For Immediate Release: January 25, 2005 CCal-04-35
Contact: Jeff Horn/Jeff Babcock Phone 916-985-4474

BLM to Begin Construction on South Fork American River Site

The Folsom Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management announced today that construction of a new access road and parking lot on public land in the vicinity of Greenwood Creek and State Highway 49 along the South Fork of the American River about three miles north of Coloma in El Dorado County will begin on March 14. Greenwood Creek is a popular river access point for recreationists, especially kayakers.

According to BLM Recreation Planner Jeff Horn, the purpose of the new facilities is to reduce a hazard posed by people parking along Highway 49 to use a trail that leads to the river. "No one's been hurt - yet," Horn said, "but we think it's just a matter of time before someone carrying their kayak across the highway gets hit."

The new parking area was authorized in the recently-approved BLM Management Plan for the river. It will consist of a paved access road and 40 paved parking spaces for use by casual river recreationists. The parking lot will not accommodate vehicles with trailers or RVs. The idea for the facility was brought up by Caltrans employees, and refined in a series of meetings with local residents, river users, and BLM planners

Construction will continue through mid-July, and the new parking lot will be ready for public use in the early fall. BLM Engineer Technican Jeff Babcock, who will oversee the project, asked river users to avoid Greenwood Creek until the job is done. "The result will be worth the temporary inconvenience," Babcock said, "The area will be much more user-friendly and much safer when we get it done."

For additional information, contact BLM's Folsom Field Office at 63 Natoma Street, Folsom, California 95630, or call 916-985-4474.

-BLM-

Folsom Field Office - 63 Natoma Street, Folsom, CA 95630
www.ca.blm.gov