The salmon ladder at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Rancho Cordova will open Monday, Nov. 4, signaling the start of the spawning season on the American River.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery workers will open the gates in the ladder at 10:30 a.m. and will take more than a half-million eggs during the first week alone in an effort to ensure the successful spawning return of fall-run Chinook salmon.

The three major state-run hatcheries in the Central Valley – Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Sacramento County, and hatcheries on the Feather River in Butte County and the Mokelumne River in San Joaquin County – will take approximately 24 million eggs over the next two months to produce Chinook salmon for release next spring.

Each hatchery has a viewing area where visitors can watch the spawning process. The visitors’ center at Nimbus Hatchery includes a playground with replicas of giant salmon.

Nimbus Hatchery is open to the public free of charge from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.

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Fire officials are mopping up and investigating after extinguishing the bulk of six grass fires that broke out in the lower American River Parkway on Wednesday morning.

Several fire engines responded to the spot fires on the south side of the American River, first reported at 8:13 a.m., the Sacramento Fire Department said in a tweet about 8:45 a.m.

Fire department spokesman Capt. Keith Wade said the “bulk” of the fire activity was extinguished as of 9:45 a.m., with crews staying at the scene to mop up possible hot spots. The largest of the fires was less than one acre, Wade said.

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A body was recovered late Monday morning from the American River just north of downtown Sacramento, according to the Sacramento Fire Department.

Fire officials assisted Sacramento County park rangers in a body recovery operation about 11 a.m. very close to the Highway 160 bridge north of Richards Boulevard, Fire Department spokesman Capt. Keith Wade said.

Fire crews, park rangers and the coroner’s office responded to the scene, Wade said.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Sacramento police arrested a man that allegedly sexually assaulted two women near the American River on Aug. 18, according to a news release. The suspect was booked into the county jail.

Manuel Sicario, 27, faces several charges, including sexual battery and assault with attempt to rape, according to the release.

Both of the victims of the assaults were able to flee. No injuries were reported, the release said.

More at SacBee.com >>>

A segment of the American River bike trail near Rancho Cordova was damaged during a major storm last November. Now, Sacramento County and the city have closed off the section to complete a fix and hopes to re-open it by the end of August.

Liz Bellas, director of Sacramento County regional parks, says she hasn’t seen damage to the trail like this in more than 30 years.

“The riverbank that was adjacent to the trail was undercut and collapsed and fell away,” she said. “The last time that I can recall something like this happening was in the big floods of ’86.”

Crews are now stabilizing the riverbank, and the trail for cyclists has been moved inland a few hundred feet. Those who use the trail have to take an approximately two-mile detour.

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Police in Northern California say they are searching for a man suspected of sexually assaulting and attempting to rape two women in broad daylight at a popular Sacramento park.

The Sacramento Police Department says the man allegedly assaulted a woman in Sutter’s Landing Regional Park shortly after 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

It says officers were on the scene investigating that assault when they were informed that a man had attempted to rape a woman on a nearby bike trail just under Business 80, south of the American River. They determined it was the same suspect in both attacks.

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Tons of rubble that has clogged the Lake Natoma bike trail for the last few years is now being cleared.

Parts of the American River Bike Trail have been blocked by large rocks since the 2017 winter storms caused a landslide near the Orangevale Bluffs. Parts of the trail between the Nimbus Dam and the Negro Bar Recreation Area were covered.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>

It’s been a busy weekend on the American River, where hundreds of rafts were floating on the water Sunday – even pink flamingo rafts, like the one Semien Santos was preparing to ride.

“This is going to be the first time. I’m excited,” Santos said, who was visiting the lower Sunrise area of the American River from Tracy.

But sometimes there’s too much excitement on the water. More than two dozen people had to be rescued by fire crews this weekend.

“Yesterday, Sac Metro engaged in six water rescue incidents,” said Diana Schmidt, an information officer for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.

Those rescue incidents involved “30 individuals that were pulled out of the water,” Schmidt said.

On the fast-flowing American River, running at about 3,500 cubic feet per second, it’s easy for rafts to get snagged in tree branches or debris under the water, especially store-bought devices that are more suited for a swimming pool.

And many people were not wearing life vests on the river.

Fisherman Steve Sims has seen it all from his vantage point on a footbridge overlooking the water.

“This morning, I warned a guy because the little kid didn’t have a life vest on,” Sims said.

“I said ‘Hey man, the ranger will cite you if you don’t wear a vest.’ And the guy goes, ‘Okay, thank you,’ and then they just floated off,” Sims said.

Roughly 40% of the people rescued on Saturday were not wearing life vests, Schmidt said.

She tried warning rafters Sunday about the dangers of the river.

“Where are your life vests?’ Schmidt asked one rafter.

The man replied: “We are not bringing life vests. We’re just going for it but we’re very good swimmers.”

More at SFGate.com >>>

Cal Fire firefighters from Colfax and California Highway Patrol have a warning for teenage thrill-seekers after a girl was injured after jumping from the Ponderosa Bridge.

“It’s going a little too far when people are jumping from 50 or 60-foot bridges into an unknown depth of water. It’s a very dangerous thing to do,” said Cal Fire engineer Forrest Roweell.

According to Cal Fire, the 17-year-old girl suffered moderate back injuries after jumping from the bridge located at the North Fork of the American River. Cal Fire firefighters from Colfax were joined by Auburn stations of State Parks, the Foresthill Fire Protection District and a CHP helicopter.

Because of the location deep in a canyon and a rough winding road going in and out, the teen faced further injury and was airlifted to the Sutter Roseville Medical Center as an ambulance would have taken too long.

Officer Jared Boothe with the CHP Valley Air Division says the helicopter was the only option.

“For the fire department and rescue personnel to carry you up and out of that trail could be a very laborious task,” said Boothe.

Despite news of the rescue, teenagers were still jumping from the bridge Tuesday evening.

“I mean sometimes in life you have to face your fears,” said Zachary Gephart. “I’m surprised the girl got injured. The water’s pretty deep and it feels good.”

While clearly marked as a “no jumping zone,” exploits are regularly filmed and posted to social media.

Some online video posts celebrate dives off the bridge with tags like “Sickest Ponderosa Bridge Jump,” “Epic 50-Foot Bridge Jump” and “Ponderosa Bridge Back Flip.”

Roweell says the girl injured on Saturday is lucky to be alive, noting that the waters vary in depth and move swiftly.

“It could have been a lot worse we are just thankful that she’s okay,” he said.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>

A busy section of Garden Highway will be closed through October while crews make improvements to levees around the Natomas Basin.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that starting Monday, Garden Highway will be closed between Northgate Boulevard and Truxel Road through Oct 31.

The Garden Highway underpass at I-5 will also be closed for three weeks starting Monday.

The work is part of the ongoing American River Common Features-Natomas Basin project, authorized by Congress in 2014.

The project aims to improve 42 miles of levee surrounding the Natomas Basin.

Contractors are placing a device called a seepage cutoff wall in the existing levees. The wall is formed out of concrete 50 feet deep into the levee to prevent water from seeping through and eroding the flood protection barriers.

Because Garden Highway sits atop the levee, crews need to close the road to excavate and construct the wall.

Drivers are asked to use West El Camino Avenue as an alternate route around the closure of Garden Highway between Northgate Boulevard and Truxel Road.

More at KCRA.com >>>