The American River Parkway is the crown jewel of Sacramento
… It is also bone dry, and causing unprecedented headaches
for area firefighters this year.
From the San Francisco Chronicle, in a commentary by Jerry
Cadagan and Mondy Lariz:
San Francisco taxpayers and water ratepayers once again have been
fleeced of millions of dollars as a result of mismanagement at
the city’s once highly regarded Lake Merced.
Some California State Parks and Forest Service campgrounds have
begun shutting off toilets and showers because of the drought,
but most local facilities remain in the clear for water usage as
of right now.
From the San Francisco Chronicle, in Tom Stienstra’s Outdoors
column:
Every week this summer in California, drought has brought new
recreation shutdowns and deviations in nature rarely seen
before. But there’s a place that seems untouched.
California’s drought is taking a toll on recreation, disrupting
boating, rafting, swimming and camping in some places as the
third dry year in a row erodes water supplies in creeks, rivers
and lakes.
The panoply of eagles, ospreys, beavers, otters and other
critters that paraded before our gaze over our nine hours
(including 30 minutes for breaks) on the Sacramento River between
Hamilton City and Butte City far exceeded our hopes.
U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced Tuesday that more
than $43 million will be distributed from a federal fund for
recreation and conservation projects nationwide, kicking off a
weeklong campaign around the nation to support the fund’s
permanent renewal as Congress resumes.
The long-closed Francisco Reservoir on Russian Hill is a step
closer to becoming a city park after the San Francisco Public
Utilities Commission approved a land transfer Tuesday.
Seventy-plus years later, [Whitey] Rasmussen is still tying his
own feathered flies and crafting his own lures, still using them
to catch his own trophy fish, and still telling some great
stories in a way that only an ex-Navy man can. But Rasmussen
is more than a storyteller.
From the San Francisco Chronicle, in C.W. Nevius’ column:
Gleneagles, the quirky, challenging, everyman’s golf course in
one of San Francisco’s roughest neighborhoods, is having trouble
making ends meet. … However, the latest blow, a major
increase in water rates, has course operator Tom Hsieh wondering
if the effort is worth it.
From the Las Vegas Review-Journal Outdoors, in a post by C.
Douglas Nielsen:
If you have not yet done so, and should you have the chance, get
a firsthand look at the Colorado River between Hoover Dam and
Willow Beach. While it is impressive to look down upon the river
from atop the dam, experiencing the river at surface level is
even more remarkable.
The lone state agency to oppose Gov. Jerry Brown’s twin tunnels
plan warns that the project could force marinas out of business
and take a big bite out of Delta agriculture.
From the San Francisco Chronicle, in Tom Stienstra’s Outdoors
column:
In the Crystal Basin, high on the flank of the Sierra Nevada
west of Tahoe, three gorgeous lakes — Loon, Union Valley and
Ice House — are full or close to it as the summer recreation
season enters full swing.
This was among many highlights this past week in a personal
survey of 125 recreation lakes across the Bay Area, Sacramento
and central and northern California.
The U.S. Forest Service is seeking public comment on a proposal
addressing water provided for ski areas on national forest lands
through the permitting process. The proposal would help to ensure
public winter recreation opportunities on Forest Service lands
are available in the long term.
Stanislaus County officials said additional water testing is
being conducted at Woodward Reservoir following reports that
visitors became sick after swimming at the park north of Oakdale.
The future of a popular paved trail that runs alongside Woodward
Park in northeast Fresno is up for public discussion. … The
[San Joaquin River] conservancy is seeking public comment by
July 8 before work starts on the environmental impact report.
From The Sacramento Bee, in a commentary by Dan Chu:
The wildlife, clean water and scenery offered by our national
forests are crucial to our way of life and our
multibillion-dollar outdoor recreation economy – especially in
California.
“The drought is disrupting a variety of summer activities that
help make up the state’s $85-billion outdoor recreation industry,
the nation’s largest. Experts say it will deal a severe blow to
rural communities that rely heavily on skiing, fishing and
camping.”
