News Release Archive

American River Gravel Augmentation Project Public Scoping Meeting To Be Held Monday, February 11, 2008

Media Contact: Jeffrey McCracken, 916-978-5100, jmccracken@mp.usbr.gov

For Release: February 05, 2008

The Bureau of Reclamation, in cooperation with the Sacramento Area Water Forum, will hold a public scoping meeting on adding gravel in the lower American River between Nimbus Dam and Sailor Bar, at the Upper Sunrise Recreation Area and at American River Parkway South (formerly Goethe Park).  The gravel would be used for Chinook salmon and steelhead trout spawning and rearing purposes.  In addition, side channels may be created to increase in-river spawning and rearing habitat for both species.  Funding for the project is provided through the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Section 3406(b)(13) (Spawning Gravel).  The work would be performed in phases during the next 5 years to allow for best spawning-bed development.

Comments received at the meeting will be used to help develop an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project.  The meeting will be held:

	Gold River Monday, February 11, 2008, 7-9 p.m. Sacramento State Aquatic Center 1901 Hazel Avenue Sacramento, CA
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Public input is being sought on the project which involves obtaining gravel from existing dredger tailings along the American River, sorting and washing it on-site to specifications needed for spawning salmonids, transporting it into the river, and placing it in a fashion to allow for utilization by salmonids and colonization by aquatic insects.  The project entails working in the river with heavy equipment to relocate existing gravel which is too large for spawning and then placing the new gravel.  Heavy equipment would also be used for side-channel excavation along the river and to create fish habitat in the side channels.  The gravel will be placed in the river near the Nimbus Fish Hatchery and other previously mentioned locations in summer 2008.     

The portion of the American River with the highest abundance of adult salmon and steelhead is the 2-mile reach immediately below Nimbus Dam.  This portion of the river lacks enough high-quality spawning habitat for all fish in the area to spawn; thus, the fish repeatedly spawn in the same locations, killing the eggs of the earlier spawning fish.  Appropriate-sized gravel is required for Chinook salmon and steelhead to reproduce.  Up to 50,000 cubic yards of gravel will be added to the river during the next 5 years. 

For additional information, please contact or e-mail Mr. John Hannon, Fisheries Biologist, Reclamation, at 916-978-5524 or jhannon@mp.usbr.gov.

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