County parks officials want to have the authority to ban alcohol along a portion of the American River on more days during the summer than just holidays, and to also prohibit drinking in rafts.

The move comes weeks after the second “rafters gone wild” event, where hundreds of people rafted, boated and hung out along the American River, many of them drinking.

During this year’s event back in July, deputies arrested 23 people, and many more were picked up for being intoxicated but were turned away by medical staff at the jail.

Last year, the first year of the social-media-driven event, 12 people were arrested for alcohol-related violations, and dozens of others were given citations for unlawful possession of booze.

The Department of Regional Parks is recommending two things; one, authorizing the Director of Regional Parks to prohibit alcohol consumption on Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day, and any other day during the summer which the Director believes drinking on the river will result in public safety issues.

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