PROTECT AMERICAN RIVER CANYONS
PARC • PO Box 9312 • Auburn, CA 95604
The Confluence Spring 2004American River Landmark Mountain Quarries Railroad Bridge Protected Years
of research and perseverance by local history enthusiasts resulted
in the 92-year-old Mountain Quarries Railroad Bridge being listed
in the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service.
Hal Hall, a champion Tevis Cup 100 mile horse racer, led the charge
for Placer County Historical Society and Western States Trail Foundation
that led to the designation. Retired ASRA Ranger Mike Lynch, who maintains
the historical archives for the park, and Tom Winter from the State
Architects office provided documentation and photos for the endeavor.
A dedication and installation of a bronze plaque is being planned
for Sunday, July 11th. The plaque will be on display at the Confluence
Festival. ASRA Park headquarters, (530) 885-5648, will have
more information on the dedication closer to the date.
River Management Society Meets at the ConfluenceA group of River Management Society members, from across the United States, convened at the proposed American River Confluence Parkway near Auburn in early May. They came for a river float trip and tour of the river restoration and pump station project at the old Auburn dam site. A juvenile fawn-colored diamond-back rattlesnake curled up in the rocks near the rivers edge next to some wildflowers we were admiring was the highlight of the float trip. The old dam site is hardly recognizable. A dry river bed runs through it! Tony Firenzi, PCWA engineer, gave an excellent presentation accompanied by photos of the restored river channel design model that is being used in Colorado to help the engineers understand river hydraulics associated with the pump station river intakes. Several fun rapids will mark the intakes once the river is diverted back into the channel and the tunnel is closed. ASRA Superintendent Jill Dampier and Rob Schroeder from the Bureau of Reclamation provided an excellent overview of the project. The River Management Society participants offered valuable ideas and strategies for the proposed American River Confluence Parkway based on their experience with similar river parks that interface with developing urban areas.Their mission is to utilize science, knowledge, experience, and public values to develop sound decisions that will protect and preserve the quality and importance of river environments. Special thanks to ASRA whitewater Ranger Bill Deitchman for covering river trip logistics. North Fork Trail Environmental Assessment Released for Public CommentThe proposed North Fork Trail from the Confluence to Ponderosa Way moved a step closer to reality with Placer County's Department of Facility Services release of the Mitigated Negative Declaration. Your comments are essential if we are to preserve the wilderness quality of the north fork of the American River's special lands while accommodating increasing recreational use. You can help shape the future of this wilderness area by writing a letter in support of the Trails Advisory Group's three major trail construction recommendations: 1) The trail should be 4' in width with occasional turn outs for safety. 2) The trail should be hand built. 3) The trail should maintain a natural meandering course for the safety of all the trail users. Comments must be in by June 5th. To request a copy of the Environmental Assessment or for more information contact Andy Fisher @ (530) 889-6819. Address comments to John Ramirez, Parks Administrator, Placer County Department of Facility Services, 11476 C Avenue, Auburn, CA 95603. Canyon Keepers CornerAuburn State Parks Junior Ranger Program 2004 will be held each Saturday morning from 9 a.m. - 10 a.m., from June 17th through August 8th (no program July 3rd.) All youth from 7 - 12 yrs. are welcome to attend this free program, which will be held at the Confluence. To pre-register and for more information telephone (530) 885-4527. Anyone interested in becoming a Canyon Keeper (State Parks volunteer) should call Jim Ferris at (530) 885-3776. The training sessions will be held on June 19th and June 26 from 9 a.m. till 2 p.m.at the Auburn State Parks Headquarters on Highway 49.
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