Category Archives: safety

Bike Trail, Events, safety, Water, Wildlife

American River Parkway Foundation offers ways to give back

On Saturday, Sept. 15, about 2,500 volunteers are expected to take part in the American River Parkway Foundation’s annual Great American River Clean Up.

According to Stacy Springer, volunteer manager for the American River Parkway Foundation, which is based in Carmichael, these volunteers will spend three hours that morning cleaning up 20 site locations along the American River of trash and other debris. “And that does not even include the huge kayak and dive teams that go out and address the shoreline and deeper water channels,” she said.

Springer said it’s easy to volunteer for the Great American River Clean Up – volunteers just need to register on the Foundation’s website, www.arpf.org, and then show up on the day of the clean-up wearing closed-toe shoes and long pants, plus sunblock and hat if the day is sunny and warm.

More at ValComNews.com >>>

Bike Trail, safety

Coroner’s Office: Body found near American River was Linnea Lomax

The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office confirmed Friday night that the body of a woman found Friday morning near the American River was Linnea Lomax, who had been missing for 10 weeks.

The cause and manner of death are under investigation, but “foul play does not appear to be a factor at this point of the investigation,” according to a Coroner’s Office news release.

Lomax, 19, who grew up in Placerville, had been missing since June 26, when she left out-patient counseling at a clinic not far from where the body was found along the American River near Glenn Hall Park.

More at ModBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, safety

Update: Officials investigating whether body is that of missing UC Davis woman

A volunteer search party looking for a missing UC Davis student found a body along the American River and notified police this morning, sparking an investigation into whether the body is that of Linnea Lomax.

Sacramento police told The Bee that the group of searchers found the body at 10:18 a.m. along the river in the vicinity of Glenn Hall Park in the River Park neighborhood near Sacramento State — not far from where Lomax walked away from a mental health appointment more than two months ago.

Police spokesman Doug Morse said at a press conference shortly after noon that the body is that of a woman and shows signs of decomposition. Authorities say the age of the woman is not yet clear and that they do not know how the woman died.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, safety

Police: Robber forced teen to undress before shooting

A teenager was forced at gunpoint to get naked moments before a robber shot him near the American River bike trail on Wednesday, said a Sacramento police spokesman.

The victim was shot in the lower body Wednesday afternoon during a robbery around 3 p.m.

“The suspect made the victim get undressed during the robbery,” said Doug Morse, a Sacramento police spokesman.

Morse said police are still not releasing the identity of the suspect for investigative reasons.

Morse added that investigators are still working to determine why the shooter forced the victim to undress.

More at KCRA.com >>>

Events, Rafting, safety, Water

Alcohol Ban Keeps American River Calm Over Holiday Weekend

Hundreds headed to local waterways on this Labor Day holiday, but it was a lot quieter than many weekends. River patrol crews say the alcohol ban has limited crowds and trouble.

“We just want to float down the river,” rafter Angie Rincon said Monday.

And this Labor Day, she didn’t have to fight much raft traffic.

“It’s just a nice, mellow weekend for families to enjoy the river,” said Dave Hill with American River Raft Rentals.

American River Raft Rentals had 80 rafts on the river Monday. The company is capable of renting out hundreds.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>

Bike Trail, Events, Rafting, safety, Water

Alcohol prohibited on American River, parkway over Labor Day weekend

Sacramento County Regional Parks rangers are gearing up for the last of the summer holiday weekends.

Folks planning to celebrate Labor Day along the American River and adjoining parkway are reminded that an alcohol ban will be in effect Saturday through Monday between Hazel and Watt avenues. John Havicon, supervising ranger, said rangers will be checking for alcohol at various access points.

The Labor Day weekend crowds along the river and parkway typically are lighter than those during the Fourth of July and Memorial Day holidays, he said.

“Labor Day is like a busy Saturday,” Havicon said, noting that school has started for most youngsters and families are involved in other activities this time of year.

River flows are scheduled to drop to 2,000 cubic feet per second beginning Friday, which means more rocks will be exposed.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Events, Rafting, safety

No Alcohol Ban Planned For American River’s Rage on the River Party

Sacramento County Parks Director Jeff Leatherman says the “Rage on the River” participants will be allowed to drink on the river, “It’s been going on for a handful of years.  There was an event similar to this back in June that we didn’t have any significant problems associated with the event down in the lower part of the river near Discovery Park.  So, we don’t anticipate any problems this time.”

Rage on the River is not be confused with the “Rafting Gone Wild” event that took place farther up the river in July.  That ended with several brawls and dozens of people arrested or injured.

More at CapRadio.org >>>

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

Sacramento levees’ failure of federal standards declared

Levees protecting most of the city of Sacramento and 15 other areas of the Central Valley were declared today to have failed federal maintenance criteria. As a result, they are no longer eligible for federal rebuilding funds in the event of a levee breach.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers made the declaration today. It did so after concluding that a new state plan to improve Central Valley levees does not provide enough detail to ensure maintenance problems — such as erosion and intrusion by structures — will be fixed.

The affected levee systems include 40 miles of levees wrapping most of the city of Sacramento on the American and Sacramento rivers. This system of levees, known on flood-control maps as “Maintenance Area 9,” includes the south bank of the American River from about Bradshaw Road downstream to the confluence with the Sacramento River, then downstream from there nearly to Courtland.

More at ModestoBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, safety

Notebook of missing UC Davis student found

A notebook belonging to missing UC Davis student Linnea Lomax was found just off the American River bike trail, her family announced Sunday.

It was the first solid lead since her disappearance June 26, said Craig Lomax, the girl’s father, at a Sunday news conference.

The notebook was found near the Sutter Medical Center outpatient facility on Howe Avenue where the 19-year-old Placerville woman was last seen. She was receiving treatment after having a mental breakdown while studying for finals, her father said.

The evidence has been turned over to police, but Lomax confirmed it belonged to his daughter.

“I saw the handwriting on the notebook,” he said. “It was Linnea’s.” The notebook was found during a search by 250 volunteers over the weekend.

More at SacBee.com >>>
safety

Mountain biker flown out of American River Canyon

An Auburn man was flown via helicopter out of the American River Canyon Monday when he fell over the side of a trail on his mountain bike.

Rex Maynard, 68, was riding his mountain bike with a friend on the Lake Clementine Trail near the Foresthill Bridge when he lost control, left the trail on the right side and tumbled 70 feet down a rocky hill, according to Supervising Ranger Scott Liske with the Auburn State Recreation Area. The accident happened around 2 p.m.

As of Monday immediately following the rescue Liske could only say that Maynard suffered lacerations to the head due to the accident.

“After looking at the rock field he’s very lucky he was wearing a helmet because it probably saved his life,” Liske said.

Becky Morris, Maynard’s wife, said her husband is an avid mountain biker and that “he would never get on a bike without a helmet.” Morris also said Maynard has ridden the Lake Clementine Trail extensively and that he never lost consciousness after the accident.

“He’s 68 going on 12 as far as his activity level is concerned,” Morris said.

Maynard has also finished the Western States Trail Run multiple times and rode in the Coolest 24 Mountain Bike Race recently in Soda Springs.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>