Sacramento Running News

The trail is clear from the 3.o mile mark (behind Cal Expo) to Beals Point

The rivers (American and Sacramento) are both steadily dropping, but we are sad to report that Discovery Park is still under water.

The USGS is predicting the Sacramento River will drop below 19-feet at the I Street bridge by Sunday afternoon. This is the point that Discovery Park begins to drain out, but it can often take a few more days to clear out enough to be usable.

The County is generally pretty quick about cleaning the trail of debris when the water recedes, but it all still takes time. With luck, by next weekend (April 16th) it may be ready to go.

As of a day ago, it was reported that there was still water on the trail for about a mile from Discovery Park, and again 2.75 miles from Discovery (under US 160). There was also water reported on the trail on the South side of the river near Howe Avenue.

All the gates open at Nimbus Dam. Photo by John Blue (click to see a high-res version)

Is the parkway still flooded?

Discovery Park is still quite flooded, and will likely be so at least through this weekend.

The parkway near Discovery Park is generally taking on water when the river at the I street bridge is at 19-feet or higher. The USGS is predicting the river to be at over 21-feet through this weekend.

The tough part is that even after the river is below 19-feet, it takes another couple of days for the water to drain out of the park.

The good news is that the parkway is now clear and dry at the 20.5 mile mark and the detour signs are gone.

This morning, I had the opportunity to run on the upper Parkway (upstream of Hazel Ave to Beals Point) and found it to be in quite good shape. State Parks folks were out keeping an eye on things and there was only a small amount of debris on the roadway.

The only standing water worth noting is just on the west edge of Negro Bar.

I felt that the most dangerous section was along the bluffs just downstream from Negro Bar. The new, cement retaining wall has already been put to work this winter, but you should still be alert to rocks and debris falling down on the trail while the hills are saturated from the endless rain.

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All the gates are open at Nimbus Dam (on the American River at Hazel Ave)

In case you weren’t already aware, the rivers are running quite high. As a result, much of Discovery Park is underwater, making the American River Parkway impassable at that point.

There are reports of flooding at the 0.5 mile mark (near the archery range), just past the 1 mile mark, and along the creek where the trail passes under Northgate Blvd. (between the 2 and 2.5 mile marks).

I am also getting reports this morning of flooding on the upper end of the Parkway, near mile marks 20.5 and 21, or Sunrise Blvd. (An alert reader tells me there is a well marked detour at this point.)

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The County reports that the bathroom and drinking fountain along the American River Parkway at Sunrise  is now complete and open for “business.”

The Monthly Ranger Report for August is also available here. (PDF) I must note this is the first time I’ve seen a bike vs. pedestrian accident.

There was also a report of a assault by a “jogger” on a bicyclist:

The male victim was riding his bicycle and encountered a jogger blocking the trail. The victim locked his brakes and was thrown from his bike. The suspect jogger struck the victim in the face with his fist. The suspect fled the scene.

I’m sure that’s exactly how it transpired. Come on people! There are rules and as I’ve said before they generally boil down to: share the road, pay attention, and don’t be a jerk. And don’t call runners “joggers.”