Upper American River Foundation

09/21/2025

I helped with the Great Sierra River Cleanup as part of the PARC and NFARA site at Mineral Bar Campground for the first time in several years representing the Sac-Sierra Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Upper American River Foundation! We didn’t weigh the trash but part was hauled away NFAFA and part by Auburn State Recreation Area staff. In addition to 4 couches and a very heavy thick wet blanket, we picked up probably 5 large bags of trash for an estimated 400 lbs total by 6 volunteers in 3 hrs !

09/07/2025

Another successful trip monitoring more of ARCs Chili Bar @ the American River Concervancy’s access area.

08/29/2025

Yesterday “Rod” and I returned for our 2nd monitoring of the trout and flow regime of the South Fork of the American River at Chili Bar. SMUD controls releases from Chili Bar Reservoir to generate hydropower and provide flow for boaters and anglers! Flows were at 1,400 cfs when we arrived at 8 am for the rafters and kayakers and were cut down to 300 cfs by the time we left ar 3:30 pm

We captured 10 Rainbow trout, 8 plants, 2 native. Kept 6 and released 4. The plants were all about 12 inches long and natives were smaller.

We met an older handicapped angler, “Don”, and showed him how to fish with a clear float with water in it because he was having trouble always hooking up on the rocks on the bottom. He even caught a trout !

We spent much of our time talking to the American River Conservancy’s staffer, Kelly Crofoot, who manages their small access area. He told us much about how the local fish populations have been revived and are now maintained through stocking by the California Departnent of Fish and Wildlife. We learned about the large Brown trout population that has recovered thanks to the CDFW RBT stocking program .

We found the CDFW Angler Survey box down by the rafter input location and reported out catch.

Here are some of the scenery pics and highlights of the day !

07/08/2025

Monitoring more of the South Fotk American River today at Chili Bar, turnoff to Crystal Basin, and at Sand Flat Campground…

07/01/2025

Monitored the NF American River at Ponderosa Bridge and Mineral Bar yesterday. One pretty little RBT and one SMB at Pondo. 9 RBT and 1 SMB ds of Mineral Bar Bridge.

They’re still working on the Yankee Jim Bridge… 2 or 3 more yrs they said.

Our 20 yr old “Wild Trout Stream” & “Wild and Scenic River” interpretive panel is still looking good…
there is a small ASRA checkin booth in front of it now.

The identical panel and display board on the ds right bank that were at the commercial raft launch are both totally gone !

We noticed last week that the Identical panels are also missing at the Oxbow commercial raft launch and In the USFS Foresthill ranger station lobby too ???
I’m wondering why ?
The Info Is all still up to date and accurate!

I lost my favorite wooden handled “Insta Net” by Handy Pac Net Co. it has “Bill Templin” engraved on the handle… at the first big run downstream of the Mineral Bar Bridge… sure would like to get it back !

06/27/2025

Monitoring the South Fork American River at Coloma with 8 friends on Wednesday yielded a lot of learning but only one fish… but it was a big one… unfortunately not the trout I was hoping to catch, it was a Sacramento Pike Minnow (formerly known as “ Squaw Fish”, I think because it was a staple in the diets of our local Native Americans.

The water was low and warm feeling probably because it was a 90*F afternoon, and SMUDs releases from Chili Bar Reservoir had been reduced for 2 days.

Overall it was a good outing… like they say “the worst day fishing beats the best day working”!

06/26/2025

My first trip up since the Mosquito Fire devistated the area … sad…

06/26/2025

Monitoring the upper M F American River last Monday. The fish weren’t cooperative but it was good to back up in my old stomping grounds again! Possibly being there for the evening hatch would have been better?

Lots of road work in the southern boat ramp and campgrounds but those on the north side of French Meadows Reservoir may be operational. I can say the group campground is open.

Water was low in the river above French Meadows already, and the releases from the turbines at Innerbay and Ralston were minimal so fishing there only yielded one pretty little wild rainbow trout . The turbin at Oxbow PH came on while we were there late in the afternoon but we were tired and hot so we didn’t fish there .

We noticed some new construction at the raft parking lot, including the addition of a 4th vault toilet and the removal of the beautiful intrrpretive panel on the wild trout streams and wild & scenic rivers in the area had been removed? Gotta find out what happened to it and how we can get it back!

This was my first trip to this area since the “Mosquuto” fire devastated this area! Major loss of forest and the road was closed until recently.

The USFS office In Foresthill is only open on Thursdays from 10 toll 2 minus a 30 min lunch break ! This Is yet another of the negative Impacts of the DOGE disaster!

Here are some photos of what we observed. If anyone has info to share on any af the above, please do!

04/20/2024

Join in on the fun and help our watershed stay beautiful and healthy!

08/09/2023

Took an afternoon trip up to the South Fork American River near Coloma yesterday with a new fishing’ buddy on the recommendation from a guy at work… the rainbow trout weren’t big (nothing over 11 inches) but they were plentiful and lots of fun to catch? Gotta stay alert for changing water levels though I think…

03/29/2023

https://www.facebook.com/196311123712954/posts/6474162415927762/?mibextid=cr9u03

Construction continues on the new Ponderosa Bridge. The road remains closed. Hopefully it will reopen soon.