THE ROTARY PICNIC GROUNDS were a surprise to Rotarians at their September 8th meeting held there. A fine layer of dried mud covered the pavilion area and cook stations.
As we’d reported, “A resolution ratifying a proclamation of local state of emergency issued by Director of Emergency Services (OES) Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher on August 28th was due to flood damage on Smithneck Road at the Sierra County Board of Supervisors meeting September 2nd.” That was the one-year anniversary of the Bear Fire.
Mike Buck and I took a ride to survey the damage September 14th. As we’d pass through one debris clearing after another, there were at least five separate debris flows, dug deep within the creek, changing the landscape, much of it through the 2024 Bear Fire scar.
Smithneck Creek is badly clogged with silt, dirt and rocks and it’s obvious where it spilled onto the picnic grounds. The recent torrential rain during the thunderstorms undermined Smithneck Road and created “severe public safety hazards.” Sierra County has done a fine job of clearing the debris but in some places, it’s one lane.
The popular Boca-Loyalton Trail has a 12-foot trench. There’s a lot of cleanup just as there was after a major flood of the area and picnic grounds following the August 1994 Cottonwood Fire. The picnic grounds burned in the Cottonwood Fire and then got flooded.
Fortunately, in 2024 during the Bear Fire, the picnic area was saved.
According to Public Works Director Bryan Davey, initial estimate is approximately $300,000 in damages to Smithneck Road and at the old landfill site. He asked with a proclamation that the Governor concur to open public assistance to help with damages.
Earlier this year, I approached Loyalton City Council about dredging Smithneck Creek as it had been done by the County in years past. And now the creek appears in bad shape. According to Davey, streambed alteration is no longer allowed due to the CA Environmental Quality Act. They would now need a Streambed Agreement with CA Dept. Fish & Wildlife, a 401 Water Quality Control Board permit and a 404 Army Corps of Engineers permit.
The area is very popular with tourists. Just in the short time we walked the park, two separate gentlemen and their dogs from Nevada sat enjoying the area, along with passing motorcyclists, bicyclists and ATVs in addition to a couple pickups rambling through.
Be aware! Caution is advised throughout the area.
As we’d reported, “A resolution ratifying a proclamation of local state of emergency issued by Director of Emergency Services (OES) Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher on August 28th was due to flood damage on Smithneck Road at the Sierra County Board of Supervisors meeting September 2nd.” That was the one-year anniversary of the Bear Fire.
Mike Buck and I took a ride to survey the damage September 14th. As we’d pass through one debris clearing after another, there were at least five separate debris flows, dug deep within the creek, changing the landscape, much of it through the 2024 Bear Fire scar.
Smithneck Creek is badly clogged with silt, dirt and rocks and it’s obvious where it spilled onto the picnic grounds. The recent torrential rain during the thunderstorms undermined Smithneck Road and created “severe public safety hazards.” Sierra County has done a fine job of clearing the debris but in some places, it’s one lane.
The popular Boca-Loyalton Trail has a 12-foot trench. There’s a lot of cleanup just as there was after a major flood of the area and picnic grounds following the August 1994 Cottonwood Fire. The picnic grounds burned in the Cottonwood Fire and then got flooded.
Fortunately, in 2024 during the Bear Fire, the picnic area was saved.
According to Public Works Director Bryan Davey, initial estimate is approximately $300,000 in damages to Smithneck Road and at the old landfill site. He asked with a proclamation that the Governor concur to open public assistance to help with damages.
Earlier this year, I approached Loyalton City Council about dredging Smithneck Creek as it had been done by the County in years past. And now the creek appears in bad shape. According to Davey, streambed alteration is no longer allowed due to the CA Environmental Quality Act. They would now need a Streambed Agreement with CA Dept. Fish & Wildlife, a 401 Water Quality Control Board permit and a 404 Army Corps of Engineers permit.
The area is very popular with tourists. Just in the short time we walked the park, two separate gentlemen and their dogs from Nevada sat enjoying the area, along with passing motorcyclists, bicyclists and ATVs in addition to a couple pickups rambling through.
Be aware! Caution is advised throughout the area.
