Category Archives: Rafting

Fish, Rafting, safety, Salmon, Water, Wildlife

State Water Project allocation is slashed

The California Department of Water Resources has reduced its estimate of the amount of water the State Water Project will deliver this year.

DWR on Wednesday dropped its projected delivery total, or allocation, from 60 percent to 50 percent of the requested amount of slightly more than 4 million acre-feet.

‘’Stubbornly dry conditions this winter give us no choice but to roll back our water supply estimate,” says DWR Director Mark Cowin. “We continue to hope, however, that wetter conditions in the remaining winter weeks will allow us to boost deliveries back up.”

DWR says that precipitation so far this winter has been only about half of normal and the mountain snowpack is less than a third of normal.

Water Year (Oct. 1-Sept. 30) runoff from rain and snow is forecasted to be far below average in both the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River systems. The median runoff forecast of 9.4 million acre-feet for the Sacramento River system would be the 16th driest in 106 years.

The February 1 median water year runoff forecast of 3.2 million acre-feet for the San Joaquin River system would be the 21st driest in 111 years.

Average runoff is 18.3 million acre-feet for the Sacramento system, and 5.9 million acre-feet for the San Joaquin.

Much of California’s water comes from the mountainous country from Shasta Lake in the north to the American River basin in the south. DWR’s eight precipitation gages covering this area recorded an impressive 130 percent of average rainfall and snow in October, but only 43 percent in November, 4 percent of average in December, 84 percent of average in January, and 18 percent of a normal February total to date this month. Overall, this “Eight-Station Index” area to date is at 51percent of its seasonal precipitation average. Records go back to 1920.

More at CentralValleyBusinessTimes.com >>>

Bike Trail, Fish, Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

Federal Partnership Helps State Parks; 25-Year Agreement Signed

State and local officials gathered in Auburn on Tuesday morning to celebrate the signing of the new Managing Partner Agreement for the Folsom and Auburn State Recreation Areas.

The agreement is between the federal Bureau of Reclamation and the State Parks Department for the next 25 years.

It means that state parks will continue to manage the Folsom and Auburn State Recreation Areas. These areas consist of Folsom Lake, Lake Natoma and the Auburn Project Lands, including Lake Clementine.

The area covered represents 50,000 acres of land and waterways.

More at KCRA.com >>>
Bike Trail, Rafting, safety, Water

Boy Scouts will sell campground in Sacramento

Camp Pollock, the historic Sacramento campground where generations of Northern California boys have practiced their Scouting skills, is soon to be on the sales block, officials have confirmed.

One potential buyer? SafeGround, the nonprofit group that is seeking to establish a place in Sacramento where homeless people can live in small cottages with basic services.

“The executive board has made a decision to sell the camp,” said Paul Helman, president of the Golden Empire Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

He said the council, which oversees the activities of 20,000 Scouts from Vacaville to Redding, has outgrown the Sacramento property, which stretches over 10 acres off Northgate Boulevard along the American River. Members, he said, are concerned about encroaching development and traffic.

More at Sacbee.com >>>

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

50 years of protecting the American River Parkway

The Save the American River Parkway Association celebrated its 50th anniversary this month and received a resolution from the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors honoring its accomplishments over the past five decades.

“We commend the work that a whole host of folks (at the association) have done in providing a strong voice for a precious resource,” Supervisor Don Nottoli said Tuesday as he presented the resolution.

The Save the American River Association is a volunteer, nonprofit group of more than 600 members and a Board of Directors that started in 1961 to develop the American River Parkway and to create a plan to maintain it.

The 23-mile American River Parkway hosts more than 5 million visitors each year for fishing, boating and rafting on the water – and picnicking, golfing and paved walking and bicycling trails for land lovers.

More at SacramentoPress.com >>>

Events, Rafting, safety, Water

Parkway crowds generally well-behaved during holiday weekend

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.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Water

Higher fees, ban on alcohol on parkway this weekend

The American River Parkway will be “dry” and Sacramento County’s regional park fees will be higher over the Labor Day weekend.

The holiday ban on alcohol along the parkway – on shore and on the river – will be in effect from Saturday through Monday. Consumption of alcohol and possession of open containers will be prohibited within the parkway between Watt and Hazel avenues. The ordinance will be strictly enforced, and violations of the alcohol ban may result in a citation or arrest, according to a Sacramento County Regional Parks news release.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Rafting, safety, Water

Water Safety Crackdown Involves 10 Agencies

Law enforcement agencies from around the region are teaming up on a two-day crackdown along the American and Sacramento Rivers near Discovery Park.The enforcement effort known as the Delta Blitz is coordinated by the U.S, Coast Guard and involves 10 different law enforcement agencies.

The main goal of the crackdown is education.

Officers target boaters for a variety of safety violations such as speeding, boating under the influence, lacking enough life vests, and lacking registration.The crackdown in Sacramento is the last of three Delta Blitz crackdowns the Coast Guard operates throughout the Delta.In June, officers ran a similar operation in San Joaquin County.

They also ran a Delta Blitz in Contra Costa County in July.Since the Coast Guard began the operation in 2008, a spokesman for the department estimates the number of citations being written by officers has decreased by one-third.

In Yolo County, officers estimate they have written nearly 80 percent fewer citations for boating under the influence than in previous years.”I’d like to think we can attribute it to our enforcement.

We’ve taken a proactive step at reducing the alcohol related incidents. People know we are going to be out here, and we are going to be doing enforcement,” said Deputy Rial Price, with the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department.

Boaters on the water Saturday said they have noticed more officers on the water in recent years.

More at KCRA.com >>>