Lower Sacramento River Closed to Boat Traffic in Redding? Can We Get An "Ouch" From the Guides?

You know the “standard” drift boat trip on the Lower Sac — where you put in at the Posse Grounds and take out way, way downriver?

That float’s days may be numbered:

After a scathing report by a state boating safety consultant, the Redding City Council will decide Tuesday whether to close the Sacramento River to boat traffic below the Cypress Avenue Bridge for two years.

…

If the council approves the emergency ordinance, all boats would be banned from the river 100 yards upstream from the bridge and 50 yards below. The river would be closed until Dec. 24, 2010.

If the river is closed, it could put a damper on what city tourism officials estimate to be at least a $1 million recreational fishing industry.

I first mentioned this some time ago — now it appears the Redding folks are serious about closing the Lower Sac on both sides of the Cypress Street Bridge.

(And yes — that incredibly under-the-mark $1 million dollar figure for the Redding recreational fishing industry has resurfaced again.)

Comments, Undergrounders? Are the guides about to take it in the shorts, or are there enough ramps and float available to keep it interesting?

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Posted in News and tagged cypress bridge, lower sacramento river, redding.

3 Comments

Scott February 7, 2008, 9:07 pm Reply

I saw a news spot on this issue on the Redding TV station. The film footage showed a guy in a kayak and a drift boat both going under the bridge. There’s not much headroom and twice as many pylons as normal — which makes the transit a little tight — but the drift boat seemed to make it through without any trouble. Although I wouldn’t want to be standing up and facing backwards when you came upon the bridge. Whack!

Scott(Quote)

Tom Chandler February 8, 2008, 7:25 am Reply

I think they’re really concerned about two things. First, that somebody really stupid will kill themselves. And second, that even a good boater might kill himself once the flows have been turned up.

So the result could be a pylon-fabbed noose around the neck of Redding’s biggest tourist industry until 2010, courtesy Redding’s crack team of planners.

Tom Chandler(Quote)