A lawn Santa, a blow dart, a wig, a flat-screen TV and a rocking horse are some of the dubious trophies volunteers have hauled out of Sacramento-area creeks during annual cleanups.
The Sacramento Area Creeks Council spotlights each year’s quirkiest finds to call attention to human activities that are harmful to dozens of urban creeks and their tributaries. The perils to creeks include roadside litter, illegal dumping, invasive plants and development- related storm runoff.
The 22nd annual Creek Week will get under way today with a Splash Off from 11 a.m. to noon at the William Pond Recreation Area on the American River. The big event will take place April 14, when about 2,000 volunteers will fan out across the county to remove trash from waterways.
Fish fanciers take note: The salmon ladder at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery opened Nov. 1, signaling the official start of the spawning season on the Sacramento River.
Nimbus is one of three state-run hatcheries in the Central Valley that will take approximately 38 million eggs from salmon over the next two months in order to produce 24 million Chinook salmon for release next spring.
Nimbus has a viewing area where visitors may watch the spawning process and a playground where kids and adults may enjoy replicas of giant salmon.
The center, located at 2001 Nimbus Road, Suite F, Gold River, is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekends every day except Christmas. Raceways (fish-rearing ponds) are open from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Opening time may vary during spawning season.
A project to repair levee erosion along the American River has closed a portion of the bike and walking path in the parkway near Watt Avenue.
The repairs, overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of engineers, are part of the previously authorized Sacramento River Bank Protection Project, which addresses levee erosion on the Sacramento River and its tributaries.
The latest phase involves placing large rock, called rip-rap, along the waterline of the south bank of the American River at two locations between Watt Avenue and Larchmont Park. A section of public path atop the levee about three-quarters of a mile long will be closed until the expected completion of the work on Nov. 30. Foot and bike traffic are being detoured through the neighborhood south of the levee.
The fish ladder at Nimbus Hatchery on the American River is expected to open for the season Tuesday, giving visitors a chance to witness a resurgent fall salmon run.
Visitors are likely to see a strong fall chinook salmon run at the hatchery for the first time in four years. Fishermen are enjoying the first full salmon season since 2007. Anglers are crowding both the American and Sacramento rivers for the chance to catch a king salmon, which typically return to spawn in their freshwater birthplace after three years in the ocean.
The Labor Day weekend was busy on the American River Parkway, but with the exception of visitors who sought to circumvent the holiday alcohol ban, crowds along the parkway were generally well-behaved, said John Havicon, ranger supervisor with Sacramento County Regional Parks.
“A lot of alcohol was poured out,” Havicon said.
He said 20 tickets were issued to people for violating the alcohol ban.
Havicon said rangers this year have found more people trying to bring in hard liquor, often in water bottles, for mixed drinks.
The 38th Eppie’s Great Race is set for Saturday morning. The Sacramento-born triathlon features running, bicycling and kayaking.
The race starts with a 5.8 mile run, 12.5 miles on a bicycle, and 6.4 miles racing on the American River in a kayak.
More than 2,000 people participated in 2010. A similar crowd is expected this year, and registration remains open until 6:30 the morning of the race, near the starting line at the William Pond Recreation area along the American River.
Eppie’s Great Race, billed as “the world’s oldest ‘no swim’ triathlon,” is desperately seeking volunteers to work at the event this weekend.
Volunteers will receive T-shirts, lunch and free parking, said race spokeswoman Anita Fitzhugh. Hundreds of people are needed for a variety of tasks from setup on Friday to watercraft takeout on Saturday, she said.
The 38th annual event, in which participants run 5.82 miles, cycle 12.5 miles and paddle canoes or kayaks for 6.35 miles along the American River Parkway, will benefit Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services, which offers recreational activities and other opportunities for disabled people.
Hundreds of boaters and campers were expected to pack Folsom Lake this Fourth of July weekend. Beals Point campground was already full as of Saturday morning. Some campers said they had to make reservations months in advance. Campers said it’s no doubt going to be chaotic when all the boats get in the water at the same time. Park rangers suggest drivers get to the park by noon to get a parking spot.
