Category Archives: Wildlife

Bike Trail, Rafting, Water, Wildlife

Public meeting May 23 on Watt Avenue levee repair

Plans by the U.S. Army Corps to repair the American River levee under Watt Avenue in Sacramento could result in lane closures, and the public is invited to a meeting on the project May 23.

The work at the north end of the Watt Avenue bridge is necessary to close a gap in the existing seepage cutoff wall inside the levee, on either side of the bridge. The Army Corps built more than 20 miles of seepage walls in American River levees between 2000 and 2002. But work was set aside for later where complicated encroachments existed, such as utilities, power lines or bridges.

Construction is expected to begin later this month and continue through November. Nighttime partial lane closures of Watt Avenue are expected in late July.

The American River Bike Trail and major thoroughfares will remain open during construction. But some trail access points near the bridge may be intermittently closed.

The meeting will be May 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Arden-Dimick Public Library, 891 Watt Avenue.

For more information, call (916) 557-5100 or email spk-pao@usace.army.mil.

From SacBee.com >>>

Fish, Salmon, Wildlife

Millions of Salmon Released into American River

About 3 million young Chinook Salmon were spawned and then released into the wild Monday.

Raised at the Nimbus Hatchery for 6 months these fish will swim 100 miles or so all the way to the San Francisco Bay. They will live for two or three years out in the ocean, and hopefully make their way right back to the Nimbus Hatchery.

Out of all the fish released today, it’s estimated that only 2% will make it back to spawn.

From Fox40.com >>>

Fire, safety, Water, Wildlife

Man Accused of Setting American River Canyon Brush Fire

Placer County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man Wednesday after he allegedly started a brush fire near the American River canyon.

A woman reported seeing the fire shortly after 11 a.m., and also saw a man jumping fences.

A Sheriff’s lieutenant who responded yelled at the man to stop, but he kept going.

A crew from the Sheriff’s Office was training with a helicopter nearby. One sergeant from the group confronted the man and got into a fight with him.

More at Fox40.com >>>

Events, Fish, Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

50 Years of the Middle Fork American River Project

A half century ago Placer County Water Agency leaders finalized documents that led to construction of the Middle Fork American River Hydroelectric Project. Their foresight ensured development of a new water supply for Placer County. The construction was funded through a revenue bond with debt service, operations and maintenance costs funded by the sale of electricity generated by the Project.

The public is invited to attend on Thursday (May 2) at 4 p.m., a special PCWA Board meeting to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the construction of the Agency’s Project.

More at RocklinToday.com >>>

Events, safety, Water, Wildlife

Volunteers wanted to upgrade former Boy Scout Camp

Camp Pollock, formally the Boy Scout Camp, soon to be under SVC’s management is a new 11 acre acquisition by the State Lands Commission along the American River and can be found just north of downtown Sacramento, under Hwy 160.

As a volunteer, you will lend a hand to Camp Pollock’s projects. The tasks include: upgrade and expand camping areas, assemble a court yard with an interpretive native plant garden, build benches, construct picnic tables and create a trail in front of Lodge for public access.

More at CalCommNews.com >>>

Fire, safety, Water, Wildlife

Weed-control work forces closure of recreation area for two days

A popular recreation area along the south fork of the American River in El Dorado County will be closed for two days this week for weed-control work.

The Bureau of Land Management announced that it will close the Cronan Ranch and Greenwood Creek parcels to public access Tuesday and Wednesday, when herbicides will be applied to control invasive weeds.

A notice of intent to apply herbicides will be posted on signs at the trailhead at least 24 hours before the application, and closure signs will be posted during the herbicide application, according to a news release from the BLM’s Mother Lode Field Office.

Broadcast and spot herbicide applications are planned along approximately 14 miles of trail edges to reduce weeds and make trails more accessible for recreational use.

“We are taking an integrated weed management approach to control invasive weeds throughout the Cronan Ranch and Greenwood Creek areas,” Jeff Horn, outdoor recreation planner with the Mother Lode Field Office, said in a written statement.

The weed treatments are needed to reduce invasive plants, predominantly yellow star thistle and medusahead, he said.

Land use practices, Horn said, have created extensive infestations of these invasive weeds throughout the Cronan Ranch and Greenwood Creek areas.

More at SacBee.com >>>

 

safety, Water, Wildlife

Record of Decision for Nimbus Hatchery Fish Passage Project Released

The Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) on April 10 announced the release of the Record of Decision for the Nimbus Hatchery Fish Passage Project.

Under the selected alternative, the CDFW will recommend to the California Fish and Game Commission a year-round closure of fishing from Nimbus Dam to the UGSS gaging station cable just downstream of the Hatchery. This closure includes Nimbus Basin, a popular spot where anglers have for decades pursued Chinook salmon, steelhead, shad and other fish species on the American River, a major tributary of the Sacramento River that flows through the heart of the Sacramento metropolitan area.

“Reclamation and CDFW have selected Alternative 1C, which will extend the fish ladder from the hatchery to the Nimbus Dam stilling basin and use the basin itself to hold and divert fish into the ladder and will permanently remove the diversion weir,” according to a joint news release from the two agencies. “The selected action was identified as the proposed alternative in the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report, which was released on Aug. 11, 2011.”

More at IndyBay.org >>>

Bike Trail, Events, safety, Water, Wildlife

Celebrate Earth Day by helping out parks

Celebrate Earth Day by helping out parks

Earth Day isn’t until April 22, but you can get a jump on helping the planet Saturday by fixing up one of California’s state parks.

From 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the California State Parks Foundation will run 24 projects across the state as part of its 16th annual Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. provided a $210,000 grant to the foundation and participating parks for supplies.

Sacramento-area events include:

• Volunteers will clean up around the American River and install animal-proof trash and recycling bins at the Auburn State Recreation Area on Old Foresthill Road.

• At Beal’s Point, part of the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, crews will install 200 feet of fence, treat benches with weather sealant, remove weeds, and clean, paint and repair kiosk panels.

Space is limited, so volunteers must register in advance. Go to the foundation’s website at calparks.org/earthday or call (888) 987-2757.

This year marks the 43rd anniversary of the first Earth Day, which was inspired by outrage over a massive oil spill off the Santa Barbara coast.

More at SacBee.com >>>