The Confluence Spring 2005

Alta Vista School Interpretive Trail Updated

PARC collaborated with Auburn Union School District students and parents to restore the Alta Vista School nature posts and update the interpretive trail brochure on Earth Day 2005. The trail is located along the headwaters of Canyon Creek, a tributary of the American River, behind Alta Vista School. Auburn Union School District students will use this trail to learn more about the natural history of our area.

The many nature trails of our area provide important field study opportunities for people, young and older, who are interested in recognizing the plants and animals they may encounter in the many environments of the American River foothills ecosystem. Interpretive nature trails are often located in protected areas that provide habitat and refuge for wildlife and even plants that are under increasing pressure from development.

Knowing the correct names of the flora and fauna and even a little bit of information about the plants and animals that are native to our area helps us understand how to live with and protect native species. Knowing their places in the food chain and their relationships to one another increases their chances of survival. Developing environmental literacy is fun and helps us understand how dependent our survival is on clean water, healthy air and well-balanced sustainable ecosystems.

The physical exercise we achieve from exploring and maintaining our nature trails is also a very important ingredient for our own personal health. Obesity is on the rise in our culture as are stress and anxiety. The effects of these cultural maladies may be offset by regular exercise in natural scenic areas.

PARC also maintains the Codfish Creek Falls Nature Discovery Trail located on the North Fork of the American River near Ponderosa Bridge.

A special Earth Day 2005 grant from PG&E provided the funds for purchase of materials and brochure printing.

Pump Station Work Continues

Progress continues to be made on the Placer County Water Agency pump station project in the canyon below Auburn. Excavation of the pump station's wet well chamber has now been completed, and construction of the pump station itself has begun. Additionally, approximately 80 percent of a new 72-inch pipeline from the pump station up to the Auburn Ravine intake tunnel has been installed. The pump station and its related infrastructure are slated for completion in April 2006.

Phase 2 of the project has been delayed because of a redesign of the technically complex in-river intake structure. The Bureau of Reclamation anticipates completing the redesign and putting Phase 2 out to bid by the end of the year. Final project completion, including construction of boating takeout sites, Auburn dam diversion tunnel closure, and the long-awaited return of the North Fork of the American River to the reconstructed river channel, is now estimated to occur in April 2007.

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