown Sacramento.

One of the proposals would add walking and biking access along Interstate 5.  A second rebuilds the Highway 160 crossing and would add biking and walking paths.  The third would build a new bridge connecting Sequoia Pacific Boulevard to Truxel Road.   The city’s Public Works Department says any project will require significant state and federal contributions.

“The difference being that Regional Transit has already started analyzing the Truxel bridge,” says Sparky Harris with the City.  “This is something that we can kind of piggyback on their efforts and hopefully move forward in a coordinated way.  Whereas both the I-5 and the 160 are new concepts”

Estimated costs for the projects are $15 million for the I-5 expansion, $54 million for the new Truxel bridge and $188 million for the Highway 160 crossing and the raising of Northgate Boulevard.  The City Council is expected on Thursday to approve further talks on the projects.

More at CapRadio.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 >>>

 

Bike Trail, safety, Water, Wildlife

Environmental group sues Folsom over lake access plan

An environmental group that was instrumental in developing the American River Parkway is suing the city of Folsom over a plan to improve access to Lake Natoma.

The $1.2 million project approved by the city council last month would pave dirt trails, add lighting and replace a rugged stairway made from railroad ties.

The project would also add a boat launch under the Lake Natoma Crossing Bridge and remove non-native vegetation.

The new path near the foot of Gold Lake Drive would comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

“There’s not going to be anybody excluded,” Folsom Parks and Recreation Director Robert Goss said. “Everybody’s going to be invited, young and old.”

But a group formed in 1961 to help establish the 23-mile parkway claims the Lake Natoma Waterfront and Trail Access Enhancement Project will destroy the area’s scenic nature.

The Save the American River Association (SARA) has filed a lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court claiming the city failed to adequately consider the environmental impact of improved parkway access.

More at News10.net >>>

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 >>>