Category Archives: Water

Bike Trail, safety, Water

Rangers cite half as many homeless people this year for American River Parkway camping

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That people camp on the American River Parkway in violation of county law is well established. What might come as a surprise is just how settled some of them are.

On a December weekday before the last storm, a metal door attached to two trees blocked access to a campsite otherwise surrounded by thick brush. Another site under the 12th Street bridge had a television powered by a generator. Upriver, Fred Gurr had a large cooler, an office chair and other items clustered around his site, which he shares with his black cat, Bug Out.

“I’ve lived here for four years,” said Gurr, a veteran who said he became homeless after losing a job. “I’ve been at the same location the whole time.”

Just last year, county supervisors approved funding to hire more rangers to enforce an illegal camping ban, clean up the parkway and connect homeless people with services. Now, county rangers are ticketing far fewer people for illegal camping, with 602 citations through the end of November, roughly half the pace of the 1,278 issued last year.

More at SacBee.com >>>

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

Water Releases Lowered Following Days of Dangerous American River Levels

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The Bureau of Reclamation lowered water releases from Folsom reservoir after several days of high-water flows that resulted in several river rescues along the lower American River.

“As of noon we’ve lowered releases from 36,000 to 30,000 cubic feet per second,” said Louis Moore, spokesperson for the federal agency.

Less than a week ago flows were at just 1,200 cubic feet per second. Large inflows from Folsom’s 1,800 square mile watershed forced the releases by federal water regulators who have to reserve 40 percent of the space reservoir to protect against sudden surges of water from large storms.

More at Fox40.com >>>

Fish, safety, Salmon, Uncategorized, Water, Wildlife

Fishermen Get Trapped On Island Below Nimbus Dam After Gates Open

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Four fishermen were stranded after the gates of Nimbus Dam opened and increased the water flow around the island they were on.

The incident happened late Tuesday morning just below the Nimbus Dam on the American River.

Sacramento Metro Fire says some fisherman were on an island just below the dam gates. The gates were getting ready to open and when they did, the water flow increased to the point that the fishermen couldn’t make it back across.

A crew was launched to rescue the fishermen and bring them back safely. No one was injured.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>

Boating, Fish, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Folsom Lake water release going into rising American River

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Water releases out of Folsom Lake were doubled Tuesday morning after weekend rains increased the inflows into the lake, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.

The outflows via Folsom Dam were increased from 3,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 6,000 cfs, with the flows expected to sprawl downstream into the low-lying areas, as opposed to the American River rising, the bureau said. The initial plan was to increase the outflow by up to 8,000 cfs by Thursday, but it may increase to as high at 15,000 cfs.

More at KCRA.com >>>

Boating, Fish, safety, Salmon, Uncategorized, Water, Wildlife

Folsom Lake Level Far Ahead of Last Year

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Folsom Lake level continues to rise.

Per the California Department of Water Resources, as of November 27, the lake stands at approximately 447,000 acre feet, about 3 times as much as last year at this time.

Although it is still 5% below the average for this time of year, note that usually we’re still losing water, with levels decreasing through late December. This year, the level has been growing since mid-October.

More at MyFolsom.com >>>

Boating, safety, Water

Witnesses say man intentionally sunk his pickup in the Sacramento River.

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Kevin DeLano said he was taking his lunchtime jog along the American River Parkway north of Old Sacramento on Tuesday when he saw a man drive a blue Chevy pickup over the bike trail and to the edge of the steep levee along the Sacramento River.

Just before the truck plunged over, the man got out and walked away, leaving it to roll into the water.

More at SacBee.com >>>
Bike Trail, Events, Fish, History, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

Why are salmon dying? (Hint: It’s a good thing…)

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Dead salmon are washing up on banks of the American River. It sounds gruesome but it’s actually a good thing.
The annual salmon run is underway and the fish have traveled thousands of miles to spawn then die in our waterways.
“Within the last decade we have seen a downward trend,” said Department of Fish and Wildlife researcher Jeana Phillips. The DFW keeps a close eye on the salmon population. Every year a team of researchers count dead salmon after they have spawned.
The American River Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Rancho Cordova is full of salmon right now. A number of salmon in the American River were released from the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. Salmon hatch in rivers then make their way to the ocean where they spend 3 to 4 years. When they are ready to breed. Salmon leave the ocean, head back to the area they were born, lay eggs, then die.
More at ABC10.com >>>

 

Boating, Fish, safety, Video, Water, Wildlife

Speed Limit Lifted As Folsom Lake Levels Rise Above 400 Feet

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There was a little more action on Folsom Lake on Wednesday as motorboats were allowed to pick up speed once again on the water.

It’s been almost three months since the California Department of Parks and Recreation imposed a 5-mile-per-hour speed restriction for boaters on Folsom Lake. The lake level was too low to safely boat at higher speeds.

Alex Vitner frequents the lake and said, “I come frequently and it used to be a wide river, now it’s slowly filling the beaches and the sand is becoming beach again.”

This is definitely a welcome sight for drought stricken California. The National Weather Service recorded over a foot and a half of rainfall across northern California in the month of October. This helped to bring the Folsom Lake level up to 400 feet. That’s the magic number to bring down the speed restrictions on the lake, Higher water levels cover the hazards that pop up when the low water level falls below 400 feet.

The lake didn’t reach this level in the last rain season until late January.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>